Flame-resistant. Breathable. Moisture wicking. These words don’t usually come to mind when thinking of wool, but Army researchers are hoping a wool-blend fabric that does all three will improve combat uniforms for troops.
The Army is looking for a flame-resistant combat uniform, and this prototype doesn’t need a topical treatment to protect it from fire. The components of this fabric — 50 percent wool, 42 percent Nomex, 5 percent Kevlar and 3 percent P140 antistatic fiber — create flame protection without adding anything extra.
“That’s the special synergy we discovered when we blended [wool and Nomex] together,” said Carole Winterhalter, a textile technologist at the Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts.
