For our initial Safety First article we are going to discuss testing and T.P.P. (Thermal Protective Performance) ratings and what classification you need to be safe. Let’s face it, drag racing is a dangerous sport and the biggest fear on just about every drivers mind is fire.
FABRICS AND RATINGS
There are many different types of fire resistant fabrics available but FR Cotton, Aramid, Nomex and Kevlar Nomex blend are a few of the most commonly used fabrics. The materials used are not as important as the combination of materials. For instance, to reach an S.F.I. rating of 3.2A/5 commonly called a “dual” or “triple” layer combination of materials, a 6×6 inch square of the combination of materials is put into a T.P.P. test machine. The T.P.P. machine uses 9 quartz heat lamps and 2 Bunsen burners to create heat, both thermal and radiant. The test equation, “The Stoll Curve”, represents the energy required to create a second degree burn from the heat passing through the material. It is important to note that the actual exposure time to a second degree burn may be LESS due to the heat retained in the fabric after the heat source(s) is taken away…. Read more of this article. Just click on the digital feature below this introduction.
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