Flame Resistant Clothes
There is a wide range of flame
resistant fabrics to choose from when making your choice of a personal
protection. When trying to decide which fabric to buy, there are a lot
of factors to consider. It is important to get the right fabric for the
job at hand whether it be for the oil and gas or the electrical
industry. If the job involves working around flammable materials,
buying a firefighting ensemble doesn’t make much sense. The thickness
of the material will hinder movement and cause the wearer to become
uncomfortable. On the other hand, someone dealing with an open flame on
a regular basis will need much more protection than a set of non treated
cotton coveralls will provide. Choosing the perfect balance of
protection and comfort is the key. One of the more popular garment
choices is the
Nomex flame
resistant clothes. Many people know the Nomex name due to its
association with the oil and petroleum, military and auto racing.
However, Nomex comes in a variety of thicknesses and textures and is
applicable to a wide variety of jobs. The Nomex Industrial line comes
in three variations, Nomex IIIA , Nomex AP and Nomex Limitedwear. Nomex
AP provides protection from burns that are commonly received as a result
of electrical arc fires. It meets Hazard/Risk Category 2 arc protection
standards. Nomex Limitedwear provides protection from flash fires and,
while it is washable, it is only designed to be worn for limited
periods. The Nomex IIIA fabric is the most popular as is has a static
dissipative and is available in both a 4.5 oz and a 6.0 oz weight
fabric. Another popular choice is Excel
flame resistant cotton and Comfortouch garments. The cotton garments
are made of a 100% cotton fabric treated with a phosphonium salt
precondensate that has been polymerized with gaseous ammonia or a
heat-cured dialkylphosphonamide to provide protection from flame. The
Comfortouch garments are made of a blend of 88% cotton and 12% nylon
that has received the same treatments as the 100% cotton fabrics. The
treatment has little effect on the fabric’s texture, breathability, or
movement. The cotton fibers are resistant to alkalis and a majority of
solvents, but acids can damage the cotton fibers. The nylon fibers
allow the Comfortouch fabric to be more resistant to abrasion and will
provide a slightly longer garment life. Other manufacturers offer
garments made of identical cotton and cotton/nylon blend fabrics. And
although the fabrics have different names, they have received somewhat
the same treatment as mentioned above. The blended fabric put out by
Indura is known as Indura Ultra Soft and the Banox blend goes by the
name Banwear. The available styles of garments vary between the
manufacturers, but the fabrics used are very similar. The Indura fabric has a very
well known brand name as Westex has had very good success in marketing
the fabric. The Excel, and Banox are also very good fabrics as they all
have to meet the very stringent testing that must be passed in order to
be in compliance with the regulatory associations.
Please visit our FR clothing online store to purchase
Choosing the Right Flame Resistant Clothes
