ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Resistance of nanostructured films to permeation by industrial pollutants

Radek Přikryl, Vladimír Obšel, Antonín Rek, Ondřej Sedláček, and Michal Procházka

Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 464/188, CZ 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic

E-mail: prikryl@fch.vutbr.cz

Abstract: The aim of this study was to modify or replace the PEVA foil (polyethylenevinylacetate) currently used in the Czech Army as a construction material for the NBC protective disposable suit JP-90 (a part of the OM-90 protective mask set). This material shows inadequate protective properties; therefore, barrier coatings based on melamine, Parylene (polyparaxylylene) and various types of SiO _x were applied to its surface by vacuum technologies. The selected samples coated with polymer matrix barrier nanocoatings were continuously evaluated for resistance to permeation by highly toxic chemicals warfare agents (CWAs) and industrial pollutants at the Military Technical Institute of Protection (MTIP) in Brno. In addition, the microstructure of selected samples was assessed before and after the exposure to pollutants. The nanocoatings thus prepared were characterised in terms of surface morphology (SEM), chemical structure (FTIR), and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology. Sulphur mustard (HD) was used to test the sample resistance to permeation. Cyclohexane and subsequently 1,6-dichlorhexane were used as substitute testing substances for HD; however, the latter proved to be more advantageous. The resulting OTR values are presented, along with the permeation by toxic substances, both for the initial uncoated and the barrier-layers-coated PEVA foil. The results show a difference in the mechanism of vapour permeation of CWAs and toxic volatile organic solvents (VOCs).

Keywords: barrier-protective materials – permeation – resistance – breakthrough time (BTT) – chemicals warfare agents CWAs – PVD – PECVD – PEVA – PP – PVDC – SARAN – SiO x – Parylene C – BARIERTEST – OTR

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-012-0217-4

Chemical Papers 66 (10) 964–971 (2012)