Traction Characteristics of Chemical Agent Protective Footwear Soleing Materials.

摘要

The Static Coefficient of Friction (SCF) values were determined for several footwear soleing materials on different walkway surfaces, and for different surface conditions, to establish which soleing materials provided the best traction performance for shipboard application. The soleing materials evaluated included a standard Navy safety boot with nitrile rubber sole, a Vibram nitrile commercial sole, the Army's prototype nitrile/ neoprene multipurpose overboot (MULO) and vinyl overshoe, and three butyl chemical protective footwear covers. The walkway surfaces employed were stainless steel, aluminum, and new and worn non-skid coated steel. The SCF values were obtained with the surfaces dry, wet, and contaminated with oil. The ASTM Standard Test Method for Static Coefficient of Friction of Shoe Sole and Heel Materials, as measured by the James Machine, was used to determine the SCF values. The standard and MULO nitriles performed best when all walkway surfaces and conditions were considered. The excellent chemical resistance of the nitriles, and their high SCF values for a variety of surfaces and surface conditions evaluated in this study, makes them good candidate soleing materials for chemical agent protective footwear. Soles, Footwear, Slip Resistance, Traction.