MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND THERMOCHROMISM OF COMBAT FABRIC

Abstract

The Malaysian Army uniform incorporates the "Malaysian Woodland Pattern" or "Corak Tentera Darat Malaysia” (CTDM), featuring various shades of green and brown to provide camouflage in the Malaysian environment. However, this camouflage fabric is static and does not adapt to changing surroundings.  This study focuses on enhancing the camouflage properties of Malaysian combat fabric through thermochromism. The study was conducted by using thermochromic dye paste, which was designed to exhibit colour changes in response to temperature variations. This study used a range of thermochromic dye pastes, such as olive green (OG), black (B), and light brown (LB), to develop combat fabric that is widely used in Malaysia. The dye pastes were screen printed onto medium weight fabrics and were let air dry for 24 hours. SEM morphological examination revealed thermochromic dye particles firmly bonded to the fabric, providing critical insights into the material's composition and features. The EDX analysis conducted in this study provided the elemental compositions of the thermochromic fabric. In the current study, the thermochromic combat fabrics underwent colour changes in response to temperature variations, displaying distinct CIE L*, a*, and b* values. This characteristic is identified as thermochromism. Overall, the study explores advances in textile materials, particularly in military thermochromic properties.