ABSTRACT GABLER, WILLIAM JOHN. the Design and Evaluation of a Chemical Protective Sock Liner
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ABSTRACT GABLER, WILLIAM JOHN. The Design and Evaluation of a Chemical Protective Sock Liner. (Under the direction of Dr. Emiel DenHartog). Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) protective clothing ensembles impose physiological and ergonomic constraints on users that limit operational duration and impact the ability to perform certain tasks. There has been a continual effort to advance CBRN ensembles by introducing novel materials, improving functional designs, and specializing equipment for end-user groups. One such effort has been the introduction of lower burden and less protective CBRN ensembles for emergency response, law enforcement, and military users. This research describes a functional clothing design process to develop a chemically protective sock liner for use in low-level vapor protective ensembles. The desire was expressed among multiple end- user groups for a more form-fitting and comfortable sock component for extended mission use. A novel stretch material was selected and a collaborative, iterative design process was employed, which involved continual feedback from end-users to validate improvements in the sock design and construction. The performance of the sock liner barrier material was assessed using standardized test methods according to NFPA 1994 Class 3 requirements. Since physical wear can cause damage to components, the potential change in protective performance over time was assessed through durability studies featuring actual and simulated wear. The suitability of the liner was considered in the context of its potential operational use. Comfort evaluations indicate that new liner is preferred among end-users in terms of fit and overall comfort. This was attributed to reduced bunched material inside the footwear, an improved design pattern, an expanded sizing scheme, and increased moisture absorption of the liner material. © Copyright 2017 William John Gabler All Rights Reserved The Design and Evaluation of a Chemical Protective Sock Liner by William John Gabler A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Fiber & Polymer Science Raleigh, North Carolina 2017 APPROVED BY: _______________________________ _______________________________ Dr. Emiel DenHartog Dr. R. Bryan Ormond Committee Chair _______________________________ _______________________________ Dr. Roger Barker Dr. Donald Thompson DEDICATION To my mom. ii BIOGRAPHY Mr. Gabler previously received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the College of William & Mary and a Master’s in Textile Chemistry from North Carolina State University. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work would not be possible without the support of all the members of the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC). I would like to thank the following people: the leadership of TPACC - Dr. R. Bryan Ormond, Shawn Deaton, Dr. Roger Barker, Dr. Donald Thompson, and Dr. Emiel DenHartog – who guided this work from inception to completion; all my fellow students, co-workers, and staff, Ashley, Alex, Candace, Cassandra, Chandler, Chris, Gail, Kyle, Sophie, and Tyler, who helped me with the challenges of research and graduate school; the members of CTTSO/TSWG for funding and overseeing this research and for coordinating wear trials; and Jen for her hard work and knowledgeable contributions to the design and manufacturing process. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. x Chapter 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research Objectives and Dissertation Overview ....................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Literature Review on Chemical Protective Clothing: Design and Performance Concepts 5 2.1 Dermal Exposure to Chemical Hazards ..................................................................... 5 2.1.1 The Skin Barrier .................................................................................................. 6 2.1.2 Classification of Chemical Hazards .................................................................... 8 2.2 Chemical Protective Ensembles ............................................................................... 13 2.2.1 Materials ........................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Construction and Garment Features.................................................................. 18 2.2.3 Design and Classification ................................................................................. 22 2.2.4 Operational Factors ........................................................................................... 32 2.2.5 Comfort and Human Factors ............................................................................. 33 2.2.6 Low-level CPC Ensembles ............................................................................... 36 2.3 Footwear Comfort and Performance ........................................................................ 39 2.3.1 Chemical Protective Footwear .......................................................................... 41 2.4 Testing and Evaluation ............................................................................................. 46 2.4.1 Material Level ................................................................................................... 47 2.4.2 Ensemble Level ................................................................................................. 58 2.4.3 Physical Testing ................................................................................................ 60 Chapter 3. A Survey on the Use and Comfort of Chemical Protective Sock Liners .......... 63 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 63 3.2 User Input Survey..................................................................................................... 63 3.2.1 Survey ............................................................................................................... 63 3.2.2 Participants ........................................................................................................ 64 v 3.2.3 Experience and Use........................................................................................... 64 3.2.4 Socks and Footwear .......................................................................................... 66 3.2.5 Durability and Performance .............................................................................. 69 3.2.6 Comfort, Fit, and Design .................................................................................. 72 3.2.7 Group Discussions ............................................................................................ 76 3.3 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 77 Chapter 4. The Design Process and the Evaluation of Fit of a Chemical Protective Sock Liner 78 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 78 4.1.1 Functional Design Process ................................................................................ 78 4.1.2 Sock Liners ....................................................................................................... 79 4.1.3 Design Requirements ........................................................................................ 80 4.2 Experimental ............................................................................................................ 81 4.2.1 Liner Materials, Construction, and Initial Designs ........................................... 81 4.2.2 Subjective Evaluation Methods ........................................................................ 83 4.3 Results ...................................................................................................................... 86 4.3.1 Prototype Design Process ................................................................................. 86 4.3.2 Experiential Focus Groups ................................................................................ 90 4.3.3 Down-selection and Design Alterations ........................................................... 92 4.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 93 Chapter 5. The Evaluation of the Comfort of a Chemical Protective Sock Liner .............. 95 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 95 5.2 Comfort Evaluations ................................................................................................ 95 5.2.1 Experimental ..................................................................................................... 95 5.2.2 Results ............................................................................................................. 102 5.2.3 Discussion ......................................................................................................