Astronauts and SAS buying up Armadillo Merino
A British company, founded by New Zealander Andy Caughey, has developed a superfine wool which has been snapped up by the UK’s Ministry of Defence for SAS soldiers battling on the front line.
Derbyshire-based Armadillo Merino designs and manufactures next-to-skin protective clothing for astronauts, firefighters and special forces.
Armadillo Merino spins sheep wool into a special yarn which is just 17 microns thick – less than a quarter of the breadth of a singe human hair. The resulting super-tough fabric has some astonishing properties.
It does not melt onto the skin like the synthetic materials usually worn by members of the armed forces during combat and as a natural fabric it does not release chemicals which are absorbed into the skin.
It also does not trap odours, meaning it can be worn for a week in extreme conditions without becoming smelly; and it manages moisture levels by dragging sweat away from the skin, making it perfect for athletes.
The naturally flame resistant range of tops and leggings are ideal for those professionals operating in extreme weather or environments where there is the risk of fire or burns.
Caughey, 53, who grew up on a sheep farm, began developing the specialist fabric after hearing how synthetic materials worn by soldiers combust when exposed to bullets, shrapnel and fire – causing severe burns and leaving military personnel needing operations to remove the melted and dripping fabric from their flesh.
Caughey said: “I was living in the United States when I saw what IEDs were doing to soldiers. I just thought, this is not right. We should be helping these people who are sacrificing their lives for us on the front line.”
In 2014 Armadillo Merino’s specialist t-shirts began being worn by NASA astronauts and Russian cosmonauts and the company clinched three contracts with the space agency to supply the specialist clothing.
Original article by Keiligh Baker, Daily Mail, October 24, 2016.
Photo by Mike King/North Pole Marathon.
