The barrier materials covered by this specification are intended for use in specialized military methods of preservation. The combination of all performance characteristics of MIL-PRF-131; seam strength and fabrication; water vapor transmission rate; breaking strength; puncture, blocking and curl resistance; contact corrosivity; delamination; and water resistance of markings provide the necessary requirements for protection from exposure to the extremes of the navy/naval aviation environment. Navy/naval aviation items are exposed to high moisture, high salt concentration, transfer at sea, rough handling, and minimal storage conditions. There are no commercial equivalents that meet the physical, mechanical, and corrosion requirements necessary to protect materiel that is exposed to the operational naval aviation environment. Specifically, Methods 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, and 53 of MIL-STD-2073-1C use MIL-PRF-131 as the premier source of barrier materials that provide watervaporproof (and watervaporproof with desiccant) protection for applicable items encountering the above conditions. MIL-PRF-131 provides the building blocks for applying specialized military preservation techniques approved under MIL-STD-2073-1C.

Class 1 material with plastic non-woven backing is intended to be used in all packaging applications where heat-sealable, flexible, watervaporproof, greaseproof, barrier materials are required.

Class 2 material with kraft backing is for use for packages where the combined weight inside the barrier does not exceed 10 pounds. Class 2 material should be limited to use in bags whose inside length plus width does not exceed 42 inches. Class 2 materials should not be used in floating bag applications, in packaging operations under low temperature conditions, below 32 °F where fabrication or manipulation of the material is required, or where a double seam junction is fabricated. To prevent cracking and pin holing, packages fabricated from this material should not be handled at temperatures below 32 °F.