Shell
The suit is a sandwich of materials. The middle layer is roughly 1/8-inch-thick puncture-resistant polypropylene, and a coating on both sides includes dozens of plastic polymers. Each of those has its own protective responsibility, like stopping sarin gas.
Visor
The face shield gives rescuers a 220-degree field of view, and it leaves enough room for a scuba-style respirator to fit underneath it—necessary since the garb is airtight. The window is a combination of heat-tolerant Teflon and durable PVC plastic.
Gloves
Double-layered gloves allow for both dexterity and protection. The outer skin is flexible neoprene, which lets workers grip tools better than the slippery suit material would. The interior lining is the same toxin-blocking coating that encases the rest of the outfit.
Seams
The stitching—normally the weakest part of clothing—is this walking bunker’s strongest point. Double-sewn lines of polyester thread connect panels, and DuPont finishes each junction with a strip of chemical-blocking tape on the inside and outside. This article was originally published in the Winter 2018 Danger issue of Popular Science.
