infrared u201c ir u201d wavelengths e g from near ir through thermal ir than the base fabric alone this results in less heat penetration and therefore less stress for the wearer in certain embodiments the nanoparticles are ceramic and have low thermal conductivity thus they do not contribute to the wearer 39 s heat load friction between individual fibers in the ballistic fabric is beneficial but friction between overlapping yarn strands is not in fig3 a representation of u201c bridging u201d between the warp and the weft yarn in the fabric is shown this is an explanation as to why the sol gel approach decreases the tear strength of these fabrics in certain embodiments of the present invention the particles are small e g 10 nm to 50 nm in diameter this is compared to a human hair which is about 90 000 nm in diameter in certain embodiments of the present invention the binder is diluted allowing a thin film to cover the individual fibers but the film is too thin to bind the yarn strands to one another or cover gaps between yarn bundles u201c bridge u201d the friction between the fibers created by the nanoparticles and binder of the present invention is longitudinal thus causing the fibers to move and work together rather than slipping over one another this is in part what increases the tear strength of the fabrics treated in certain.