DeTomaso Mailing List: March 99, Message #115

At 1:29 AM -0500 3/6/99, Dave "dont burn" Doddek wrote:

>Not only that, but a fire suit has a chemical to make it flame retardant.
>If you  wash it, then you wash that chemical out and it is no longer flame
>retardant.



Finally! Something I actually know about.

Part of my work involves designing NASCAR firesuits (the visuals not the
fabrication) and in doing so have worked with DuPont in getting the fabric
dyed to the client's color (Simpson would only have fabric dyed in 10,000
yard lots).

Nomex has the flame retardent qualities built in to the chemical
composition of the fiber, rather than applied to the finished material. The
fiber itself is flame retardent. This is what makes it unique.

The fibers are then woven and/or knitted to produce the various kinds of
Nomex fabric. This can go through a jet-dyer without compromising its flame
reatardent abilities, so an occasional wash should be no problem.

As far as I know though, the NASCAR teams only dryclean. If you mention
washing they look at you strangely.

Regards

Geoffrey Thomas
NYC

Still looking