Glove Materials
Note: Any temperature ratings listed here are just guidelines, and are heavily dependent on the environment and application in which the material is being used.
1) Aluminized
Aluminized fabrics are an efficient, durable, and flexible barrier material to reflect radiant (IR) energy. Aluminization can be applied to variety of materials, including Aramids, Carbon Fiber, Fiberglass, Leather, and Rayon. Listed below are some of the Aluminized fabrics used in our gloves and clothing, and the weight per square yard.
a) (APB) Aluminized PBI/Kevlar® Knit, 7 oz
b) (AC11) Aluminized Carbon/Kevlar®, 14 oz
c) (ARL) Aluminized Rayon, 15 oz
d) (AGL) Aluminized Fiberglass, 16 oz
e) (ATH) Aluminized Thermonol, 19 oz
f) (ACK) Aluminized Carbon/Kevlar®, 19 oz
2) Aramid
An Aramid fiber is not a single material, but rather a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are fibers in which the chain molecules are highly oriented along the fiber axis, so the strength of the chemical bond can be exploited. Two of the most well known Aramid fibers are Kevlar® and Nomex®.
3) Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is composed mostly of carbon atoms. To produce carbon fiber, the carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber as the crystal alignment gives the fiber high strength-to-volume ratio (making it strong for its size). Several thousand carbon fibers are bundled together to form a tow, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric.
Carbon fibers properties include high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. However, they are relatively expensive when compared to similar fibers, such as glass fibers.
Carbon fibers can also composed with other materials, such as with graphite to form carbon-carbon composites, which also has a very high heat tolerance.
4) Carbon/Kevlar®
Carbon fibers and Kevlar® fibers are woven together to form a composit fabric, combining the strengths of both materials.
5) Cotton
Cotton is the soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows around the seeds of cotton plants. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The fiber is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. Cotton is used as an insulating liner in some of our gloves.
6) Fiberglass
Glass fiber is formed when thin strands of silica-based glass are extruded into many fibers with small diameters suitable for textile processing. These fibers are then woven into a fabric. Glass fiber has roughly comparable properties to other fibers such as polymers and carbon fiber. Although not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle, and can tolerate moderately high temperatures.
7) Kevlar®
Kevlar® is a registered trademark of DuPont, and is a para-aramid synthetic fiber. It is known for its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, and its excellent resistance to heat, as it neither melts nor ignites in normal levels of oxygen.
8) Leather
Leather is created by the tanning of animal rawhide and skin, often cattle hide. Split leather is leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the top-grain and drop split are separated. Our leather has been prepared to provide a durable, abrasion resistant face for our gloves and clothing.
9) Nomex®
Nomex® is a registered trademark of DuPont, and is the premier example of a meta-aramid synthetic fiber. Nomex has poorer strength than Kevlar®, but has excellent thermal, chemical, and radiation resistance.
10) PBI (Polybenzimidazole)
PBI is a synthetic fiber with a very high melting point. It has exceptional thermal and chemical stability and does not readily ignite. It is quite expensive, though.
11) PBI/Kevlar®
A combination of PBI and Kevlar®, combining the strength of Kevlar® and the temperature resistance of PBI.
12) Rayon
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. It is made from purified cellulose, primarily from wood pulp. Rayon fabrics are soft, smooth, cool, comfortable, and highly absorbent, but they do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for use in hot and humid climates.
13) Thermonol
A woven fabric material using a thread consisting of a fiberglass core wrapped in Kevlar®.
14) Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep. Wool is an excellent insulator. In addition, wool ignites at a higher temperature than cotton and some synthetic fibers. It has a lower rate of flame spread, a lower rate of heat release, a lower heat of combustion, and does not melt or drip. It forms a char which is insulating and self-extinguishing.
15) Zetex®
Zetex® is a registered trademark of Newtex Industries, and is fiberglass based fabric that has been treated by Newtex's proprietary texturization process. The texturization process gives Zetex® its superior insulation capabilities.
Zetex® resists continuous operating temperatures up to 700°F (370°C) and peak temperatures up to 1000°F (540°C).
16) Zetex Plus®
ZetexPlus® is a registered trademark of Newtex Industries, and is their Zetex® fabric that has been treated with a proprietary vermiculite-based coating. The coating allows heat to disperse evenly across the surface of the fabric, significantly boosting temperature rating and abrasion resistance.
ZetexPlus® can withstand constant operating temperatures up to 1500°F (815°C) and peak temperatures up to 2000°F (1095°C).
(All trademarks cited here are the property of their respective owners. Much of this data was derived from the individual manufacturer's websites, and from Wikipedia. All rights reserved.)
