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38-406: The entire ECWCS ensemble (1st generation) consists of: The system is to be used in an insulated, triple-layering fashion, with the polypropylene undergarments as Layer 1, the polyester shirt/bib, liners and cotton/nylon trousers as Layer 2, and Gore-Tex outer garments as Layer 3. The parka and trousers (which have been adapted to the civilian outdoor clothing market) are themselves constructed in

76-544: A "bitterly contested case" that "involved over two years of discovery , five weeks of trial, the testimony of 35 witnesses (19 live, 16 by deposition), and over 300 exhibits" (quoting the Federal Circuit). On appeal, however, the Federal Circuit disagreed in the famous case of Gore v. Garlock , reversing the lower court's decision on the ground, as well as others, that Cropper forfeited any superior claim to

114-475: A career with DuPont to pursue an idea of his own for making electronic ribbon cable for use in computers that was insulated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Bill and Vieve started their company, W. L. Gore & Associates , in the basement of their Newark, Delaware home in 1958. One of the key processes involved was suggested by their son, Bob Gore , then a sophomore in college. By 1960, increasing orders for their MULTI-TET ribbon cable, in particular

152-559: A contract from the Denver Water Company, resulted in the construction of a separate manufacturing facility. Under Bill Gore's leadership, the company grew from a modest business into an international corporation known best for its waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex fabrics. Today, the company has a broad portfolio of products based on PTFE that include cables for electronic signal transmission, diverse industrial applications, medical implants and laminated fabrics. The company

190-507: A flap-covered pocket on the left sleeve with hook and loop ( Velcro ) closure, adjustable hook and loop wrist cuffs, armpit ventilation zippers and double reinforced elbows. A badge/insignia tab with snap is located on the storm flap. There is an interior back ventilation opening, two slash (handwarmer) cargo pockets on the lower front (with extra large flaps and double hook and loop single snap closure on each) and an inside draft skirt ( windskirt ) with elastic drawcords and barrel-locks at

228-624: A layer of Polartec Thermal Pro High Loft. It has also featured PrimaLoft Silver Insulation USA in the extreme cold weather parka and trousers. The 12 components of the GEN III ECWCS include: Initial fielding of the system began in August 2007 to the 73rd Cavalry Regiment in Afghanistan. The water-resistant "soft shell" is far more breathable than any "waterproof-breathable" garment and is used for most field applications, back-stopped by

266-481: A machine for this use. However, Cropper chose to keep the process of creating expanded PTFE as a closely held trade secret and as such, it had remained unpublished. In the 1970s Garlock, Inc. allegedly infringed Gore's patents by using Cropper's machine and was sued by Gore in the Federal District Court of Ohio . The District Court held Gore's product and process patents to be invalid after

304-399: A negative Poisson's ratio due to the expansion of ePTFE along all directions, contrasting the more expected reduction in the directions perpendicular to the stress in cases with volume conservation. ePTFE has tunable porosity based on the processing conditions and can be made permeable to certain vapors and gases. However, it is impermeable to most liquids, including water, a property that

342-399: A three-layer fashion consisting of an outer layer of abrasion-resistant taslan nylon, an intermediate layer of durably waterproof, windproof, and Gore-Tex membrane (protected with a layer of nylon tricot and originally in a four-color camouflage print), and a hung inner layer of unlaminated nylon. The whole is seam-sealed. The parka – which is a particularly popular component –

380-400: A waterproof nylon parka. Levels of Protection Total weight: 12.82 lbs / 5.82 kg Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is W. L. Gore & Associates 's trade name for waterproof, breathable fabric membrane. It was invented in 1969. Gore-Tex blocks liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabric for all-weather use. It

418-455: Is bonded to a fabric. This membrane had about 9 billion pores per square inch (around 1.4 billion pores per square centimeter). Each pore is approximately 1 ⁄ 20,000 the size of a water droplet, making it impenetrable to liquid water while still allowing the more volatile water vapor molecules to pass through. The outer layer of Gore-Tex fabric is coated on the outside with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment. The DWR prevents

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456-468: Is characterized by a cobra hood (which fits over a combat helmet ) with woven nylon drawstring adjustable pulls and an attachment piece that allows fastening of a fur ruff (early models of the parka lacked this attachment piece). There is a two-way, full-front slide fastener to provide full-face protection, leaving only the eyes uncovered. The parka has raglan shoulders/sleeves , a non-freezing, double-pull zipper with storm flap and seven snap closure,

494-517: Is composed of expanded PTFE (ePTFE), a stretched out form of the PFAS compound polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Gore-Tex was co-invented by Wilbert L. Gore and Gore's son, Robert W. Gore . In 1969, Bob Gore stretched heated rods of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and created expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). His discovery of the right conditions for stretching PTFE was a happy accident, born partly of frustration. Instead of slowly stretching

