GE Energy expands protection fabrics portfolio
GE has announced the expansion of its eVent‚ fabrics product line with several new performance fabrics for the law enforcement, public safety, industrial and corporate workwear markets.
The first of several new eVent protective laminates is designed for law enforcement, industrial and corporate outerwear applications, meeting EN343:2003 and NFPA1999-2008 requirements. These laminates are 100 percent polyester woven fabrics and available in plain or optional hi-visibility colors.
The second eVent protective laminate is a flame-retardant ePTFE moisture barrier designed for protecting the firefighter and will be available in Europe and Asia. This laminate meets NFPA 1971–2007 and EN 469:2005 level 2 requirements and is available with either a nonwoven or woven fabrics. The inherent advantage of ePTFE in the moisture barrier is the increased durability over non-ePTFE based systems.
Finally, for electric utility applications, GE is introducing a patent-pending eVent protective laminate that meets both NFPA70E-2009 and ANSI/ISEA107-2004 for arc-resistance and hi-visibility requirements respectively.
The fundamental building block of GE’s eVent fabrics portfolio is expanded polytetrafluoro-ethylene (ePTFE) film and GE has the capability to selectively modify that film to tailor the performance to a specific application. This broadening of offerings is based on GE’s Direct Venting and new Direct Diffusion technology platforms that provide reliable and long lasting barrier for the required protection while also providing optimal performance with reduced thermal burden.
Direct Venting incorporates the use of the ePTFE film with a proprietary surface modification at the sub-micron level that provides an oleophobic film with an open pore structure that is both waterproof; and air permeable to provide highly breathability and moisture transfer. With Direct Venting, moisture vapor escapes from inside the garment up to twice as fast as traditional waterproof films, and cools you down naturally without overheating. This membrane has now been confirmed to also be an effective barrier against blood-borne pathogens, a critical requirement for public safety and industrial apparel.
Direct Diffusion technology incorporates a combination of a selectively permeable film over ePTFE to provide an oleophobic barrier while also being waterproof and highly breathable. Laminates incorporating Direct Diffusion film are ideal for applications where a bicomponent membrane is preferred or specified. Engineered with a variety of bicomponent membranes to provide the required protection, these laminates also reduce thermal burden with enhanced moisture transmission rates. GE’s Direct Diffusion technology comprises PTFE membrane and a variety of polymers to deliver comfortable protection. All of these laminates provide petroleum, oils, lubricants and blood-borne pathogen protection.
Both technologies provide protection against the elements while also provide a high degree of comfort for the wearer.
“GE is focused on continually improving our suite of product offerings, and providing our customers with the ability to customize solutions depending on the application or requirements,” said Gary Pacilio, General Manager of GE Energy’s Membrane Technologies business. “These new laminates offer a wide arrangement of options to better meet the real world conditions faced in the public safety and workwear markets.”
Originally developed and manufactured for use in GE Energy’s particulate matter filtration products, the business has expanded to offer patented membranes and laminate solutions for a wide variety of applications. GE’s facilities have been providing membranes to the consumer, industrial, and military markets for the last 10 years, and GE has continued to invest in new membrane technologies and new capabilities including a state of the art, manufacturing facility and laboratory in Shanghai, China.
Patent awarded for eVent active film that provides fabrics with chemical and biological agent protectionGE Energy has launched a fabric laminate which offers chemical and biological warfare agent and toxic industrial chemical protection in a breathable, light weight format that reduces thermal burden on the wearer, enhancing the performance of military users, first responders and workers operating in hazardous conditions.
The product's expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane incorporates an oleophobic treatment and a continuous coating. This combination of treatment and coating provides unique functionality to the membrane that allows it to protect against various chemical and biological warfare agents, as well as toxic industrial chemicals. The eVent active film can be laminated to a wide arrangement of fabrics, for either individual protection or collective protective applications.
The continuous coating applied to the film is an amine-containing hydrophilic polymer that provides a barrier to various chemical warfare agents and a range of toxic industrial chemicals. It has been successfully tested against challenge levels of 10 gms/m2 of GB, GD, HD and VX agents. The amine coating is also hydrophilic which allows moisture vapor to permeate through the membrane, providing increased comfort for the wearer. The unlaminated membrane has demonstrated MVTR values up to 15,000 g/m2/day.
The other unique property of this membrane is its ability to self-decontaminate G-series chemical warfare agents, by breaking them down into non-hazardous by-products within the laminate. This self-decontamination capability is especially beneficial in the prevention of cross-contamination.
Unlike some of the current chemical and biological protective garments, the advantages associated with a treated membrane laminate is that it affords similar protection, but is waterproof, lighter weight, and has reduced bulk. Since it is a non-absorption based system, it does not have the shelf life issues associated with absorption based laminates. Lastly, the treated membrane can be laminated to a wide array of face fabrics in either 2 layer or 3 layer configurations, for military to public safety segments and ranging from aircrew suits, to diving suits and combat uniforms.
The fundamental building block of GE’s eVent fabrics portfolio is ePTFE film, and GE has the capability to selectively modify that film to tailor the performance to a specific application. This technology is based on GE’s Direct Diffusion technology platforms that provide a reliable and long lasting barrier for the required protection while also providing optimal performance with reduced thermal burden.
“This patent represents a collaboration of efforts between our global research center and the engineering expertise in the business. GE’s eVent active film represents a significant step forward in the development of technologies for protection from chemical and biological agent attacks,” said Gary Pacilio, General Manager of GE Energy’s Membrane Technologies Business. “We are pleased to offer this new laminate to help protect those who protect us day in and day out.
GE’s facilities have been providing membranes to the consumer, industrial, and military markets for the last 10 years, and GE has continued to invest in new membrane technologies and new capabilities including a state of the art, manufacturing facility and laboratory in Shanghai, China.