1
2	Michael N. Guasch President, Molecule Labs, Inc. 20 years in consulting, research and development, and manufacturing of specialty chemicals Built protective chemical business for 10 years Sold to DuPont in 2005 Spending more time racing Started Molecule Labs because we need it!
3	Outline What is Nomex®? How does Nomex work? How to properly clean Nomex Improving the safety of Nomex racing suits with fuel and oil repellent fabric protection and proper cleaning products and procedures
4	What is Nomex®? Nomex® is a brand name for a fiber manufactured by Dupont Polyaramid Fiber Staple fiber Continuous filament fiber Woven to make fabric (weave) Used to make heat resistant fabrics Race car driver suits Fireman’s turnouts
5	Filament Yarn and Staple Fiber Packages of Nomex®
6	How Nomex® Protects You From Burns The fiber itself absorbs heat energy during the carbonization process. The fiber swells and seals openings in the fabric, decreasing air movement and the associated convective heat transfer. Both the fiber and the fabric thicken, increasing the insulative barrier and reducing conductive heat transfer
7
8	Thermo Man
9	Nomex® works very well unless… It is heavily soiled Has oil or grease stains Has gasoline or other flammable liquid in it (from an accident) Nomex® must be kept clean and free of contaminants to work properly
10	DuPont Nomex® Cleaning Recommendations NOMEX® Cleaning Flammable contaminants will reduce the thermal performance of any flame resistant garment. Proper and periodic cleaning is essential to maintain thermal protective performance. Protective clothing of NOMEX® brand fiber can be cleaned by traditional methods, such as home laundering, commercial laundering or dry cleaning. They should be cleaned frequently to ensure no greases, oily soils or other flammable contaminants are present when the garment is worn. From: DuPont NOMEX® Laundering Guide
11	DuPont Nomex® Cleaning Recommendations (cont.) Sort Pre Treat Prepare, zip, velcro, snap Do not overload machine Use warm water for moderate soil Use hot water for heavy soil Use “Designed” synthetic, liquid laundry detergent, pH 9 to 11 Soft water when possible Tumble dry at med. or high temp Use a fluorocarbon fabric protector to repel grease, oil and flammable liquids when necessary From: DuPont NOMEX® Laundering Guide
12	SFI Recommendations Avoid wearing your suit while working on the car. Not only would you be ruining an expensive piece of equipment, but you would essentially be inviting a fire to burn you. Grease, fuel, oil, and even cleaning fluids can soak into the fabric and support the flames of a fire, causing high heat. Fluids soaked into a suit also produce steam when exposed to heat and cause liquid vaporization burns. From: SFI Foundation Specs Assure Quality Driver Suits
13	Water and Oil Repellents for Nomex® Laboratory tests have shown that fluorocarbon sprays when properly applied will impart water and oil repellency to Nomex with minimal effect on the thermal protective properties of the fabric. From: DuPont NOMEX® Laundering Guide
14	Molecule Labs, Inc. Research and Development
15	Fabric Protectors Silicone Fluorochemical Fluoro/silicone blends Wax RT cure (room temperature) Heat cure technology
16	What is Repellency? Surface tension modification Decrease surface tension Water repellency Oil repellency Soil resistance
17	High Repellency
18	Low Repellency
19	High Repellency
20	Low Repellency
21	Must Maintain Breathability
22	Motor Oil Absorbency of Molecule Treated vs. Untreated Nomex®
23	Molecule Treated vs. Untreated
24	Absorption Test Molecule Protector Treated Nomex Motor Oil Power Steering Fluid Brake Fluid
25	Absorption Test Video Clip
26	Great Product… But is it Safe? Would it make the fabric more flammable, reduce the TPP? We needed to test with SFI
27	SFI Laboratories
28	TPP Testing Machine
29	Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) The TPP rating is the product of exposure heat flux and exposure time. The TPP results can be converted to the time before a second degree burn occurs. The higher the garment rating, the more time before a second degree burn
30	SFI Rating
31	SFI TPP Testing of Molecule Products
32	Conclusion from SFI Testing Control TPP = 25.9 Molecule Protector TPP = 26.7 TPP Increase of 3% Molecule SB (experimental) Protector TPP = 27.5 TPP increase of 6% Molecule Protectors do not decrease TPP Molecule Protectors may increase TPP, further testing needed
33	Race Fuel Splash Test
34	Nomex Fabric Burn Test
35	Fire Chamber Test
36	Full Nomex Suits Burn Test
37	Post Burn Analysis Laboratory
38	Post Burn Analysis Mannequin
39	Future Testing Fuel fire extinguish time improvement Increase TPP with polymer modification Dyes and color fading UV Light Degradation Soil resistance
40