FR dictiondary Part 5:Flash Fire Terms

The last part of getting to know flame resistant clothing:FLASH FIRE TERMS

FLASH FIRE TERMS

TPP – Thermal Protective Performance of a fabric; the amount of heat it takes to pass through the fabric and cause a second-degree burn; CGSB 155.20 requires a fabric have a minimum of 6 cal/cm² when tested with a spacer

Manikin Test/Body Burn – A simulated flash fire test using an instrumented manikin to calculate the estimated percentage of second and third degree body burns after three seconds of exposure; NFPA 2112 requires the percentage to be below 50 percent

HTP – Heat Transfer Performance of a fabric; the amount of heat it takes to pass through a fabric to cause second-degree burns based on the skin burn curve; NFPA 2112 requires a fabric to have a minimum of 6 cal/cm² when tested with a spacer and 3 cal/cm² in contact

FR dictiondary Part 4:Electrical Hazard Terms

The fourth part of getting to know flame resistant clothing : ELECTRICAL HAZARD TERMS

ELECTRICAL HAZARD TERMS

Arc Rating – Value describing a fabric’s performance under exposure to an electrical arc discharge based on testing that determines when the amount of exposure results in a 50-percent probability of causing the onset of second-degree skin burns; expressed in cal/cm² as either an ATPV or an EBT

ATPV – Arc Thermal Performance Value of a fabric shown in cal/cm²

EBT – Energy of Breakopen Threshold; the cal/cm² at which the fabric breaks open before it reaches its ATPV

HRC – Hazard Risk Category; a term used specifically in NFPA 70E; each specific task listed in the 70E table establishes one of five HRC category requirements for the protective clothing and PPE to be worn while performing that task, and each category outlines the minimum arc rating (cal/cm²) for the FR clothing and other PPE required

FR dictiondary Part 3:Standards

The third part of getting to know flame resistant clothing:EU and American Standards

STANDARDS

EN ISO 11611 – Protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes

EN ISO 11612 – Protective clothing - Clothing to protect against heat and flame

EN ISO 14116 – Protective clothing - Protection against flame - Limited flame spread materials,material assemblies and clothing

Protective clothing against the thermal hazardsof an electric arc

EN61482-1-1:Test method:Open Arc Ranking,presented with a value. ATPV(Arc Thermal Performance Value)

EN61482-1-2:Test method:Box test.Divided in two classes,where Class 2 is the highest level.

EN1149-1: Protective clothing:Electrostatic properties(surface resistivity)

EN1149-3: Protective clothing:Electrostatic properties(charge decay)

EN1149-5: Protective clothing:Electrostatic properties - Part 5:Material performance and design requirements

EN 13034: Protective clothing against liquid chemicals. Performance requirements for chemical protective clothing offering limited protective performance against aqueous based chemicals only (Type 6 and Type PB[6] equipment)

EN20471: High visibility warning clothing for professional use

NFPA2112: Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire

FR dictiondary Part 2:Fabric Terms

The second part of getting to know flame resistant clothing:fabric terms.

FABRIC TERMS

Aramid – The chemical family of FR fibers like Nomex (meta-aramid) and Kevlar (para-aramid)

Nomex – The brand name for the meta-aramid produced by DuPont

Kevlar – The brand name for the para-aramid produced by DuPont

Modacrylic – A generic name for a type of inherently FR fiber (e.g., the fiber used in Protera and Tecasafe plus)

Lyocell – A cellulose fiber made from dissolving wood pulp (a type of rayon)

PBI – Short for the polymer Polybenzimidizole; an inherently FR fiber made by Celanese Inc.

FRC – Flame-resistant clothing

FR dictiondary Part 1:General Terms

The first step in adequately protecting your workforce is understanding the hazards and standards that apply to your industry, as well as the products available to address them. Drotex’s helpful FR Dictionary covers the flame-resistant (FR) clothing terms and acronyms you’ll need to know in order to make informed decisions and protect your workforce.

There are five parts of the flame-resistant clothing:General Terms,Fabric Terms,FR Standards,Electrical Hazard Terms and Flash Fire Terms.

Today we'll introduce the first part:general terms.

GENERAL TERMS

Flame Resistant (FR) – A fabric or product that resists ignition and self extinguishes after removal of the ignition source

Flame Retardant – A chemical treatment applied to a flammable base fabric that gives it FR properties

Inherent – An FR fabric that is made of fibers that are flame resistant due to the chemical structure of the fibers and has not been chemically treated

Treated – An FR fabric in which flame-retardant chemicals are added to the fabric after it has been woven or knitted

Vertical Flame Test – A basic test that determines whether or not a fabric is FR by measuring how much of the fabric is consumed after 12 seconds of flame exposure

Char Length – A measurement of the damaged fabric after the Vertical Flame test

what is the difference between fire retardant & flame resistant clothing?

