WENAAS ANTI-FLAME Made with Dale Fabric

Compared to other FR fabrics, how well does Dale Anti-flame protect?

We have subjected Dale Anti-flame and its competitors to tests ranging from the simplest to the most sophisticated. The first tests seek to determine some very basic FR characteristics. Do the fabrics ignite, melt or drip? Will they shrink when subjected to heat and expose the wearer's skin? The answers, while important, provide only a crude indication of how well a fabric will perform in a genuine crisis. The tests we describe subsequently come closest to simulating real flash fires, electric arcs and other such hazards. They help to indicate how the fabrics stand up outside the laboratory. Consider the following description of tests and results part of a cumulative argument demonstrating Dale Anti-flame's protective characteristics.

1^ST DEGREE BURN: Painful but relatively minor.

2^ND DEGREE BURN: Seriously damages the skin but skin may heal completely with proper medical attention.

3 ^RD DEGREE BURN: A deep burn that destroys the skin and will require extensive medical care.

BURN SURVIVAL

Whether someone survives a burn injury depends on the severity of the burns and the total area injured. Generally, the smaller the area burned, the greater the chance of survival. Also, minimizing third degree burns is important. Full thickness burns often require skin grafting, which involves moving healthy skin tissue to replace injured skin. As we get older, we gradually lose our ability to survive such serious burns. The statistics below show the relationship between age, burn injury and survival. The purpose of Flame Resistant clothing is to decrease burn injuries and thereby to increase the chances of survival chances of survival and recovery.

Vertical Flame Test

Purpose: To determine whether a textile will ignite, melt or drip when exposed to fire; whether it will "flame" or "glow" beyond a certain period of time after the removal of the original flame; and whether it will char beyond a certain length.

Method: Federal standard No. 191A, method 5903.1. This is one of several Vertical Flame testing methods. These tests essentially consists of exposing vertically suspended fabric to an open flame. The flame must have a given length, meet the fabric at a given angle, and burn for a given time.

Requirement: ASTM  F150694. No melting and dripping. Afterflame should not exceed two seconds and charring length should not exceed 152mm (6 in.).

Results:

Product	Afterflame (sec)	Afterglow (sec)	Dripping	Charring (mm)	Charring (in)
Dale Anti-flame 1023	0.1	3.3	none	126	4.96
Nomex® IIIA	1.2	3.2	none	100	3.94
Dale Anti-flame 1033	0.5	5.5	none	82	3.23
Indura®	0.6	4.1	none	82	3.23

Conclusion: Dale Anti-flame products will not ignite, melt or drip when tested in a vertical flame test. All the tested products meet the requirements of the ASTM F150694.

Institute: Textile Analysis Service, University of Alberta. Canada

Reference: 2002227, Sept. 23/96

Heat Resistance and Thermal Shrinkage Test

Purpose: Some fabrics may pass a vertical flame test but will shrink when exposed to high temperatures. A fabric that ignites or shrinks and exposes skin is clearly less safe than one that does not.

Method: (proposed) C**/CGSB 155.20 Par 7.3: Heat resistance and thermal shrinkage test. Fabric is placed in an oven at 260 C / 500 C for five minutes.

Conclusion: Cotton products shrink less than Nomex IIIA when exposed to high temperatures.

Product	Dimensional Change	Description after Exposure
Dale Anti-flame 1023	Warp: -0.6% Weft: -0.3%	No ignition, melting or dripping
Nomex® IIIA	Warp: -2.3% Weft: -1.3%	No ignition, melting or dripping. Fabric slightly puckered after exposure.
Dale Anti-flame 1033	Warp: -0.6% Weft: -0.8%	No ignitio, melting or dripping.
Indura®	Warp: -0.2% Weft: -0.2%	No ignition, melting or dripping.

 

All fabrics pass the proposed requirements of the standard.

Institute: Textile Analysis Service, University of Alberta. Canada

Reference: 2002027, Aug. 29/96    2002527, Nov. 25/96

HEAT AND FLAME WON'T BURN DALE ANTI-FLAME

THERMAL PROTECTIVE PERFORMANCE (TPP) TEST

Purpose: In a fire, serious burns may occur even when a fabric shields skin from direct flame. The TPP test determines how well a fabric protects against burns caused by transfer heat.

Method: Modified ASTM D 410887*. The modification entails restraining the fabric in the apparatus. The test consists of exposing fabric to a given heat flux and measuring the rate of temperature increase. The fabric is placed between the heat source and a sensor. The sensor measures the amount of time required for heat to pass through a fabric and cause a second degree burn. The test is run twice, once with the sensor immediately against the fabric and once with the sensor at a slight distance from the fabric. The two results combined give some indication of how the fabric will perform under real life conditions. When a garment is worn, that is, part of the fabric touches the skin and part of it hangs free.

Notes: The TPP value is calculated by multiplying the time (seconds) it took to incur a second degree burn by two. The higher TPP value, the better protection against transfer heat.

Conclusion: All fabrics offer good thermal protection. The tested Dale Anti-flame products offer a high degree of protection from transfer heat under both test conditions.

