Self-Decontaminating Coating Protects Firearms, Equipment and Soldiers from Chemical Agents
AUSTIN, TX – Austin-based bioengineering company Reactive Surfaces announced the general availability of WMDtox™, the world’s first self-decontaminating coating that protects firearms, vehicles, equipment and uniforms by neutralizing organophosphorous chemical agents such as sarin.
“The last time U.S. forces fought a chemical war was many decades ago, and most of the anti-chemical-warfare technology that is being used by the U.S. military is unproven against today’s agents,” said Steve McDaniel, Chief Innovation Officer of Reactive Surfaces.
The U.S. Army presently buys more than $200 million worth of a 40-year-old coating for its vehicles and equipment. Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) was designed to withstand highly caustic and corrosive cleaning agents in the event a vehicle was contaminated with a chemical agent. CARC traps and slowly off-gasses deadly nerve agents such as those now being used in Syria. This leaves troops exposed even long after an initial chemical attack.
WMDtox is a clear coating that has been specially formulated to meet military specs for CARC overcoats. Reactive Surfaces is providing WMDtox to premiere Mississippi-based weapons coating company, Birdsong Firearms, as a weapons coating for military personnel and first-responders.
The coating creates a safer environment for war fighters and first responders by mitigating the immediate impact of contact with nerve agents. It allows rapid reclamation of contaminated equipment and can be applied months in advance. The ability to prophylactically coat surfaces that may be exposed to nerve agents dramatically increases the likelihood of survival of the individual who may be required to touch such surfaces.
For more information, visit www.reactivesurfaces.com.
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