Reversible Camouflage Material
A reversible camouflage material including a textile layer having a woodland camouflage print thereon, an infrared suppressing layer, and a textile layer having a desert camouflage print thereon is provided. The infrared suppressing layer may include a polyurethane layer sandwiched between a carbon-containing ePTFE layer and an ePTFE layer. The carbon may be provided in an oleophobic layer on the ePTFE or within the ePTFE film. In one embodiment, the desert camouflage textile is absent and a coating composition that includes a colorant and infrared suppressive additives is applied to the outer surface of the ePTFE layer. The inventive camouflage material demonstrates camouflage concealment in the near IR (nIR) and short wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, the camouflage material is highly breathable and lightweight. The material is particularly suitable for making reversible camouflage garments such as jackets and pants.
1 . A reversible article having a first surface and a second surface, said reversible article comprising:
(a) a center structure comprising a polyurethane layer sandwiched between a first microporous film and a second microporous film having thereon an oleophobic layer containing at least one infrared suppressive additive;
(b) a first textile layer positioned on said first microporous film; and
(c) a second textile layer positioned on said second microporous film such that said oleophobic layer is positioned adjacent said second textile layer,
wherein infrared suppressive performance in said first surface and said second surface is different.
2 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said first and second microporous films comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
3 . The reversible article of claim 1 , further comprising a first adhesive layer bonding said first textile layer to said first microporous film and a second adhesive layer bonding said second textile layer to said second microporous film.
4 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said oleophobic layer is a fluoroacrylate oleophobic coating and said at least one infrared suppressive additive is carbon.
5 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one infrared suppressive additive is selected from carbon, aluminum, aluminum oxide, antimony, antimony oxide, titanium, titanium oxide, cadmium selinide, gallium arsenide and mixtures thereof.
6 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said at least one infrared suppressive additive is present in said oleophobic layer in an amount from about 1% to about 15% by weight.
7 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second surface of said reversible article demonstrates an average reflection of about 75% or less in the wavelength range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm and an average reflection from about 10% to about 85% in the wavelength range from about 900 nm to about 1700 nm.
8 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second surface of said reversible article demonstrates an average reflection less than about 65% or less in the wavelength range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm and an average reflection less than about 75% in the wavelength range from about 900 nm to about 1700 nm.
9 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said oleophobic layer contains differing levels of said at least one infrared suppressive additive to create a disruptive pattern in both the 700 nm to 900 nm and 900 nm to 1700 nm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
10 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second surface of said reversible article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 8000 g/m 2 /24 hours, and
wherein said moisture vapor transmission rates of said first and said second surface are substantially the same.
11 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said reversible article has a mass/area less than about 300 g/m 2 .
12 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said first textile has thereon a woodland camouflage printed surface and said second textile has thereon a desert camouflage printed surface.
13 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said article is a garment.
14 . The reversible article of claim 1 , wherein said article is a tent or bivy bag.
15 . A reversible article having a first surface and a second surface, said reversible article comprising:
(a) a center structure comprising a polyurethane layer sandwiched between a first microporous film and a second microporous film having thereon an oleophobic layer, said second microporous film containing at least one infrared suppressive additive within said second microporous film;
(b) a first textile layer positioned on said first microporous film; and
(c) a second textile layer positioned on said second microporous film such that said oleophobic layer is positioned adjacent said second textile layer.
16 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said first and second microporous films comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
17 . The reversible article of claim 15 , further comprising a first adhesive layer bonding said first textile layer to said first microporous film and a second adhesive layer bonding said second textile layer to said second microporous film.
18 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein each of said first and second surface of said reversible article demonstrates an average reflection of about 75% or less in the wavelength range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm and an average reflection from about 10% to about 85% in the wavelength range from about 900 nm to about 1700 nm.
19 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said oleophobic layer contains differing levels of said at least one infrared suppressive additive to create a disruptive pattern in both the 700 nm to 900 nm and 900 nm to 1700 nm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
20 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said oleophobic layer is a fluoroacrylate oleophobic coating and said at least one infrared suppressive additive is carbon.
21 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein each of said first and second surface of said reversible article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least about 8000 g/m 2 /24 hours, and
wherein said moisture vapor transmission rate of said first and said second surface is substantially the same.
22 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said reversible article has a mass/area less than about 300 g/m 2 .
23 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said article is a garment.
24 . The reversible article of claim 15 , wherein said article is a tent or bivy bag.
25 . A reversible article having a first surface and a second surface, said reversible article comprising:
(a) a center structure comprising:
a first microporous film; and
a second microporous film having thereon an oleophobic coating containing at least one infrared suppressive additive, said second microporous film being bonded to said first microporous film;
(b) a first textile layer positioned on said first microporous film; and
(c) a second textile layer positioned on said second microporous film such that said oleophobic coating is positioned adjacent said second textile layer,
wherein infrared suppressive performance in said first surface and said second surface is different.
