DUSTY AGENTS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTION

File: 970107_apr96_decls13_0008.txt
Page: 0008
Total Pages: 22

Subject: DUSTY AGENTS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHEMICAL WARFARE PROTECTION       

Unit: XVIII CORPS 

Parent Organization: ARCENT      

Box  ID: BX000047

Folder Title: CHEMICAL INFORMATION                                                                            

Document Number:          5

Folder Seq  #:         35








                                                 SECRET
             AST-266OZ-055-83
             27 January 1988
                                                              DFCLASSIF""'
                                                              DOD DIR 5201,2
             the air through a canister that con-         differences, all current NATO gar-
             tains    specially  treated    activated     ments   rely   on   the   air-permeable
             carbon   to remove toxic gases from          method usina some variation of -azz
             the air  before it  is inhaled.     Dusty    integrated two-layer fabric as the
             agents   (and- other aerosols*)       are    barrier material.     The outer layer
             removed  by a high-efficiency aerosol        is a woven material, which is treated
             filter, which is contained within            to make it water and oil repellent.
             the filter canister.                         Bonded to the outer layer is an inner
                                                          layer containing activated carbon,
             How about Dercutaneous (skin) haz-           which adsorbs liquid or vapors that
             ards? (U)                                    penetrate through the outer layer.
                                                          Since the NATO garments are air-
             (U) Percutameous protection a@ainst          permeable, some of @ tradr)ed heat
             vapor, liquid, and solid agent haz-          and moisture are transferred away
             ards is provided by special chemical-        from the body, and soldiers are less
             biological-radiological (CBR) protec-        prone to heat stress in a temde-ate
             t4@ve clothin@.   This clothing, which       climate. than they would be w.    z:
                                                                                           i 12 an
n.     (la a hot dry
             works by providin- a barrier between         climate, a li.,hc4e!aht impermeable
             the soldier and @'le threat environ-         and a NATO air-perm;;ble design re-
             me--t.   There are two basic technical       sult in about the same heat stress.)
             Fi)oroaches to creating the barrier.         Design and manufacture    of the air-
             In t:ne simplest approach, an encapsu-       permeable suits is more tee-@r@i'lv
             lating Suit -de from impermeable             demanding and costly @-a for imoer-
             @abric is used..    Warsaw Pact armies       mp-ble  suits,   but NATO designers
             use this type of suit made from a            consider  t,ie imoraved heat stress
             butyl-rubber-coated     fabric,     ,,t'nich performance to be worth the cost and
             resists penetration by nerve and ves-        effort.
             i,pnt agents.     U-,ifortunately, heat
             and moisture are t=-ar)oed '@nside these     If there is such a heat stress dis-
             -robber' suits, which can lead to            advant,@.ze. whv does the Warsaw Pact
             heat stress and degradation of the           continue to use impermeable -rubber"
             soldier's per.ornance.                       CBR suits? (U)

             (U) Tie second approach involves the         (S) This question reflects what has
             use of an a@permeable fabric that            been called the rubber suit enigma.
             contains either a chemical imoreg-           The Warsaw Pact armies are clearly
             nate,    which  deactivates     chemical     aware of the heat burden imposed by
             agents as they penetrate the fabric,         impermeable suits, as evidenced by
             or an adsorptive material,          which    the Soviet guidance for wearing of
             adsorbs the agent    in a microporous        the overgarment (only 20 minutes of
m the         wear are recommended at tempe_-aturr-s
             soldier.     Despite  external - design      above 84'F). Other Warsaw Pact forces


             *(.U) Aerosols are small solid or liquid particulates generally ranging ir2
             size from 0.01 to loo um.




                                                       4

Document 22 f:/Week-15/BX000047/CHEMICAL INFORMATION/dusty agents implications for chemical warfare p:010297184311120
Control Fields 17
File Room = apr96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-15
Box ID = BX000047
Unit = XVIII CORPS
Parent Organization = ARCENT
Folder Title = CHEMICAL INFORMATION
Folder Seq # = 35
Subject = DUSTY AGENTS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHEMICAL WARFARE P
Document Seq # = 5
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 02-JAN-1997