require the added step of coating, the clothing is also expected to have a lower manufacturing cost.
CONCLUSION SO coatings, inherently SO fibers and SO micro- and nanosurface transparent films have different applications. Te coatings will be used on soft and hard shelters, textiles, cables, solar panels, intricate shapes and objects and flexible and hard surfaces, including windows, cars, ships and airplane exteriors. Te inherently SO fiber technology will be used on textiles and filtration products.
“With SO technologies, Soldiers will have clothing that always stays clean and fresh,” said Truong. “Teir goggles, visors, vehicle windshields and windows will always stay clean, which allows them the clear vision to fight and complete their missions. Applying the technolo- gies to ship hulls will allow them to move much faster on the water surface with less fuel consumption.”
Like SO coatings, SO films will be used on durable hard surfaces—solar panels, windows or airplanes, for example—to make them repellent to dust and dirt, and super-repellent to water, oils and other liquids.
“It is my hope that these new break- through technologies will help to enhance existing technologies the same way that carbon fibers improved the structural strength of buildings and cars,” said Truong. “However, these SO mate- rials, which are just about a year or two away from their formal introduction to commercial applications, will have vastly more potential, especially because of transparent SO film.”
Being super-clean means being more mission-ready and more hygienic, with
DRIP FACTOR
NSRDEC Physical Scientist Quoc Truong uses a goniometer to measure the contact angle of liquid drops on textile surfaces. Truong’s work includes omniphobic and inherently SO textiles and hard surfaces, which repel dirt, dust and liquids. (Photo by Jane Benson, NSRDEC Public Affairs)
enhanced protection from contaminated water and liquid chemicals. “Tis excit- ing research and development project work is underway, and it is expected that sample-size fabrics and lens products will be available for further testing and evalu- ation by December 2015,” said Truong.
NSRDEC is a subordinate organization of the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Research, Development and Engineer- ing Command. For more information on NSRDEC’s work for the warfighter, go to
http://nsrdec.natick.army.mil/about/ index.htm.
MR. CRAIG RETTIE is the associate director of science and engineering at
ASC.ARMY.MIL 97
NSRDEC. He holds an MBA from Penn- sylvania State University and a B.S. in engineering technology from Old Domin- ion University. He is Level III certified in program management and science and tech- nology management, and is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps.
MS. JANE BENSON provides contract support for the NSRDEC as a public affairs writer for Battelle Natick Operations. She holds an M.A. in professional writing and publishing from Emerson College and a B.A. in English from Framingham State College. She worked previously as a technical writer for the Army and is Level II certified in life- cycle logistics.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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