 

Product	TPP Value with Spacer	TPP Value without spacer
Dale Anti-flame 1023	9.2	4.9
Nomex® IIIA	13.2	4.9
Dale Anti-flame 1033	11.7	5.6
Indura®	9.0	6.0

 

 

Institute: Textile Analysis Service, University of Alberta, Canada.

Reference: 20-024-27, Aug. 29/96     20-025-27, Nov. 25/96

*This method was withdrawn from ASTM test methods standards in 1995 but continues to be  used.

FLASH FIRE MANNEQUIN TEST

Purpose: To indicate how a fabric may protect against the heat and flame of a flash fire.

Method: This test exposes a mannequin wearing an FR garment to a flash fire of a heat flux of 2 Cal/cm² for 4 seconds. Built into the mannequin are 122 heat sensors. During the test, they measure the rise in temperature at different points on the body. These measurements are then fed into a computer that calculates the extent, distribution and severity of burns.

The garments tested were of identical design and were made by the same manufacturer from off the shelf Nomex IIIA®, Indura® and Dale Anti-flame 1023 and 1033. All had been laundered three times.

After an exposure to heat and flames, a worker may well need protection against subsequent flash fires or against flaming debris. An FR fabric, consequently, must remain flexible and keep its size. If it hardens, it may break open during a dash for safety. If it shrinks, it may expose skin. In either case a second fire may have devastating results. An examination of fabrics exposed to a flash fire test yielded the following observations.

Results:

Product	Shrinkage & Fabric Condition
Dale Anti-flame 1023	Minimal shrinkage; flexible after exposure.
Nomex® IIIA	Significant shrinkage; very brittle after exposure.
Dale Anti-flame 1033	Minimal shrinkage; flexible after exposure.
Indura®	Minimal shrinkage; very brittle after exposure.

 

Notes: Because actual users of an FR fabric will wear undergarments of different kinds, we chose not to place undergarments on the mannequin. Undergarments may significantly reduce the percentage of burns.

Conclusion: In this test, both Dale Anti-flame products offer a higher degree of protection from the most severe type of burn injury than do the other products tested. As well, tests on the other products reveal that third degree burns continue to develop up to 15 seconds after the initial 4 second exposure. Dale Anti-flame 1033 offers the best overall protection from burn injury. Nomex IIIA and Indura become very brittle after a first exposure, and Nomex IIIA shrinks significantly after an initial exposure to fire. Both Dale Anti-flame products remain intact, flexible and in size after the first exposure. They may provide a better degree of protection during a limited second exposure.

ARC THERMAL PROTECTION (ATP) TEST

In Europe, electrical workers have been wearing FR clothing for several years. Many North American utility companies have been implementing protective clothing programs since 1994 when OSHA ruled that clothing must not increase the extent of injuries (OSHA 1910.269 Electrical Protective Equipment).

Purpose: To measure the transfer of heat through a fabric exposed to electric arc. Electric arcs are normally very short but also produce very high energy levels. An FR fabric that protects well against flash fires may not protect as well against electric arcs. FR fabrics, consequently, must be put to a special test.

  Method: ASTM Committee F18: Full scale arc test (final draft). Fabric is positioned at a given distance from an electrode and exposed to an actual electric arc. Plates positioned behind the fabric are equipped with sensors. Using information they record, a computer calculates the heat transferred through the fabric and predicts the point at which a second degree burn would have occurred.

Results:

Product	ATP Value
Dale Anti-flame 1023	8.8
Nomex® IIIA	6.0
Dale Anti-flame 1033	9.6
Indura®	10.1

 

Notes: The ATP value refers to the amount of energy that must pass through the fabric before a second degree burn will result. Higher values indicate better fabric performance.

Conclusion: Dale Anti-flame, even in a light weight, provides a significant degree of protection from electric arc exposure.

Institute: Ontario Hydro Technologies, High Current Laboratories , Canada.

Reference: Dale, May 30 & 31, 1996 and June 19, 1996.

MOLTEN IRON SPLASH TEST EN 373

Purpose:  To ensure that no second degree burns occur when a given weight of molten metal is poured on an FR fabric.  

Method: EN 373. Molten metal is poured on an FR fabric backed with a skin simulant. Damage to the simulant indicates that a second degree burn would have occurred had the fabric covered real skin.

Results:

Product	Requirement	Performance	Level
Dale Anti-flame 1033	no damage to skin simulant	68g pour	E1
Dale Anti-flame 1043	no damage to skin simulant	121g pour	E2

 

Notes: Dale Anti-flame 1043 is a 100% cotton fabric specially designed for welders and metal workers. It is heavier than 1033 and spun with a different weave.

Conclusion: Both Dale Anti-flames, but particularly Dale Anti-flame 1043, offer good protection against molten metal splashes.

  Institute: British Textile Technology Group (BTTG), Fire Services Reference: 2/7563/1  June 8, 1995; 2/7516/9 Oct. 18, 1995.

MOLTEN METAL SPLASH TEST EN 348

Purpose:  To ensure that a fabric can withstand at least fifteen one gram drops of molten metal before allowing a temperature rise of 40 K, the level at which a second degree burn will occur. 

