Fire-retardant barrier structure

• US 5,344,697 A
• Filed: 11/30/1990
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John C. Romanowski
• Original Assignee: John C. Romanowski
• Inventors: Romanowski, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US07/621,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 428/289, 428/247, 428/920, 428/921, 428/246
• US Class Current: 442/41
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/085 using layered materials
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/92 Fire or heat protection feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/921 Fire or flameproofing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/169 Polyolefin film or sheet

Abstract

Fire-retardant barriers are described which are useful for protecting military personnel and equipment from both fire and chemical and/or biological agents. The fire-retardant barriers are multilayered structures having desirable flammability characteristics and resistance to chemical and/or biological agents. The preferred barriers also possess favorable durability properties and are printable.

Claims

1. A fire retardant barrier comprising:

a first film component including a plurality of layers containing a fire retardant material, at least one of said plurality of layers being attached to at least one layer of polymeric material to provide resistance to chemical and biological agents; and

a second component attached to the first component including a polymeric material layer for imparting strength to the fire retardant barrier.

2. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first component contains at least three layers and the layer providing resistance to chemical and biological agents has layers on opposite sides thereof.

3. A barrier as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the second component includes a layer of scrim.

4. A barrier as claimed in claim 3 wherein the scrim is woven from a high-density polyolefin material sandwiched between two layers of low-density polyolefin material.

5. A barrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

6. A barrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein the high-density polyolefin material or at least one of the low-density polyolefin layers contains a fire retardant material.

7. A barrier as claimed in claim 6 wherein all of the polyolefin material in the second component contains fire retardant material.

8. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first layer of the first component is a film selected from the group consisting of a five layered low density polyethylene/ethyl vinyl acetate/copolymer of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride/ethyl vinyl acetate/low density polyethylene film;

a nylon/copolymer of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride hybrid film;

ethylene vinyl alcohol film, and combinations thereof.

9. A barrier as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first layer of the first component is a five layered low density polyethylene/ethyl vinyl acetate/copolymer of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride/ethyl vinyl acetate/low density polyethylene film.

10. A barrier as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fire retardant material in each of the respective layers are independently the same or different.

11. A barrier as claimed in claim 10 wherein the fire retardant material in at least one of the layers is antimony trioxide.

32. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first component includes about 10 to about 30% fire-retardant material.

33. A barrier as claimed in claims 3 or 4 wherein said scrim comprises a substrate woven from tapes of approximately 950 denier and 10×

10 count per inch in warp and fill.

34. A barrier as claimed in claim 3 wherein said scrim includes 0.5 and 10% fire-retardant material.

35. A barrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first component is from about 1 to about six millimeters in thickness and said second component includes a scrim layer of about three millimeters in thickness.

36. A barrier as claimed in claim 35 and further including a top layer of about 0.5 to about 2.0 millimeters thick relatively low-density polyethylene material laminated to the first layer of said first component to add abrasion resistance and serve as a carrier of pigments.

12. A fire retardant barrier comprising:

a first component including a first layer containing a fire retardant material for resisting chemical and biological agents, and second and third layers on opposite sides of the first layer at least one of which contains a fire retardant material; and

a second component including a layer of scrim woven made of high-density polyethylene material and a layer of low-density polyethylene material.

13. A barrier as claimed in claim 12 wherein the second and third layers both contain a fire retardant material.

14. A barrier as claimed in claim 12 wherein all of the polyethylene containing layers contain a fire retardant material.

15. A multilaminate barrier having a flammability characteristic of less than about 60 seconds based on Federal Test Method 5903 and a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological agents of at least about 4 hours based on Chemical Research and Development Center - Special Procedure 84010;

wherein said multilaminate barrier includes a first film component including a plurality of layers containing a fire retardant material, at least one of said plurality of layers being attached to at least one layer of polymeric material to provide resistance to chemical and biological agents; and

a second component attached to the first component including a polymeric material layer for imparting strength to the fire retardant barrier.

16. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic of less than about 30 seconds.

17. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic of less than about 20 seconds.

18. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic of less than about 6 seconds.

19. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic of less than about 4 seconds.

20. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic of less than about 2 seconds.

21. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a flammability characteristic approaching zero seconds.

22. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological-agents of at least about 12 hours.

23. A barrier as claimed in claims 15 or 18 having a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological agents of at least about 24 hours.

24. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological agents of at least about 36 hours.

25. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological agents of at least about 48 hours.

26. A barrier as claimed in claim 15 having a resistance to mustard and thickened GD toxicological agents of at least about 72 hours.

27. A multilaminate barrier having a flammability characteristic of less than about 20 seconds based on Federal Test Method 5903 and a resistance to mustard and GD toxicological agents of at least about 50 minutes based on IAW Military Standard - 282;

wherein said multilaminate barrier includes a first film component including a plurality of layers containing a fire retardant material, at least one of said plurality of layers being attached to at least one layer of polymeric material to provide resistance to chemical and biological agents; and

a second component attached to the first component including a polymeric material layer for imparting strength to the fire retardant barrier.

28. A barrier as claimed in claim 27 having a resistance to mustard and GB toxicological agents of at least about 100 minutes.

29. A barrier as claimed in claim 27 having a resistance to mustard and GB toxicological agents of at least about 180 minutes.

30. A barrier as claimed in claim 27 having a resistance to mustard and GB toxicological agents of at least about 240 minutes.

31. A barrier as claimed in claim 28 having a flammability characteristic of less than about six seconds.

37. A fire-retardant barrier, comprising:

a first component including a plurality of polyolefin-containing layers having a fire-retardant material combined therewith, at least one of said plurality of layers attached to at least one layer of polymeric film, and

a second component attached to the first component, said second component including a multilayer system made of a high-density polymer sandwiched between two layers of low-density polymer.

38. The barrier of claim 37, wherein the high-density polymer and low-density polymer comprise polyolefins.

39. The barrier of claim 38, wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

40. The barrier of claim 37, wherein the multilayer system comprises woven scrim.