NanoMech to Develop Army Combat Uniforms With Coating Against Insects, Microbes

The U.S. Army has selected NanoMech to develop future combat uniforms that will utilize the company’s nano-engineered chemical coating finish under a $235,000 contract in efforts to protect warfighters from vector-borne diseases such as Zika.

NGuard will work to provide Army combat uniforms and other equipment and clothing items with low-toxicity vector protection and anti-attractant for infected insects, NanoMech said Monday.

The company added it developed nGuard with environmentally friendly metal-mineral complexes to also support flame and thermal protection, fabric durability and breathability as well as antimicrobial functions to facilitate immunity against microbes and inhibit human odor-causing bacteria that could potentially attract mosquitoes.

NanoMech said the product serves as an additive for a variety of textile fabrics such as cotton, nylon, synthetic blends and polyester and works to withstand multiple wash cycles.

“The nGuard platform can be utilized in a variety of military, civilian, sports, recreation, clothing and industrial applications,” said Ajay Malshe, NanoMech founder and chief technology officer.