Luna Innovations' U.S. Navy research project, under the Small Business Innovation Research program, for the Department of Defense, was partly drafted by BlastGard on behalf of Luna Innovations.
BlastGard is actively participating in the area of Insensitive Munitions policy with the Defense Ordnance Safety Group, a division of the UK Ministry of Defense.
Current BlastGard ammunition packaging containers have been designed to prevent sympathetic detonation between adjacent containers, both fast and slow cook off, and reduces the possibility of initiation by a ballistic threat.
Advanced packaging materials from Luna Innovations may significantly enhance BlastGard's capability in this area by extending the time taken for munitions to cook off in the event of a fire.
BlastGard's CEO, Jim Gordon, explains, "This joint effort benefits both companies. Luna Innovations' advanced materials make our ammunition packaging more effective against secondary fragmentation and fire, while BlastWrap's technology enables Luna Innovations to meet the stringent sympathetic detonation requirement within mass and volume constraints. We collectively believe this is an excellent opportunity for both of our companies to obtain access to U.S. Navy packaging programs."
With regards to the newly formed relationship, Mike Gunther, Luna's Vice President of Operations, stated, "Aligning ourselves with BlastGard provides Luna Innovations with an additional opportunity to maximize the commercial potential of our flame retardant advanced materials.
Flame retardant additives are necessary in plastics, coatings and fiber reinforced polymer composites to prevent rapid combustion and reduce the spread of fire through these materials. Flame-retardants work to interfere with the chemical and physical processes involved in the combustion process. Luna's flame retardants offer advantages of minimal environmental impact and little off-gassing of toxic compounds during combustion."
Jim Gordon adds, "Luna Innovations makes an excellent partner for BlastGard. This company has a successful track record, posting over a decade of growth, and has actively transitioned basic research and development into cost-effective products for industry, defense, communities and the environment. We share a common mission: identifying new markets, the research and development of technologies, and the exploration of commercial applications."