532-403: Is enabled by the unwinding of PTFE molecules to create large pores within the structure. This favors highly ordered, crystalline PTFE that allows the molecules to disentangle more easily and uniformly when stretched. The porosity is largely determined by the stretching temperature and rate. Changing the stretching rate from 4.8 m/min to 8m/min can increase the porosity from 60.4% to 70.8%. Due to

570-498: Is exploited in certain applications such as raincoats. These additional properties in combination with the inherent properties of PTFE-based materials more generally (chemical inertness, thermal stability) make ePTFE a versatile material for a range of applications. The most common process used to produce large sheets of ePTFE at scale is a tape stretching process through the following steps: Factors such as strain rate, oven temperature, sintering time, and sintering duration can affect

608-471: Is leaking when it is not. Wear and cleaning will reduce the performance of Gore-Tex fabric by wearing away this Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment. The DWR can be reinvigorated by tumble drying the garment or ironing on a low setting. Gore requires that all garments made from their material have taping over the seams, to eliminate leaks. Gore's sister product, Windstopper , is similar to Gore-Tex in being windproof and breathable, and it can stretch, but it

646-412: Is nearly inert inside the body. Specifically, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (E-PTFE) can take the form of a fabric-like mesh. Implementing and applying the mesh form in the medical field is a promising type of technological material feature. In addition, the porosity of Gore-Tex permits the body's own tissue to grow through the material, integrating grafted material into the circulation system. Gore-Tex

684-412: Is not waterproof. The Gore naming system does not imply any specific technology or material but instead implies a specific set of performance characteristics. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene is used in clothing due to its breathability and water protection capabilities. Besides use in rainwear ePTFE can now be found in space suits . Gore-Tex is also used internally in medical applications, because it

722-534: Is used in a wide variety of medical applications, including sutures, vascular grafts, heart patches, and synthetic knee ligaments, which have saved thousands of lives. In the form of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (E-PTFE), Gore-Tex has been shown to be a reliable synthetic, medical material in treating patients with nasal dorsal interruptions. In more recent observations, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (E-PTFE) has recently been used as membrane implants for glaucoma surgery . Gore-Tex has been used for many years in

760-522: The best mode for using its patent, and the main claim of Gore's product patent was declared invalid in 1990. In 1996, IMPRA was purchased by Bard and Bard was thereby able to reenter the market. After IMPRA's vascular graft patent was issued, Bard sued Gore for infringing it. Gore-Tex is used in products manufactured by many different companies. Gore's patents on ePTFE based fabric expired in 1997 and ePTFE membrane waterproof fabrics have become available from other brands. For his invention, Robert W. Gore

798-460: The company knew about the dangers of PFOA/PFAS since the 1990s. Gore-Tex materials are typically based on thermo-mechanically expanded PTFE and other fluoropolymer products. They are used in a wide variety of applications such as high-performance fabrics, medical implants , filter media, insulation for wires and cables, gaskets , and sealants. However, Gore-Tex fabric is best known for its use in protective, yet breathable, rainwear . Before

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836-409: The conservation of illuminated manuscripts . Explosive sensors have been printed on Gore-Tex clothing leading to the sensitive voltametric detection of nitroaromatic compounds. The "Gore-Tex" brand name was formerly used for industrial and medical products. Gore-Tex has been used since the 1980s to make bagpipe (woodwind instrument) bags as an alternative to bags made of animal hides as it

874-542: The core technology will continue to be based on PTFE, which is a PFAS compound. Many Gore-Tex products have a durable water repellent coating and the version that do not contain PFCs of environmental concerns are marketed as "Gore PFC EC Free DWR". Unlike the "Gore DWR", it lacks any form of oil repellency. The company intends to replace ePTFE membrane with expanded polyethylene membrane by 2025 in consumer fabrics. The new material, while intended to perform comparably to

912-547: The existing ePTFE material, will cost more, and require more frequent washing. in 2023, two lawsuits have been filed against Gore on the matter of PFAS related water pollution around its Cecil County, Maryland manufacturing plant and the Maryland Department of the Environment has ordered an investigation and residents in the monitoring area have been offered bottled water. One of the lawsuits alleges that

950-584: The fields of plastics, fluorocarbons , and electronics. He was also an active outdoorsman. Born in Meridian, Idaho in 1912, Bill Gore held degrees in chemical engineering (B.S., 1933) and physical chemistry (M.S., 1935) from the University of Utah . His early career included employment at American Smelting and Refining Company , Remington Arms , and the DuPont Company. In 1957, Gore left

988-447: The heated material, he applied a sudden, accelerating yank. The solid PTFE unexpectedly stretched about 800%, forming a microporous structure that was about 70% air. It was introduced to the public under the trademark Gore-Tex. Gore promptly applied for and obtained the following patents: Another form of stretched PTFE tape was produced prior to Gore-Tex in 1966, by John W. Cropper of New Zealand . Cropper had developed and constructed

