Effect of Aluminized Fabrics on Radiant Protective Performance of Fire Proximity Suit Materials

Abstract

Radiant heat may be a significant component of heat exposure in the case of proximity firefighting. To combat high levels of radiant heat, fire proximity suits made of aluminized fabrics (Al-Fb) are commonly used due to their proven radiant protective performance (RPP). In this study RPP of various Al-Fb prepared using different aluminized films (Al-Fl) such as double-sided aluminized film and single-sided aluminized film and different base fabrics such as woven, knit, and nonwoven fabrics are compared. The effect of flexing on RPP and flame protective performance (FPP) of Al-Fb is also examined. The results show that RPP of Al-Fl is affected by the protective film to protect against mechanical or physical damages, and also by their structure such as whether the second reflective aluminum layer is present or not. In addition RPP of Al-Fb is also influenced by the base fabric, especially its surface roughness. The increased surface roughness combined with the damage caused to the aluminum layer after flexing result in reduction of RPP of Al-Fb. The contribution of Al-Fl to FPP of Al-Fb is not as significant as to RPP. Finally, based on the results, some points that may be important in developing and designing fire proximity suits are recommended.

New Approaches to Evaluate the Performance of Firefighter Protective Clothing Materials

“…In fact, the firefighters are subjected to considerable heat by radiation during firefighting [3]. One of the effective ways to protect them from radiant heat is to improve the reflectance of the outer protective layer using aluminized fabrics or similar, to reflect the radiant heat [21]. This phenomenon was also observed in this study.…”

“…The flame protective performance (FPP) is an important thermal protection indicator required to be tested in both ISO 11999-3:2015 and EN 469:2014. An FPP tester (TPP-2-x, Govmark, USA) made in accordance with ISO 9151, was used to evaluate the FPP of the specimens at a heat flux density of 80 kW/m 2 [18,[20][21][22][23]. The following heat transfer index (HTI) values that define the level of FPP were detected.…”

“…One main reason is that the radiant heat can permeate into the fabric to a certain depth, leading to more serious damage even at a low-level radiant heat [28,29]. Therefore the outer layer plays an important role in the radiant heat protection [21]. Presumably, this is one of the reasons why NFPA 1971:2013 requires only the garment's outer shell material to be tested in the RPP test in accordance with ASTM F1939 [19].…”

“…If the outer layer loses its integrity, it cannot provide enough protection from fire [3,4]. Moreover, the proportion of the radiant heat element within the source of the TPP tester accounts for 50% of the total heat flux, and, thus, the performance of the specimen is measured under realistic conditions closer to the exposure intensity than that of the FPP tester [16,21,24]. Therefore, the TPP test could offer more comprehensive information than that FPP test provides.…”

Weighting of Firefighting Turnout Gear Risk Factors According to Expert Opinion

“…Lu et al [9] noted that overdesigned turnout gear can cause more thermal stress for the wearer; therefore, understanding the fires that firefighters encounter is crucial to preventing overdesign. Heat mainly dissipates from the body through evaporation [10,11].…”