U.S Department of Defense (DoD) Selects Alexium as Key Partner for New Fire Retardant Uniform Fabric

PERTH, AUSTRALIA and GREER, SC--(Marketwired - Oct 27, 2015) - Alexium International Group Limited (Alexium) (ASX: AJX) (OTCQX: AXXIY) is pleased to announce the U.S Department of Defense (DoD) has selected Alexium to finalize development of durable environmentally friendly fire retardant treatments for US Army uniforms. The DoD will fund the final stages of development of the new Alexiflam™ treated 50/50 NyCo FR fabric through a DoD Prime Contractor, with completion of this work targeted for the first half of 2016. The selection follows the efforts detailed earlier this year and is the result of nearly two years of work. 

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Alexium selected by the DoD to finalize development of durable environmentally friendly fire retardant (FR) treatments for US Army uniform fabrics;
• DoD will fund the final stage of the development of the new Alexiflam™ treated 50/50 Nylon Cotton (NyCo) fabrics leading to field trials on US Army uniforms in real world situations;
• Product implementation in the first half of 2016 with Alexium as the FR Sub Contractor to a Uniforms Prime Contractor to the DoD;
• Alexium now in a position to build into a major defense sector provider with recent performance milestones of 100 wash durability and Alexiflam™ treated NyCo uniform fabrics passing critical full-uniform Pyroman tests;
• Global Market for FR treatments on 50/50 NyCo Uniforms in excess of US$240m.

This funded effort is the final stage before moving to large-scale field wear trials where complete Alexiflam™ FR uniforms provided by the Prime Contractor will be worn by US Army soldiers in real-world military situations to verify comfort and performance. 

Work on this next stage has already commenced with delivery and field trial timelines set by the DoD. 

The global market for FR treatments on 50/50 nylon-cotton uniforms is in excess of US$240M annually. The selection of Alexium by the U.S Department of Defense as the supplier of environmentally friendly FR treatments places Alexium in a unique position to expand into other military programs around the world.

In the same week, Alexium has Alexiflam™ treated military uniforms pass the extremely demanding Pyroman test at North Carolina State University as part of a parallel effort with a Second Prime Contractor who is also aiming at securing a placement in the Fire Retardant Army Combat Uniform (FRACU) program. The results of the Pyroman tests, which are the ultimate FR test of a uniform, show that their Alexiflam™ treated fabrics perform to NFPA 2112 standards, one of the most difficult FR standards to pass and a critical requirement for a military placement. 

"This formal selection, coupled with our Pyroman and recent 100-wash durability results puts Alexium in the position of being a sub contractor in a major military program and a second account in the military arena," Dirk Van Hyning, President of Alexium, said.

"The fact we have multiple prime contractor options for the FRACU program is a very important accomplishment for Alexium in our much larger military and commercial strategy," added Nick Clark, CEO of Alexium.

"Our CEO Nick Clark and his dedicated Alexium team, and in particular the R&D department, have worked tirelessly to ensure that we have a 50/50 FR Nyco product that exceeds all military expectations. With this achievement, Alexium's defense market is solidified into the business," said Gavin Rezos, Chairman of Alexium.

Alexium will continue to inform the marketplace on these awards whilst abiding by strict DoD defense communications guidelines.

About Alexium

Alexium International Group Limited (ASX: AJX) (OTCQX: AXXIY) holds proprietary patent applications for a process developed initially by the U.S. Department of Defense, which allows for the surface modification and attachment of nano-particles or multiple chemical functional groups to surfaces or substrates to provide functions such as fire retardancy, water proofing, oil proofing, and anti-microbial treatments. Applications under development include but are not limited to textiles, paints, and packaging, glass and building materials. Alexium's fire retardant chemical treatment are currently marketed for different fabric markets under the Alexiflam™, Ascalon™, Nycolon™, Nuvalon™, and Polytron™, Omnitron™ and Bactron™ trademarks.