1026-460: The high work hardening rate of PTFE, ePTFE is significantly stronger than the unstretched material. On a microscopic level, this work hardening corresponds to the increasing crystallinity of PTFE as the fibrils untangle and orient upon the application of an external stress. ePTFE has a strikingly high ultimate tensile strength (50-800 MPa) relative to its full-density counterpart (20-30 MPa) as a result of its high crystallinity. This behavior also yields

1064-443: The introduction of Gore-Tex, the simplest sort of rainwear would consist of a two-layer sandwich, where the outer layer would typically be woven nylon or polyester to provide strength. The inner one would be polyurethane (abbreviated: PU) to provide water resistance, at the cost of breathability. Early Gore-Tex fabric replaced the inner layer of non-breathable PU with a thin, porous fluoropolymer membrane ( Teflon ) coating that

1102-482: The invention by virtue of having concealed the process for making ePTFE from the public. As a public patent had not been filed, the new form of the material could not be legally recognised. Gore was thereby established as the legal inventor of ePTFE. Following the Gore v. Garlock decision, Gore sued C. R. Bard for allegedly infringing its patent by making ePTFE vascular grafts. Bard promptly settled and agreed to exit

1140-514: The main outer layer from becoming wet, which would reduce the breathability of the whole fabric. However, the DWR is not responsible for the jacket being waterproof. Without the DWR, the Gore-Tex layer would become soaked, thus preventing any breathability, and the wearer's sweat being produced on the inside would fail to evaporate, leading to dampness there. This might give the appearance that the fabric

1178-513: The market. Gore next sued IMPRA, Inc., a smaller maker of ePTFE vascular grafts, in the federal district court in Arizona. IMPRA had a competing patent application for the ePTFE vascular graft. In a nearly decade-long patent/antitrust battle (1984–1993), IMPRA proved that Gore-Tex was identical to prior art disclosed in a Japanese process patent by duplicating the prior art process and through statistical analysis, and also proved that Gore had withheld

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1216-445: The specific properties of the resulting ePTFE sheet which can be tailored to match particular applications. PTFE is a fluoropolymer made using an emulsion polymerization process that utilizes the fluorosurfactant PFOA , a persistent environmental contaminant. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified PFOA as carcinogenic to humans. Gore pledged in 2017 to eliminate PFCs such as PFOA by 2023, although

1254-604: The waist (without pulls). There are also two concealed map pockets at the front zipper with hook and loop closures that can be opened without unzipping the parka. The second generation (2G) ECWCS included two different layers made with Polartec fabrics: the Polartec Classic 300 shirt and the Polartec Classic 200 overalls. When used in combination with other layers in the ECWCS system, the system provides protection between −40 and +40 °F (−40 and 4 °C). The parka

1292-539: Was able to hold air while allowing moisture to escape, and did not degrade with exposure to water. Bill Gore Wilbert Lee " Bill " Gore (January 25, 1912 – July 26, 1986) was an American engineer and scientist, inventor and businessman who co-founded W. L. Gore and Associates with his wife, Genevieve (Vieve). Trained as a chemical engineer and chemist, his technical interests included polymer engineering, applications of statistical methods to experimentation, and methods of operations research. He held patents in

1330-541: Was honored with numerous business, education, and community awards, including a University of Delaware Medal of Distinction (1983) and an honorary doctorate in humanities (1971) from Westminster College . In 1985, Bill Gore received the Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Mankind, which honored Gore's Medical Products Division. The award is given in recognition of polymers that have provided

1368-467: Was improved by vents to help deal with the condensation problems resulting from the use of "waterproof-breathable" fabric. A lightweight underwear set was also introduced to combine with or substitute the polypro undergarments. The third generation 3G or GEN III Extended Climate Warfighter Clothing System is a radical re-design of the system. It features seven new layers of insulation including three Polartec fabrics: two layers of Polartec Power Dry and

1406-622: Was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2015, Gore was ordered by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals to pay Bard $ 1 billion in damages. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Federal Circuit's decision. ePTFE has a porous microstructure composed of long, narrow fibrils that intersect at nodes. Increasing the processing temperature or increasing the strain rate leads to more homogenous expansion with more spherically symmetric pores and more intersections between fibrils. The formation of ePTFE

1444-542: Was known for its innovative "lattice" management structure, which Bill Gore is widely credited for developing. Bill Gore served as president of W. L. Gore & Associates until he stepped down in 1976, in favor of his son, Bob. Bill maintained his position as chairman of the board until his death. He died of a heart attack at the age of 74 in July 1986 while on a backpacking trip in Wyoming 's Wind River Range . Bill Gore

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