Jobs that expose workers to fire dangers require the use of protective clothing, although the names used by manufacturers can be confusing. Learn what the terms mean and how the clothing can protect you to make sure you are safe at work. Parents, too, might find flame-resistant sleepwear for their children and need to understand the terms.

 

Definitions

 

Manufacturers describe protective clothing as "fire retardant" or "flame resistant," sometimes meaning the same thing. However, some companies draw a subtle distinction or interchange the words "fire" and "flame." Interior Mall, a vendor of protective clothing, defines "fire resistant" as material treated to keep fire from spreading and "flame-retardant" fabrics as being resistant to fire, while also stunting its spread. Safety testing firm Texco Instruments says flame-resistant clothing will not keep burning once the source of the fire is gone.

 

Functions

 

Whether fire retardant or flame resistant, protective clothing can save the wearer from serious injury or death. People working in electrical, fuel- or chemical-related fields or firefighting require this clothing, as do race car drivers and crews and military personnel, Texso Instruments notes. In addition, manufacturers of infant sleepwear also treat some fabrics to be flame resistant, according to government guidelines.

 

How it works

 

Flame-resistant clothing keeps fire contained and puts the flames out when the original source is gone, Automotive Workwear experts explain. Manufacturers bind a special finish to the fabric to create the flame-retardant property, according to the company's website. In a slight difference, companies make flame-retardant clothes using fibers that by themselves resist burning or by using a special finish, according to Interior Mall.

 

Shopping tips

 

Sorting through the different types of fire-protection clothing on the market can confuse shoppers. Texso Instruments recommends knowing first what dangers you will face while wearing the clothing and learning your industry's specific standards for that hazard. Then, choose the type of material that will protect against your job's specific dangers, including cotton-based or synthetic fabrics.Firefighters need protective clothing, as do workers in many other industries.

 

Warnings

 

Whether you choose fire-retardant or flame-resistant clothing, remember that no clothes are guaranteed not to burn. Many people believe that pure cotton will not burn, but that is a myth, Automotive Workwear's shopping guide warns. Washing protective clothing eventually will remove its flame protection, so follow manufacturers' direction closely, the company adds.

What is aramid?

Aramid fibers are man-made high-performance fibers, with molecules that are characterized by relatively rigid polymer chains. These molecules are linked by strong hydrogen bonds that transfer mechanical stress very efficiently, making it possible to use chains of relatively low molecular weight.

The term “aramid” is short for “aromatic polyamide”. Aromatic polyamides were first applied commercially as meta-aramid fibers in the early 1960s, with para-aramid fibers being developed in the 1960s and 1970s.

Aramid fibers share some general characteristics that distinguish them from other synthetic fibers:

• High strength
• Good resistance to abrasion
• Good resistance to organic solvents
• Non-conductive
• No melting point
• Low flammability
• Good fabric integrity at elevated temperatures

These unique characteristics derive from the combination of having stiff polymer molecules with a strong crystal orientation as well as close interaction between the polymer chains due to the hydrogen bonds.

Pre-shrinking finish on fabrics

Pre-shirking is needed almost on all fabrics because most textile materials shrink when washed. However preshrinking can only reduce the residual shrinkage to a lower percentage, but cannot completely eliminate it. On cotton fabrics, usually take away 8-10%shrinkage by preshrinking, leaving about 5-6% in them.

Preshrinking can reduce only the residual shrinkage

This is a generalized form of opinion which clearly indicates that without proper shrinking, these fabrics truly cannot be used to make garments. In fact preshrinking can only reduce the residual shrinkage to a lower percentage, but cannot completely eliminate it. Following are the measures one must take about the balance of residual shrinkage:

On cotton fabrics, we can usually take away 8-10 %shrinkage by preshrinking, leaving about 5 - 6% in them. If you really do a good job on shrinking, you may bring it down to 4% which is generally accepted in the trade.

Shrinkages of various fabrics from grey goods

Kind of Fabric	Total Shrinkage (in %)
Cotton Twill	12-16
Cotton Denim	12-16
Cotton Canvas	10-14
TC fabric	4-6

Sanforization

Shrinkage in garments is very important issue because when they shrink out of size, they cannot be worn. Before pre-washed garments became popular, the shrinkage problem was even a bigger one. To tackle the shrinkage problem, a process to pre-shrink fabrics before making garments was invented by an American, Stanford L.Cluett. He registered a trademark "SANFORIZED" to signify that the fabric used in garment has gone through a registered process and the garment is shrinkage controlled (Residual shrinkage about 1%). He advertised the trademark "SANFORIZED" to build up the demand from the consumer level for "Sanforized" garments so that the textile mills and garment makers want to use the Sanforize process and the trademark "sanforized" on the garment label to make the merchandise more appealing to consumers. Of course a royalty has to be paid to the Sanforize Company for the use of the trademark.