1) Aluminized
Aluminized fabrics are an efficient, durable, and flexible barrier material to reflect radiant (IR) energy. Aluminization can be applied to variety of materials, including Aramids, Carbon Fiber, Fiberglass, Leather, and Rayon. Listed below are some of the Aluminized fabrics used in our gloves and clothing, and the weight per square yard.
a) (APB) Aluminized PBI/Kevlar® Knit, 7 oz
b) (AC11) Aluminized Carbon/Kevlar®, 14 oz
c) (ARL) Aluminized Rayon, 15 oz
d) (AGL) Aluminized Fiberglass, 16 oz
e) (ATH) Aluminized Thermonol, 19 oz
f) (ACK) Aluminized Carbon/Kevlar®, 19 oz
2) Aramid
An Aramid fiber is not a single material, but rather a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are fibers in which the chain molecules are highly oriented along the fiber axis, so the strength of the chemical bond can be exploited. Two of the most well known Aramid fibers are Kevlar® and Nomex®.
3) Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is composed mostly of carbon atoms. To produce carbon fiber, the carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber as the crystal alignment gives the fiber high strength-to-volume ratio (making it strong for its size). Several thousand carbon fibers are bundled together to form a tow, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric.
Carbon fibers properties include high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. However, they are relatively expensive when compared to similar fibers, such as glass fibers.
Carbon fibers can also composed with other materials, such as with graphite to form carbon-carbon composites, which also has a very high heat tolerance.
4) Carbon/Kevlar®
Carbon fibers and Kevlar® fibers are woven together to form a composit fabric, combining the strengths of both materials.
5) Cotton
Cotton is the soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows around the seeds of cotton plants. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The fiber is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile. Cotton is used as an insulating liner in some of our gloves.
6) Fiberglass
Glass fiber is formed when thin strands of silica-based glass are extruded into many fibers with small diameters suitable for textile processing. These fibers are then woven into a fabric. Glass fiber has roughly comparable properties to other fibers such as polymers and carbon fiber. Although not as strong or as rigid as carbon fiber, it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle, and can tolerate moderately high temperatures.
7) Kevlar®
Kevlar® is a registered trademark of DuPont, and is a para-aramid synthetic fiber. It is known for its high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, and its excellent resistance to heat, as it neither melts nor ignites in normal levels of oxygen.
8) Leather
Leather is created by the tanning of animal rawhide and skin, often cattle hide. Split leather is leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the top-grain and drop split are separated. Our leather has been prepared to provide a durable, abrasion resistant face for our gloves and clothing.
9) Nomex®
Nomex® is a registered trademark of DuPont, and is the premier example of a meta-aramid synthetic fiber. Nomex has poorer strength than Kevlar®, but has excellent thermal, chemical, and radiation resistance.
10) PBI (Polybenzimidazole)
PBI is a synthetic fiber with a very high melting point. It has exceptional thermal and chemical stability and does not readily ignite. It is quite expensive, though.
11) PBI/Kevlar®
A combination of PBI and Kevlar®, combining the strength of Kevlar® and the temperature resistance of PBI.
12) Rayon
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber. It is made from purified cellulose, primarily from wood pulp. Rayon fabrics are soft, smooth, cool, comfortable, and highly absorbent, but they do not insulate body heat, making them ideal for use in hot and humid climates.
13) Thermonol
A woven fabric material using a thread consisting of a fiberglass core wrapped in Kevlar®.
14) Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep. Wool is an excellent insulator. In addition, wool ignites at a higher temperature than cotton and some synthetic fibers. It has a lower rate of flame spread, a lower rate of heat release, a lower heat of combustion, and does not melt or drip. It forms a char which is insulating and self-extinguishing.
15) Zetex®
Zetex® is a registered trademark of Newtex Industries, and is fiberglass based fabric that has been treated by Newtex's proprietary texturization process. The texturization process gives Zetex® its superior insulation capabilities.
Zetex® resists continuous operating temperatures up to 700°F (370°C) and peak temperatures up to 1000°F (540°C).
16) Zetex Plus®
ZetexPlus® is a registered trademark of Newtex Industries, and is their Zetex® fabric that has been treated with a proprietary vermiculite-based coating. The coating allows heat to disperse evenly across the surface of the fabric, significantly boosting temperature rating and abrasion resistance.
ZetexPlus® can withstand constant operating temperatures up to 1500°F (815°C) and peak temperatures up to 2000°F (1095°C).
(All trademarks cited here are the property of their respective owners. Much of this data was derived from the individual manufacturer's websites, and from Wikipedia. All rights reserved.)