Individual protection is a high priority mission for the United States Army. Flame and heat resistant protective clothing systems are required to ensure the safety of military personnel in deployed and other hazardous environments. Its low flammability, self-extinguishing nature, and tendency not to melt make wool an excellent candidate for use in protective clothing systems. Unfortunately woolâs natural structure makes it highly susceptible to shrinkage unless treated. While methods for rendering wool machine washable and dryable exist on a commercial scale overseas, the lack of domestic infrastructure and restrictions imposed by the Berry Amendment stand as a major obstacle between the US Army and continued provision of high performance protective garments. In this Phase I SBIR proposal, the Infoscitex team proposes the development of an enzymatic treatment process capable of rendering wool washable in a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly fashion. This process will enable establishment of a commercial supply of washable wool produced in the United States.
Keywords: Protective Clothing, Wool, Washable Wool, Shrink-Treated, Enzymatic
