MOLECULE™ products undergo thorough testing and analysis at Molecule Labs state-of-the-art research and development facility. Precise experiments in the controlled environment of the laboratory and exhaustive testing in the unforgiving setting of real world racing conclusively demonstrate that Nomex® suits provide superior protection when treated with the MOLECULE™ Technical Fabric Care System.

Scientists at Molecule Labs conducted tests on SFI Manufacturer-Certified two-layer Nomex® racing suits in side-by-side analysis to evaluate and compare the characteristics of untreated Nomex® fabric and Nomex® fabric treated with MOLECULE™ Protector.

Test results reveal that Nomex® fabric that has been treated with MOLECULE™ Protector repels fuel and contaminants for better protection. In test after test, analysts observed that untreated Nomex® fabric was far more susceptible to dangerous saturation levels of fuel and contaminants, leading to measurably higher fabric burn rates and increased probability of injury to exposed skin.

SFI REPORT 6 - 368 SFI TESTING View PDF    8 Pgs

VIEW POWER POINT SLIDE SHOW Presented by Michael Guasch at DEC 2006 PRI show NOTE: VIDEOS REFERENCED IN THE POWERPOINT APPEAR BELOW

RESEARCH TESTS   (PLEASE SCROLL DOWN)

Absorption Test
Hazardous liquids like those commonly found in the racing environment were applied to two Nomex® racing suits. The untreated suit quickly absorbed the contaminants. However, the contaminants simply beaded up on the suit that had been sprayed with MOLECULE™ Protector, remaining on the surface of the fabric.

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Elapsed Time Absorption Test
Even after ten minutes, the liquid continued to bead up on the MOLECULE™ protected suit. The contaminants had completely absorbed into the untreated suit, creating hazardous stains.



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Splash Test – Racing Fuel on Fabric Samples
Racing fuel was splashed directly onto Nomex® fabric to simulate the conditions of a pit-stop fuel spill.

Most of the fuel rolled off of the fabric that had been treated with MOLECULE™ Protector and poured off into the spill pan.


The fuel completely absorbed into the untreated fabric, leaving it saturated with a dangerous level of flammable fuel.

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Burn Test – Racing Fuel on Fabric Samples
Nomex® fabric samples were splashed with racing fuel and ignited.

The burn was measurably more intense on the untreated fabric. However, on the MOLECULE™ treated fabric, the flame burned only on the surface, creating a far less intense burn.


The MOLECULE™ treated fabric burned lightly for 46 seconds.
The untreated fabric burned intensely for well over one minute.


The MOLECULE™ treated fabric experienced a faster, lighter burn. While the untreated fabric burned all the way through.

The MOLECULE™ treated fabric experienced a burn rate of only 15 percent.
The untreated fabric experienced a burn rate of 85 percent.

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Burn Test – Racing Fuel On Full Nomex® Suits
Scientists took two full Nomex® racing suits into a fire chamber and poured racing fuel onto each suit. The fuel rolled off of the MOLECULE™ treated suit. But the fuel soaked directly into the fabric of the unprotected suit.


The suits were burned simultaneously.


Analysts determined conclusively that the burn on the MOLECULE™ treated suit was far less intense than the burn on the untreated suit, and was more likely to be successfully extinguished in a real world racing environment.

The fire burned all the way through the untreated suit.

 

 

The inside of the MOLECULE™ treated suit was completely unharmed. The flames burned only on the surface, and not all the way through, as they did on the untreated suit.
 

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Post-Burn Analysis – Full Nomex® Suits
In the laboratory, post-burn analysis revealed that tremendous damage had occurred to the untreated suit. The fire burned holes through every layer of protection—from the surface all the way into the inside part of the suit.
 

The burn was merely on the surface of the MOLECULE™ treated suit. The burn did not go through the protective layers of the suit.

 

The inside of the suit was completely protected. Flames only burned the exterior portion.

 

When treated with Molecule, the suit is a true protective barrier. When untreated, it is not.


 

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Post-Burn Analysis – Test Mannequin
When the untreated suit was analyzed on a life-sized mannequin, analysts observed that the flames burned through all the layers of the suit, leaving the skin directly exposed and susceptible to serious injury.

 

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Conclusion From Testing and Analysis
If Nomex® fabric is not treated with MOLECULE™ Protector, there is a measurably higher chance that during a flash fire, flames will breach the protective layers of Nomex® fabric, and directly burn exposed skin.

Because the fire is so intense on an untreated suit, it is unlikely that there will be sufficient time to extinguish the flames before injury occurs. It is probable that the fire will have already burned through the layers of protection before help can arrive.


MOLECULE™ Provides Optimal Protection
For the best possible protection, drivers and crew need a final protective barrier that helps Nomex® repel flammable liquids.

 

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MOLECULE™ PROTECTOR leverages patent pending breakthrough technology to bond to Nomex® fabric, helping to repel flammable stains from oil, grease, fuel, dirt and other contaminants that may compromise the effectiveness of racing suits.