Dimming down dangers with fibres
Biting cold or extreme heat – humans are pretty delicate beings, who want to be protected against rough external impacts. How to minimise dangers posed by such extreme influences by using fibres, will be demonstrated by textile firms at the end of May at Techtextil North America in Atlanta, Georgia, at a special show entitled “High-Tex from Germany.”
For a feelgood life under arctic conditions human beings lack what polar bears have: a thick fur. To counterbalance this heat-insulation deficit, at least for oil and gas workers, Medidian, the Russian manufacturer of work clothing and protective gear, has developed an overall especially for work in bitter cold. The wadding in the lining of the protective suit shown in Atlanta comes from smartpolymer, a Thuringian firm. “It is a non-flammable melamine non-woven material”, says the managing director of smartpolymer, Christoph Löning. Along with heat insulation, the material – which is produced from modified melamine resin – can, says Löning, also be used for acoustic insulation and is chemical-resistant. It is suitable for the use in apparel as well as in aircrafts, cars or building facades.
Wadding made of melamine resin: the protective suit for oil and gas workers is lined with an innovative non-woven from the German region of Thuringia / source: Meridian/smartpolymer
Fire protection with fibres
Manufacturers of fire doors, fire gates and fire blinds should also note the date of the US textile venue. There, for example, Frenzelit – a company from Bavaria – will be showing a new insulating bonded fabric made of glass fibres as an alternative method of fire protection instead of metallic fire-protection barriers. This modular bonded fabric for public buildings, such as multi-storey carparks and shopping centres, meets the fire-protection rules for protective barriers against fire, hot gases and smoke, depending on the composition of the modules.
You can’t pass it: among its future uses, the insulating glass-fibre fabric from Frenzelit will also function as a fire door / source: Frenzelit
Fire protection will also be the subject of an exhibit by PyroTex Industries, from Hamburg. The company will be showing a special flame-protection and heat-protection fibre. “We score top values when it comes to toxic flue gases, flammability and age-resistance; moreover, our material is 20% lighter than previous products”, says PyroTex boss Robert Jarausch, who will also be showcasing a new generation of lightweight fire blankets.
Header picture: Milles Studio/Fotolia
