Fibertect

Fibertect® is a three layer, inert, flexible, drapable, nonwoven composite substrate for absorbing and adsorbing chemical warfare agents (CWA), toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), and pesticides. Fibertect is self-contained and packaged for easy use, storage, and transport. Materials used in the outside layers may vary to provide both absorption and adsorption properties and multiple functional uses.

Users: Military, First Responders/Receivers, Hospitals, HazMat, Fire Fighters

Fibertect Highlights

• Wipe Away Bulk Chemicals
• Effective Dry Decon of:
  • Persons
  • Weapons
  • Sensitive Equipment
• Fabric Retains Toxic Vapor
• Absorbs and Adsorbs Toxic Materials
• Activated Carbon Nonwoven Fabric
• Devoid of Loose Particles
• Indefinite Shelf Life

Additional Information

Three Layer Design
The three layers of material consist of a top and bottom fabric with a center layer of fibrous activated carbon that is needle punched into a composite fabric.  The top and bottom layers provide structural coherence, improving mechanical strength and abrasion resistance.  Fibertect^® is non-particulate and is devoid of loose particles and is effective in decontaminating personnel and sensitive parts of military equipment.

Dry Decon Kits
Fibertect can be packaged into personal decontamination kits and used in conjunction with Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) to provide more effective decontamination.

Testing and Development
Fibertect development and testing was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and managed by the Technical Support Working Group, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, U.S. Department of Defense.  Product testing has been conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL).  Fibertect proved superior in all testing results against 30 comparable products for decontaminating against toxic chemical agents, TICs and TIMs. Challenge chemicals and results include:

• Sulfur Mustard: Outperformed all 30 other sorbents for absorptive capacities directly from skin (95% removal) and adsorptive capacities, including current military M291 sorbent.
• Methylparathion (organophosphate): Outperformed all sorbents for absorptive and adsorptive capacities.

• 70% Nitric Acid, 70% Sulfuric Acid, 10% Sodium Hypochlorite, and P-Zylene: No material degradation.
• Water and P-Xylene: Outperformed other sorbents for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic absorptive capacities.

Fibertect Variations

Fibertect^® can be in different forms, including sheets, cut pads, continuous roll or a mitt that can be worn over gloves. Additionally, it can be produced with various final densities, thicknesses, and tensile strengths depending on the specification and customer requirements by varying the needle punching methodologies (needle penetration per square inch, NPPI) used to mechanically entangle the fibers of the composite. Fibertect^® allows for easy clean-up of bulk chemicals on people, weapons and sensitive equipment.

The following depicts the multiple possible outer layer materials that could be used to tailor Fibertect® to specific applications:

Inert Three Layer Composite with Activated Carbon Nonwoven Felt Inner Layer
Once fabricated, Fibertect® may be coated with additional treatments to further enhance its effectiveness. Possible treatments include:

Fibertect Variations