Military Textiles - An Overview of New Developments

Abstract

Textiles for military clothing face a complex set of challenges. They must provide protection, durability and comfort in a wide range of hostile environments. The general requirements of military textiles include damage resistance, comfort, sweat management, cold-weather conditions and the integration of high-tech materials into uniforms. This paper discusses the main concepts regarding the application of textiles in military uses, where the surrounding environments such as desert, jungle or extremely cold areas as well as the nature of the situations involved pose a threat to the soldier’s safety. Therefore, the improvement and development of fibrous materials, textile structures and finishing processes can bring new perspectives for saving lives.

Fabrication of Recycled Polycarbonate Fibre for Thermal Signature Reduction in Camouflage Textiles

“…Military camouflage has at least two requirements that need to be managed; the near-infrared and the visible regions of the spectrum [ 36 ]. Temperature regulation is required for reducing the emitted infrared waves in military camouflage, lower emitted infrared waves lead to higher thermal insulation properties [ 37 ]. Therefore, it is important to select a material that has a low infrared emittance and high thermal insulation to reduce the thermal signature of camouflage textile.…”

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“…Truong & N. Pomerantz (2018) were engaged in improving the properties of military fabrics by applying an omniphobic coating that increases the durability of clothing, helps to self-clean, protects the armed forces from getting wet and protects them during missions in chemically and biologically contaminated environments. Scientists from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, were engaged in the improvement and development of new technological processes in the production of military textiles (Steffens et al, 2019). The study of the water-repellent and waterproof properties of protective textiles made of various fibers and materials for the purpose of conceptualising the distribution of special materials for different types of troops was carried out by C. Loghin et al (2018) from the Defense Clothing and Textiles Agency, UK.…”

Low‐Cost and High‐Speed Fabrication of Camouflage‐Enabling Microfluidic Devices using Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene

“…Since the patterns are unchangeable, soldiers face difficulty in adapting to different environments or unpredictable situations. [20,21] Researchers have been investigating innovative methods of adaptive camouflage utilizing microfluidic technology. [22] In this approach, a colored liquid fills a specific microfluidic pattern, which can rapidly alter its appearance to blend in with the surrounding environment.…”