The US Army Research Development and Engineering Command, Natick Soldier Research Development & Engineering Center (RDECOM-NSRDEC) in Natick, MA, is conducting a market survey for technical information, concepts and/or capabilities on methods to improve the material characteristics of the T-11 Personnel parachute deployment sleeve. Background: T-11 Personnel Parachute System contains a deployment sleeve made of 100% Supima cotton cloth, which currently conforms to PIA-C-5646. The cloth, which is not treated with an anti-fungal finish and does not undergo a pre-shrunk process, shrinks at a rate of approximately 7%. The cloth is used to build T-11 Deployment Sleeve, NSN 1670-01-567-2211, which is approximately 226 inches long with width ranging from 12-1/4 to 16-1/2 inches seam to seam, down the length of the sleeve. The nylon parachute is long folded and the cotton sleeve slides over the folded parachute. The sleeve and parachute configuration are folded into a nylon deployment bag. The cotton protects the nylon parachute during deployment, acting as a friction/heat buffer between the deployment bag and parachute. During deployment, the sleeve is pushed off of the parachute as it inflates, traveling to the ground with the parachute. The sleeve is vulnerable to wet environmental conditions on the ground from a damp, dewy drop zone, to a rain event, where sleeves can become soiled and wet. The parachutes and sleeves are packed in kit bags for transportation, and it can take several days for the parachutes to travel to their destination. During this time, if the sleeves are wet, mold/mildew can and has grown, which requires sleeve replacement, decreasing the sleeves sustainability in the field and affecting soldier readiness. In addition, when the sleeves dry, they shrink, no longer meeting length requirement of the TDP. Thousands of sleeves can be dropped at a time. Cotton is being used in an outdoor application with no treatment. We are seeking the following information: * Recommendations for how to achieve; either Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS), existing material that meets these needs, or proposed technologies to suit our need such as modification of existing material to create a multifunctional material through yarn and fabric manufacturing, fabric preparation and finish processes to provide the same friction buffer protection as our current cloth, with the addition of anti-fungal/moisture management functions, to ensure survivability of sleeves in environmental conditions. * A material that meets the most requirements of PIA-C-5646 while offering fungal and shrinkage resistance. * Desired characteristics - meet requirements of PIA-C-5646, plus: 1. Anti-fungal resistance: AATCC 30 Part IV and not grow mold/mildew for a minimum of 4 days, up to 72°F 2. Shrinkage: 2% maximum, Warp X Fill 3. *Tear: ASTM D2261 opt 1 4. *Air Permeability: ASTM D737 5. Elongation at 70lbs (W: 16% max X F: 20% max) *No current requirements are published for these requirements, though they are properties we are interested to track and/or establish on a new material. If you anticipate properties 1-5 cannot be met, please provide information as to why, with estimate of what is achievable. * Cost per trial and trial lead-time. PIA-C-5646 can be purchased on-line from the Parachute Industry Association (PIA), at www.pia.com. Proprietary information will not be disclosed outside of the U.S. government. All interested firms, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this Request for Information (RFI). This RFI is for planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a Request for Proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this request or otherwise pay for information solicited. No awards will result from this request. Firms responding to this RFI shall bear all risk and expense of any resources used to provide the requested information, and all information submitted in response to this request shall become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter. Respondents must submit their product brochures, technical data, or other information concerning performance and cost within 30 days of this publication. Responses may be sent via email to
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