NCSU Celebrates Opening Of Protective Garment Test Lab

Tag : Garment Protection

The North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Textiles,Raleigh, N.C., celebrated the opening this week of its newMan-In-Simulant Test (MIST) facility with a special program andtours that included live demonstrations of protective garmenttesting. The state-of-the-art laboratory, located on NCSU'sCentennial Campus at the College of Textiles' Textile Protectionand Comfort Center (T-PACC), was funded by a $2 million USDepartment of Defense (DOD) grant secured by US Rep. Bob Etheridge,D-N.C., a member of the US Homeland Security Committee.
The MIST facility enables testing of complete protective ensemblesuits in nontoxic chemical vapors that are similar to toxicchemical and biological agents, and will provide researchers withtest results and analysis more quickly than other such facilities,according to NCSU. Testing will be conducted on mannequins and onhuman subjects, who will perform first-responder-type tasks in acontrolled environment. Analysis of adhesive pads worn underneaththe garments being tested will reveal vapor penetration levelsthrough the fabric and at the garments' seams and closures.
Etheridge joined US DOD representative Tim Roberts, NCSU ChancellorJames Oblinger, College of Textiles Dean Blanton Godfrey and T-PACCDirector Dr. Roger Barker in announcing the MIST facility, the onlylab of its kind in the United States located on a universitycampus. The facility will operate under Barker's supervision andjoins T-PACC's facilities for manikin-testing of thermal protectiveand comfort properties of apparel. It answers a need to have areadily accessible lab to test prototype firefighter turnout geardeveloped by Barker, who had received a grant in 2003 from theDepartment of Homeland Security to develop such a suit withimproved protection from heat and toxins as well as enhancedcomfort and durability.
"The new MIST lab will be integrated into our existing garmenttesting facilities and increases our ability to provide accuratestudies of protective gear in a more timely manner," Barker said."This facility complements all of the research we engage in andwill accelerate the development process for new types of protectivegear."