On the premises of TOTAL Bitumen Deutschland GmbH in Brunsbüttel, experts presented the latest solutions made of Nomex® and performed several flame engulfment tests using the DuPont™ Thermo-Man®. A new firefighter safety garment made of the innovative and patented Nomex® 3DP fabric, which proved its mettle during flame engulfment with zero percent burns, stood out as particularly high performing.
Protective clothing – examined in theory and practice
This free-of-charge, day-long event, was intended for professional, industrial and voluntary firefighting units, as well as industrial safety officers, and was divided into theoretical and practical subject areas. The event's first part focused on current trends in thermal and flame protection equipment, legal standards and requirements, as well as current fiber and fabric options made of Nomex®. The second part featured several flame engulfment tests using the DuPont™ Thermo-Man®, a life-size mannequin system equipped with 122 thermal sensors.
The participants had also been invited to bring their own personal protective equipment (PPE) to have it tested on Thermo-Man®. "In total, we tested six protective garments made of Nomex®, between 18 and seven years old," said Steve Marnach, Sales Manager Nomex® Industrial Apparel Western Europe. "The test of eight-year-old industrial protective clothing clearly demonstrated the quality and durability of Nomex® – it achieved just as good results on Thermo-Man® as completely new clothing. With 18 percent second and third degree burns, this figure was significantly lower than flame-retardant cotton, which is around 70 percent with a flame test of 4 seconds."
In PPE garments for firefighters, however, there was an obvious increase in performance. While models from the Nineties resulted in up to 17 percent second and third degree burns, the 2007 garment made of Nomex® had only 1.6 percent second degree burns.
Nomex® 3DP for excellent heat and flame protection
"Of course we strive to make PPE for firefighters and industrial workers even safer," explained Jürgen Klotz, Sales Manager Nomex® Emergency Response Western Europe. "In doing so, our new product Nomex® 3DP is setting new standards. The test on Thermo-Man® confirmed this. We were able to remove the garment tested here, which was made from Nomex® 3DP by S-Gard, from our test mannequin showing zero percent burns." This improvement in performance is achieved by the patented, two-layer fabric. When the product is exposed to extreme thermal stress, pockets form that create a 3D barrier layer. This increases the clothing's insulating properties, thus providing extra protection for additional seconds of safety.