Turnout Gear Fibers and Fabrics Evolve

1 TenCate makes the Flex Powered by PBI outer shell in a 6.9-osy weight for turnout gear. (Photo 1 courtesy of TenCate.)

2 DuPont makes Nomex and Kevlar meta-aramid and para-aramid fibers that are used in turnout gear outer shell and thermal liner systems. (Photo 2 courtesy of DuPont.)

3 Fire-Dex partnered with Milliken to create the TECGEN71 fabric designed for use in structural firefighting gear. (Photo 3 courtesy of Fire-Dex.)

4 Viking Life-Saving Equipment uses the Viking IQ meta-aramid/para-aramid blend fabric in outer shells in some of its turnout gear lines. (Photo 4 courtesy of Viking Life-Saving Equipment Inc.)

“To complement our outer shell fabrics, we offer thermal liners that boast inherently wicking facecloths featuring our Coolderm® Technology that keep firefighters cool and comfortable,” Thorne says. “All of TenCate’s facecloths are slick and easy to wear with good lubricity, providing quick and easy donning and doffing, and are available with needle-punch or spun-lace batting.” Thorne adds, “We also offer Titanium™ and Caldura® Elite with DuPont™ Nomex Nano fabrics that pack the highest level of thermal protection in a less bulky and more comfortable liner system.” TenCate’s thermal liners are Titanium™ SL2 (7.7 osy), Titanium Nano (6.6 osy), Caldura Elite with DuPont Nomex Nano (6.7 osy), Caldura Elite SL2 (7.7 osy), Quantum3D® SL2 (7.7 osy), and Defender® (7.8 osy).

Alfons Held, global marketing manager for emergency response at DuPont Personal Protection, says DuPont is the maker of Kevlar®, a para-aramid fiber that helps enhance the overall strength and durability of turnout gear outer shell and thermal liner systems by making fabrics durable, lightweight, and strong while maintaining high thermal protection. He adds that DuPont Nomex is a meta-aramid fiber with flame resistance that offers wash and tear durability and permanent thermal protection and exceeds multiple global standards for heat, flame, and arc flash protection. “DuPont’s Nomex Nano and Nomex Nano Flex offer reduced heat stress while helping to protect as a barrier against harmful particulates,” Held says.

Held notes that Nomex and Kevlar fibers can be found, separately or together, in each layer of most firefighter turnout gear, whether it be the outer shell, the moisture membrane backing, the thermal liner, or in the inner liner in the form of Nomex filament.

He points out the combination of Kevlar and Nomex fibers with other high-temperature fibers is used by manufacturers to develop turnout gear outer shells. “This combination, called DuPont Nomex Xtreme Performance, combines the tested and proven heat and flame protection of Nomex with the lightweight strength of Kevlar and the thermal damage tolerance and durability of high-performance materials such as PBO, Nomex Nano, and Nomex Nano Flex,” Held says.

Turnout gear moisture barriers help protect firefighters against water, chemical, and viral agent intrusion, and fabrics made of Nomex fiber help manufacturers produce strong, durable, flame-resistant (FR) moisture barriers, Held adds. Inner liners made with Nomex filament help create fabrics that allow faster donning and doffing and combine comfort, freedom of movement, and moisture management, he says.

Held adds that to address the problem of heat stress while firefighting, Nomex Nano is engineered to be thinner than other FR materials used for thermal liners while delivering equivalent thermal protection and durability. Held says that Nomex Nano can provide up to a 40% reduction in thermal liner thickness, improving THL by 30 units without compromising its thermal protection (TPP).

Held notes that DuPont recently launched a DuPont Kevlar EXO™ fiber that “elevates ballistic protection to the next level of comfort. Other applications of this material are currently being explored.”

Also, DuPont offers protective solutions that may be suitable for use in the fire service and hazmat response sector, Held says. “DuPont Tychem® 6000 FR garments combine Tychem’s chemical protection with the flame and arc flash protection of Nomex into a single garment,” he points out. “Tychem 6000 FR provides at least 30 minutes of protection against more than 180 chemical challenges and has an arc rating of 15 cal/cm2 Ebt.”

Todd Herring, vice president of product innovation and strategy for Fire-Dex, says Fire-Dex partnered with Milliken & Company to create TECGEN71 and TECGEN51 fabrics that are exclusive to Fire-Dex. “The idea behind the fabrics was to make lighter weight turnout gear,” Herring says. “TECGEN71, which is designed for structural turnout gear, brings a low level of conductivity and a high level of THL, which offers more protection, so we are able to use it in a lighter weight thermal lining and in other parts of the garment that lower overall weight and increase breathability.”

Herring notes TECGEN71 features a ripstop twill weave that combines Kevlar and Nomex with the TECGEN fiber, which has a nonPFAS water-repellant finish. He says the fiber allows the turnout gear to be 20% lighter than traditional gear, have 50% higher THL, and be 70% more flexible.

The TECGEN51 fabric is designed for technical rescue gear, Herring points out. “It’s a fabric compliant with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1951, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents, and NFPA 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting and Urban Interface Fire Fighting, and built with a nonPFAS water-repellent finish in an FR twill weave that offers superior THL, TPP, and RPP, giving optimal durability and breathability,” he says. “TECGEN51 fabric is offered in our Fatigues, Wildland Tech Rescue, EMS, and urban search and rescue (USAR) gear.”

5 Lakeland Fire uses an assortment of fabrics from different makers in its athletic design, tailor-cut turnout gear. (Photo 5 courtesy of Lakeland Fire.)

6 INNOTEX makes ENERGY turnout gear from a variety of fabrics produced by several makers. (Photo 6 courtesy of INNOTEX.)

Grant Grinstead, North America account product manager for Viking Life-Saving Equipment Inc., says his company “tries to stay at the forefront of safety in firefighter turnout gear. We’ve seen a transition in fabrics from the ripstop weaves, to nonripstop weaves, to through-the-weave fabrics. We use all the fibers from the leading manufacturers and put together a blend that gives the best performance.”

Grinstead notes that Viking Life-Saving has a couple of its own outer shells that it produces to have more control over performance and quality. “Viking IQ is woven by a German company,” he says. “It is a meta-aramid/para-armid blend that’s a modified ripstop fabric, which gives great thermal protection and performance.”

Eric Baker, national sales manager for Lakeland Fire, says Lakeland is buying an assortment of fabrics from various manufacturers for its turnout gear, including Safety Components, TenCate, DuPont, and Milliken. “Because of the design of our turnout gear, which is athletic and tailor-cut, we are able to use less 7-oz. fabric, which removes some weight, even with the Stealth with Lazermax™ reflective trim,” Baker says.

Claude Barbeau, general manager of INNOTEX, says his company makes its ergonomically designed ENERGY™ turnout gear from a variety of fabrics by several makers. “We’re using fabrics from TenCate, Safety Components, DuPont, and Gore,” Barbeau says. “We offer a wide selection of outer shells, moisture barriers, and thermal barriers to fit the different needs of the purchasing fire department.”

ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.