Cotton-Based FiberTect Wipe Promotes New Decontamination Process
August 21, 2025 Hybrid decontamination is quickly catching up as an established decontamination method to protect warfighters and defense equipment.
Blot, apply, and remove is the concept proposed by First Line Technology, based on Fredericksburg, VA. Dry wiping followed by chemical application enables successful decontamination.
FiberTect decontamination wipe was invented at the Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory at Texas Tech University. It is finding broader applications in not only cleaning up toxic chemicals such as mustard gas, but it is also able to adsorb finer particles like synthetic opioids. The United States’s Army’s recent evaluation report shows the advantages of such dry decontamination wipes.
Technology enables us to use different fibers as absorbent layers, while the core is high surface area nonwoven material. If raw cotton is used as an absorbent layer, it becomes oleophilic while bleached cotton provides different functionality.
Interest in using the FiberTect wipe and the hybrid decontamination technology is growing worldwide, according to First Line.
Washington DC’s 33rd Civil Support Team recently conducted advanced training in Ponce, Puerto Rico, alongside federal partners and the DC Fire Department, featuring the hybrid decontamination technology with the FiberTect dry nonwoven wipe.
According to First Line Technology, the training exercise involved surveying, sampling, and analyzing pharmaceutical and nerve agent hazards, decontamination procedures, and contaminated personnel recovery.
FiberTect wipes are flexible enough to be used to clean complex surfaces and body parts during decontamination. (Photo: Tech. Sgt. Andrew Enriquez)
Many countries are now adopting the hybrid decontamination process, which is proven effective, efficient, and economical without excessive use of chemicals.
“FiberTect is the best choice for an all-hazards Dry Decon solution,” states Reggie Norton, Decon Tect Product Manager, First Line Technology. “From dry particulate to liquid chemical threats, FiberTect has a 95% threat removal rate and is effective against CWA, TIC’s, and radiological contaminants.”
FiberTect is a prime example of a Mind to Market concept, demonstrating the value of translational research at the university level with the support of the federal government.
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