Method: EN 348. Molten metal is poured one drop at a time onto FR fabric backed with a skin simulant. The pouring continues until the temperature rises 40 K.

Results:

Product	Requirement	Performance
Dale Anti-flame 1033	>15 drops to raise temperature 40 K	32 drops
Dale Anti-flame 1043	> 15drops to raise temperature 40 K	33 drops

 

Conclusion: Again, Dale Anti-flame shows good protection against molten metal.

Institute: BTTG

Reference: 2/7563/2 June 8, 1995; 2/7516/10  Oct. 18, 1995.

ANTISTATIC PROPERTIES

Purpose:  In industries where workers might come into contact with explosive gases or where they work with electronic governing units, static electricity carried on clothing may cause an explosion or fire.  This test determines the antistatic properties of FR fabrics.

Method: Fabrics receive a charge of 5 kV. The time they take to lose 90% of that charge is then recorded.

 Results:

Product	Initial Potential kV	Charge Decay Time (t 1/10 seconds)
Dale Anti-flame 1033	+5	3.2
Nomex® IIIA	+5	>300
Nomex® Delta A	+5	>300

Conclusion: Dale Anti-flame 1033 has significantly better antistatic properties than do Nomex IIIA and Delta A. It will lose a charge of 5 kV almost a hundred times as fast.

Institute: BTTG

Reference: 2/5968/2  Jan. 29, 1995.

DALE ANTI-FLAME SAFETY RECORD: THREE DECADES OF SUCCESS

DURABLE SAFETY PERFORMANCE

Testing unused FR fabrics provides only a partial view of their safety performance. Such testing says nothing about how flame resistant a fabric remains after repeated washings and wearing. As studies conducted in cooperation with some of our largest end users show, a Dale Anti-flame garment worn by offshore workers normally receives 100-150 washings during its life span. We arranged for Dale Anti-flame fabrics laundered 200 times to be subjected to a Vertical Flame Test.

Purpose: To confirm that laundered Dale Anti-flame fabrics remain flame resistant.

Method: British standard BS 6249 Part 1: 1982 Vertical Flame Test.

Results:

Vertical Flame Test	New	100 washes	200 washes
Duration of Flaming (sec)	0	0	0
Duration of Afterglow (sec)	0	0	0
Flaming Debris	No	No	No
Extent of Holing (mm)	0	0	0
Mean Damaged Length (mm)	60	57	57

 

Conclusions: Clearly, a Dale Anti-flame garment, when properly cared for, easily affords workers as much protection on its last day of use as on its first.

Institute: SCOT Innovation & Development Inc.

Reference: 2/2933/3 Dec. 3, 1993

DALE ANTIFLAME IN USE

At Norway's HMS Senter (Health, Environment and Safety Centre), they subject their Dale Antiflame garments to even more washings. A training facility for offshore workers attended by more than 3,500 people annually, the HMS Senter makes heavy demands on Dale Anti-flame fabrics. Coveralls are frequently soiled and require more than 250 washings during their life span. The HMS Senter's tests and inspections of garments washed 250  300 times again reveal that Dale anti-flarne retains its resistance to fire and heat.

SENSORED MANNEQUIN TEST OF USED GARMENTS

Purpose:  Repeated laundering may actually improve Dale Anti-flame's heat resistance. In a series of flash fire tests conducted by the British Textile Technology Group, scientists discovered that used Dale Anti-flame garments had better thermal protective characteristics than new Anti-flame garments. The used garments had been tagged and traced during three years of service on offshore oil rigs in the North Sea. During that time, these garments were subjected to more than 70 launderings. The washing rinsed away excess chemicals and dyes and shrank the fabric slightly. As a result, the fabric formed a tighter thermal protective layer and thus outperformed the unused Anti-flame fabric in flash fire tests.

Results

Burn Development	New	Used
2nd Degree	11.9%	0.9%
1st Degree	11.9%	4.0%
Total Burn Injury	19.0%	4.9%

 

Institute: BTTG
Reference: 2/5968/2,  2/6334.

FIRE RESISTANCE AND SHELF LIFE

The fire resistance of some FR fabrics deteriorates if these fabrics are stored unwashed for many years. In a chemical process known as "hydrolysis", air and moisture interact with the fabric and alters its pH value. When the fabric is finally put to use, laundering removes the FR chemicals.

Dale's unique fixation and neutralization process combined with our process control systems ensure that Dale Anti-flame fabrics can be stored for long periods without undergoing hydrolysis. In a vertical flame test conducted on military equipment, uniforms made of Dale Anti-flame fabric showed no signs of hydrolysis even after ten years in storage.

While long term storage is an issue for our military clients, in industry work wear made from FR fabrics is seldom stored for more than four years. As the Norwegian Army tests show, storage of four years or ten has no ill effects on Dale Anti-flame.

Results:

Vertical Flame Test (after 10 yr. storage)	One Wash	5 Washes
Afterglow (sec)	0	0
Afterburn (sec)	0	0
Charring Length (mm)	30	19

 

Institute: Materials Division, Norwegian Armed Forces.

Reference: T/074-93