Protective clothing of fabric containing a layer of highly fluorinated ion exchange polymer

A protective garment fabricated at least in part from a composite fabric, said composite fabric containing in adherent contact at least one layer of component fabric, and, as the essential component thereof, a continuous film of a highly fluorinated ion exchange polymer having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal salts of, ammonium salts of and amine salts of at least one member of the group consisting of the sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, monosubstituted sulfonamide, carboxylic acid, carboxamide and monosubstituted carboxamide groups, there being at least one fluorine atom attached to each carbon atom to which each said functional group is attached, said polymer having an equivalent weight no greater than about 2000.

A composite fabric comprising a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene cloth and a continuous film of a highly fluorinated ion exchange polymer having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal salts of, ammonium salts of and amine salts of at least one member of the group consisting of the sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, monosubstituted sulfonamide, carboxylic acid, carboxamide and monosubstituted carboxamide groups, there being at least one fluorine atom attached to each carbon atom to which each said functional group is attached, said polymer having an equivalent weight no greater than about 2000.

A waterproof protective cover fabricated at least in part from a composite fabric, said fabric containing as the essential component thereof a continuous film of a highly fluorinated ion exchange polymer having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal salts of, ammonium salts of and amine salts of at least one member of the group consisting of the sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, monosubstituted sulfonamide, carboxylic acid, carboxamide and monosubstituted carboxamide groups, there being at least one fluorine atom attached to each carbon atom to which each said functional group is attached, said polymer having an equivalent weight no greater than about 2000.

A process comprising (a) placing a barrier between a first space which contains water or water vapor adjacent a first side of said barrier and a second space which contains hazardous substance adjacent the second side of said barrier, said barrier having as the essential component thereof a continuous film of a highly fluorinated ion exchange polymer having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal salts of, ammonium salts of and amine salts of at least one member of the group consisting of the sulfonic acid, sulfonamide, monosubstituted sulfonamide, carboxylic acid, carboxamide and monosubstituted carboxamide groups, there being at least one fluorine atom attached to each carbon atom to which each said sulfonic acid group is attached, said polymer having an equivalent weight no greater than about 2000, (b) permeation of water from said first space through said barrier into said second space, and (c) permeation of said hazardous substance in said second space only slowly into said barrier, whereby the rate of penetration of said hazardous substance into said first space is substantially decreased.