Resin Finish

Resin finish is to stabilize the fiber to make it shrinkage and crease resistant. We usually consider applying resin finish on 100% cotton fabrics (mostly knits) or 100%rayon woven fabrics because shrinkage of these 2 kinds of fabrics is hard to control, and therefore we consider to resort to resin finish.

Resin finish is not too popular now days because the resin applied will eventually be washed off. Garment buyers therefore, rather use garment wash to get rid of the shrinkage and at the same time get a washed look on the garment which is desirable.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Solvent Dyeing in Textiles

Solvent Dyeing is a new trend and most of the Modern Textile Mills are eagerly implementing this dyeing method to dye the fabric. Some are enjoying the great features of Solvent dyeing and some are facing several problems with it.

 

In today’s post I will mention some crucial advantages and disadvantages that most of the people often face on –

 

Advantages of Solvent Dyeing:

1. Solvent is being recycled, so the effluent control problem is eliminated.

2. Rapid dyeing with minimum energy requirements.

3. Better levelness and dye yield compared with better fabric aesthetics.

 

Disadvantages of Solvent dyeing:

1. Solvents are expensive, so higher production cost

2. Problem in equipments availability.

3. Existing dye can not be used in full range.

What is flame retardant fabric?

Flame Retardant Fabric does not mean that it can't burn. If there is a continuous flame source on the fabric,it can ignite.But once the flame source leaves,the flame on the fabric extinguished.

However,normal fabric can continue to nurn even get out of the fire,thus make severe harm to people.So it's important to wear protective clothing made of flame retardant fabrics.For those people who're working in hazardous environment.These FR clothing can give them time to escape from danger and prevent more severe injury.

Drotex,is a professional manufacturer of flame retardant fabric.Our fabrics can meet Eurepean and American safety standards.And is a good choice for your FR clothing.

Looking forward to your contact!

What is pilling in fabric?

Fabrics and textiles are very important to us as human. Fabrics are items for everyday use and this has made it very easy to notice one or two defects or conditions that are associated with fabrics and textile materials. One of such conditions is what is called Pilling in Fabrics. What is the meaning of pilling in fabrics? Pilling in fabric is formation of little balls or aggregate of fibers on the surface of the fabric which is as a result of abrasion in the textile material. The balls or fiber aggregate is called Pills. It is very important to understand that this fiber aggregates and balls formed on the fabric surface are formed by rubbing of loose fibers which are found on the surface of the pilling fabric. The loose fibers are from fiber ends that are not enclosed within the yarn structure or the creation of loose fiber from pulling out of one end from the fiber loop of the pilling fabric or textile. When such fibers which are loosened from the yarn structure or from the fiber loop are of certain height, they form what we call fiber aggregate or balls. These fiber balls are called Pills. These pills then become very noticeable and undesirable look on our fabrics and wears. With the brief explanation of what pilling in fabric means, it is very important to note that pilling in fabric can be removed and that there are some fabric that are less likely to pill.

 

How to remove pilling in fabric

 

There are several ways to remove pilling from your fabric and but the most effective and quickest way to remove pilling in fabrics and textiles is the use of battery-powered pill shaver or remover. The device is cost effective and very good to remove fabric pilling and it can be bought at most sewing or textile stores.  Another way to remove the pilling on fabrics and wears is the use of pumice stone pill remover or pill comb are also effective and they are manually operated.

 

Moreover, there are fabrics and textile materials that are less likely to pill while some are very likely to pill. Fabrics made of wool, cotton, polyester, nylon and acrylic have the most tendencies to pill however, and synthetic materials are more severe when pilling occurs on them. Fabric with longer fibers are less likely to pill. This is due to the how hard it is for longer fibers to work out of the loop or yarn structure. Woven fabrics are also fund to be less likely to pill than knitted fabrics. This is due to the distance of yarn crossings in knitted fabrics are more than that of woven fabrics.

 

Most people are not very pleased with the occurrence of pilling in fabrics and as such attribute pilling to textile defects and complain to manufacturers. Technology has provided some techniques such as Singeing and Spinning among others to prevent fabrics from pilling. Fabric and textile companies have also adopted the idea of pilling resistance tests all I am effort to solve fabric pilling problems.