THE LEADING EXPERTS IN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE CUSTOM GARMENTS
2023-12-20 09:34:03
The difference between arc resistant clothing (AR) and flame retardant clothing (FR)
AR: Arc level
The purpose of AR clothing (arc resistant clothing) is to protect workers from the hazards of arc flashes. Arc flash is a sudden and intense release of heat and energy. It occurs when electrical equipment malfunctions.
Electricians often need to wear arc protective clothing. They are most likely to be affected by arc flash hazards. Anti arc clothing helps protect these workers. The construction of work clothes is to resist ignition. They will not burn or catch fire.
FR: Flame retardant
FR clothing is designed to protect workers from fire related hazards. FR clothing is not as resistant to ignition as AR clothing. If exposed, FR will catch fire. But its purpose is to self extinguish. So it will not continue to burn after the initial event.
AR and FR clothing are very similar, but the difference is that AR clothing can provide you with a higher level of protection. All AR clothing has flame retardancy, but not all FR clothing is arc resistant. When purchasing FR sets, you need to know if your employees require AR level protection.
According to the General Technical Requirements for Personal Arc Protection Equipment (DL/T 320-2010), the protection level of arc protective clothing generally adopts ATPV value. The ATPV value of the layer is 4, the second layer is 8, the third layer is 25, and the fourth layer is 40.
FR Clothing Materials
After clearing whether to choose FR flame retardant clothing or arc resistant clothing, it is important to understand that there is a difference between chemical flame retardant and intrinsic flame retardant fabrics. At present, the main flame retardant fabrics include: chemically treated flame retardant fabrics, such as pure cotton, polyester cotton, etc; Essentially flame-retardant fabrics, such as aramid, nitrile cotton, DuPont Kevlar, NOMEX, etc. Normally, intrinsic flame retardant fabrics are more expensive than chemical flame retardant fabrics, but workwear produced from intrinsic flame retardant fabrics will have stronger durability than those made from chemical flame retardant fabrics. Essentially flame-retardant fabric workwear will not lose its flame retardant properties after multiple washes.
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