Milliken & Company®, one of the world’s largest privately-held textile and chemical manufacturers, and W.L. Gore & Associates, a world leader in the development of high performance protective fabrics, today announced the launch of the new JSLIST Chemical/Biological (CB) Coverall for Combat Vehicle Crewman (JC3). The coverall uses a two layer fabric system consisting of Milliken’s Abrams™ flame resistant (FR) fabric and the moisture vapor breathable GORE® CHEMPAK® Selectively Permeable protective barrier liner. This joint offering has been chosen as the only approved CB Protective fabric system for the United States Army and Marine combat vehicle crews.

The JC3 is a CB protective garment specifically designed for use in demanding environments where the potential for exposure to flame hazard and petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) contamination is high. The coverall, while not increasing heat stress when compared to current CB protective equipment, will provide protection to crewmen from liquid, vapor, and aerosol forms of CB warfare agents for up to 16 hours even after the fabric system has been contaminated with petroleum, oils and lubricants. Studies have found that other chemical/biological suits are not as effective after POL exposure; the presence of these types of harsh substances can quickly degrade the effectiveness of the protective liners used in these suits. The ability of the GORE CHEMPAK Selectively Permeable Fabric to remain protective in a combat vehicle environment represents a true advancement in CB protective materials. The durable JC3 has been qualified for a total of 480 hours of field wear and 4 laundries. The JC3 is a one-piece, flame resistant, lightweight, chemical and biological protective coverall that resembles a standard CVC coverall.

“We are excited about the launch of the JC3 Chemical/Biological Coverall for Combat Vehicle Crewman. Our commercially available moisture vapor breathable selectively permeable fabrics have been certified for use in civil responder protective ensembles for some time now, but the JC3 is largest use to date for military personnel. This coverall is truly a revolutionary product that will bring enhanced functionality and protection to the service men and women that put themselves in harm’s way every day and have to deal with the extreme nature of chem/bio environments,” said Jan Allmaras, Joint Forces Branch Specialist for GORE.

“The military was looking for a flame resistant fabric that is not only safe and provides a high level of protection, but is durable as well. Abrams fabric delivered on that part of the equation, GORE CHEMPAK Selectively Permeable Fabric delivered the other half – protection against chemical and biological warfare agents,” said Kim Cope, sales manager for Milliken Military. “By partnering with GORE, together we were able to produce a much-needed and important product engineered for use in varying mission requirements and environmental conditions.”

For more information about the Gore protective fabric used to make the JC3 and other certified CB protective ensembles, call 800.431.GORE or visit GoreChempak.com/XRT.

For more information about Milliken’s military product offering or Abrams fabrics, contact Milliken at (864) 503-2758 or visit www.millikenmilitary.com.

About Milliken & Company

Founded in 1865, Milliken & Company is a privately held textile and chemical company that employs approximately 8,000 associates worldwide. Milliken operates nearly 50 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and 8 other countries. Having over 2000 patents issued or applied for, the company produces over 19,000 high performance products. To learn more about Milliken, please visit the Company’s Web sites at www.milliken.com or www.millikenmilitary.com.

About W. L. Gore & Associates

With more than $2 billion in sales and 8,000 associates worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its world-renowned expertise to thousands of high-performance solutions in pharmaceutical, consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. Specifically in the protective fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, law enforcement, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA.

Abrams™ is a trademark of Milliken & Company®.

GORE® & CHEMPAK® are registered trademarks of W.L. Gore & Associates.

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