26 . The reversible garment of claim 25 , wherein said first microporous film and said second microporous film are bonded via an adhesive layer.
27 . The reversible article of claim 26 , wherein said adhesive layer is discontinuous.
28 . The reversible article of claim 26 , wherein said adhesive layer is continuous.
29 . The reversible article of claim 25 , wherein said first microporous film and said second microporous film form said center structure in the absence of an adhesive.
30 . The reversible article of claim 25 , wherein said first microporous film has thereon a coating containing at least one infrared suppressive additive.
31 . The reversible article of claim 30 , wherein a first amount of said infrared additive present on said first microporous film is different from a second amount of said infrared additive on said second microporous film.
32 . The reversible article of claim 25 , wherein said first and second microporous films comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
33 . The reversible article of claim 25 , further comprising a first adhesive layer bonding said first textile layer to said first microporous film and a second adhesive layer bonding said second textile layer to said second microporous film.
34 . The reversible article of claim 25 , wherein said oleophobic layer is a fluoroacrylate oleophobic coating and said at least one infrared suppressive additive is carbon.
35 . The reversible article of claim 25 , wherein said oleophobic layer contains differing levels of said at least one infrared suppressive additive to create a disruptive pattern in both the 700 nm to 900 nm and 900 nm to 1700 nm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
36 . The reversible article of claim 52 , wherein said first textile has thereon a woodland camouflage printed surface and said second textile has thereon a desert camouflage printed surface.
37 . A reversible article having a first surface and a second surface, said reversible article comprising:
(a) a center structure comprising:
a first microporous film; and
a second microporous film having thereon an oleophobic layer, said second microporous film containing at least one infrared suppressive additive within said second microporous film;
(b) a first textile layer positioned on said first microporous film; and
(c) a second textile layer positioned on said second microporous film such that said oleophobic layer is positioned adjacent said second textile layer,
wherein infrared suppressive performance in said first surface and said second surface is different.
38 . The reversible garment of claim 37 , wherein said first microporous film and said second microporous film are bonded via an adhesive layer.
39 . The reversible article of claim 38 , wherein said adhesive layer is discontinuous.
40 . The reversible article of claim 38 , wherein said adhesive layer is continuous.
41 . The reversible article of claim 37 , wherein said first microporous film and said second microporous film form said center structure in the absence of an adhesive.
42 . The reversible article of claim 37 , wherein said first microporous film contains at least one infrared suppressive additive within said first microporous film.
43 . The reversible article of claim 42 , wherein a first amount of said infrared additive present within said first microporous film is different from a second amount of said infrared additive within said second microporous film.
44 . The reversible article of claim 37 , wherein said first and second microporous films comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
45 . The reversible article of claim 37 , further comprising a first adhesive layer bonding said first textile layer to said first microporous film and a second adhesive layer bonding said second textile layer to said second microporous film.
46 . The reversible article of claim 37 , wherein said oleophobic layer contains differing levels of said at least one infrared suppressive additive to create a disruptive pattern in both the 700 nm to 900 nm and 900 nm to 1700 nm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
47 . The reversible article of claim 37 , wherein said oleophobic layer is a fluoroacrylate oleophobic coating and said at least one infrared suppressive additive is carbon.
48 . A reversible article comprising:
an infrared suppressing layer comprising a layer of an adhesive sandwiched between a first microporous film and a second microporous film having thereon a coating composition containing at least one colorant and at least one infrared suppressive additive, said second microporous film forming a first outer surface;
a textile layer positioned on said first microporous film, said textile layer forming a second outer surface; and
an adhesive layer positioned between said textile layer and said first microporous film.
49 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said adhesive is polyurethane.
50 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said first and second microporous films comprise expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
51 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein each of said first and second outer surface of said reversible article demonstrates an average reflection of about 75% or less in the wavelength range from about 700 nm to about 900 nm and an average reflection from about 10% to about 85% in the wavelength range from about 900 nm to about 1700 nm.
52 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said coating composition contains differing levels of said at least one infrared suppressive additive to create a disruptive pattern in both the 700 nm to about 900 nm and 900 nm to about 1700 nm regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
53 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said second microporous film further comprises an oleophobic layer.
54 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said oleophobic layer is a fluoroacrylate oleophobic coating and said at least one infrared suppressive additive is carbon.
55 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said reversible article is a garment.
56 . The reversible article of claim 48 , wherein said reversible article is a tent or bivy bag.