
I last had a story about the Australian military and advanced technology in a June 18, 2023 posting titled, “Mind-controlled robots based on graphene: an Australian research story” where soldiers were patrolling with mind-controlled robotic dogs.
This story is textile-oriented (h/t Azonano’s September 24, 2024 news item). A September 24, 2024 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) press release announces a new kind of uniform,
Researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have successfully developed a next-generation uniform prototype that employs nanofibres to safeguard Australian troops from chemical and biological threats.
The innovative material is a lightweight fabric that effectively filters out harmful particles while remaining light-weight and breathable, keeping the wearer comfortable in extreme temperatures.
CSIRO Manufacturing Research Unit Director, Dr Marcus Zipper said this textile innovation was the result of collaboration with industry and research partners, including DMTC.
“Our nanofibre technology, pioneered by CSIRO scientists, has the potential to significantly improve the level of protection soldiers’ uniforms provide and can also be used for non-military applications, including protecting emergency responders and hazmat crews,” Dr Zipper said.
“CSIRO research and development in materials science looks to improve how a particular material functions – we work across a broad range of advanced materials including metals, composites, polymers, adsorbents and nanofibres,” Dr Zipper said.
The initial phase of this project was funded by the Department of Defence. The successful nanofibre suit prototype was coordinated by DMTC Limited.
Also involved in supporting the project are Bruck Textiles, Defence Science and Technology Group and RMIT University.
Head of Program Management at DMTC, Deepak Ganga, said the new prototype uniform could deliver a significant leap forward in soldier protection, ensuring better comfort and mobility in harsh environments.
“This project demonstrates the power of collaboration. CSIRO’s scientific excellence in nanofibre research has been matched with the expertise of our partners in textiles, defence science, and manufacturing,” Mr Ganga said.
“This has resulted in a groundbreaking solution that offers benefits for Australian troops, for the first responder community and, potentially for Australia’s alliance partners,” he said.
CSIRO project lead Dr Yen Truong said key to the prototype’s success lies in its innovative nanofibre technology, developed by CSIRO scientists.
“We harnessed the unique properties of nanofibres to create a lightweight fabric that effectively filters out harmful particles while remaining highly breathable,” said Dr Truong.
“In rigorous testing, the prototype surpassed all performance targets for air filtration, air permeability, thermal comfort, and chemical protection.
“This means it effectively filters pollutants from the air, allows for breathability, maintains comfortable temperatures even in extreme conditions, and offers superior protection from hazardous chemicals.”
With DMTC Limited, Dr Truong and team are seeking funding to progress to the next stage of development, which is expected to involve field testing with Australian Defence Force personnel and further refinement of scaled manufacturing processes with industrial partners.
As you can see, they’re being quite close-lipped about how or from what the textile is constituted. This September 24, 2024 CSIRO article by Rebecca Willetts offers a little more information,
For soldiers on the frontline, chemical and biological hazards are a sobering threat.
Traditional bulky protective suits offer a crucial layer of protection but come at the expense of breathability and mobility. This can lead to discomfort, heat stress and even hinder performance in harsh environments – potentially jeopardising the wearer’s health.
Our researchers are working to revolutionise personal protective equipment. We’ve developed a next-generation suit prototype that prioritises safety and comfort for soldiers and first responders.
…
The secret to our breakthrough lies in nanofibres – incredibly fine filaments at least 100 times thinner than a human hair. These tiny wonders have an extraordinary surface area that prevents harmful aerosol particles from passing through. What truly sets them apart is their breathability. Unlike traditional protective materials, nanofibre layers allow air to circulate freely – ensuring the wearer remains comfortable even in extreme conditions.
Senior researcher Dr Yen Truong is leading the project at CSIRO. She explains that nanofibres have the potential to revolutionise the way we think about protective gear.
“They offer a unique combination of filtration performance while maintaining breathability. The latter represents a challenge that has long hampered the development of effective lower thermal burden protective suits,” she says.
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The Nano Protective Adsorbent Composite (NPAC) project, which was made possible with Federal Government support, began in 2017.
Our team of scientists at CSIRO worked hand-in-hand with experts from Bruck Textiles, the Defence Science and Technology Group and RMIT University under the coordination of DMTC. This collaboration brought together knowledge and experience in nanotechnology, textile manufacturing, defence science and fashion design.
The first success was the development of the innovative nanofibre-based fabric. This fabric acts as a barrier against harmful airborne particles while maintaining airflow. Scaling up this technology from the laboratory to commercial production presented a significant challenge.
“It’s easy enough to create a composite nanofibre material in a small lab setting, but transitioning to mass production is a different thing altogether,” Yen says.
Our pilot-scale electrospinning machine produces the nanofibre. This larger-than-typical lab equipment played a crucial role in the production of larger quantities of fabric.
This demonstrated the technology’s potential for commercialisation, paving the way for real-world applications. A major breakthrough came in 2023 when Bruck Textiles, a leading Australian textile manufacturer, successfully produced 90 metres of the fabric. This material was then fabricated into a prototype uniform, which underwent rigorous testing.
In testing it surpassed performance targets for air filtration, air permeability, thermal comfort, and chemical protection. This meant the suit not only protected the wearer from hazardous substances, but also offered comfort and mobility in demanding situations.
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“We envision a future where firefighters, paramedics and other frontline workers can focus on their critical tasks without being hindered by heavy, cumbersome protective gear,” Yen says.
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It’s a long way from 90 meters of fabric to producing the quantities required to outfit military and other personnel. I wish them good luck!
As for more details about the nanofibers, I wasn’t able to find much about them in a relatively short online search but i did find more about Dr. Truong’s work here on her ResearchGate profile page.