from the RaceQuip website
Suit Care - We highly recommend dry cleaning of all suits regardless of composition. Initial dry cleaning will help set the color pigment and ongoing dry cleaning maintenance will help prevent color fading. Always specify dry cleaning with Perchloroethylene. We do not recommend home laundering Nomex® racing suits. FRC suits may be home laundered using gentle cycle, cold water and mild detergent. Never use bleach or a detergent with bleach on any suit. Never use heat to dry a racing suit - only use cool cycle or line dry.
Fabric Considerations -There are two types of fabrics used in the manufacture of auto racing driver's gear - Fire Retardant Cotton (FRC) and aramid. FRC is a cotton based product that has been treated with chemicals at the molecular level to give it fire retardant capabilities, while an aramid is a man-made product that has fire retardancy engineered into the fibers. Either option is capable of providing the same amount of protection. The difference lies in the weight of the material and the number of layers necessary to achieve the desired specification. Also note that multi-layer suits will usually achieve a higher TPP than the sum of their layers since trapped air also acts as an insulator.
FRC - The advantages of FRC are that it is less expensive to produce than an aramid plus it tends to breathe as a fabric and will wick away moisture. In a fire, FRC will not shrink or melt. Banox® and Pyrovatex®are examples of FRC materials.
Banox FR3® is a pre-shrunk FRC material where the fire retardant chemicals are bonded to the cotton on the molecular level. Banox FR3 has the added benefit of comfort, as it will breathe and wick away moisture. Banox FR3 will not typically lose any of its fire retardant capabilities before 50 home launderings which is normally beyond the lifespan of the garment.
Pyrovatex® was developed in the 1960's as a durable flame retardant for cellulosic (cotton) fibers. Pyrovatex® offers the maximum combination of overall flame and heat protection, durability, and comfort for the price. This FRC material retains the softness and breathability of cotton and will wick away moisture from the skin. Pyrovatex® fabric is gentle and non-irritating to even the most sensitive skin. The treatment process leaves the exterior surface "shiny" and supple. Since the Pyrovatex® treatment is absorbed into the cotton fibers, with proper care; the garment will retain its flame retardant properties beyond the useful life of the garment.
Aramids - An aramid fabric is a man-made substance. Nomex® is an example of an aramid used in racing suits. Aramid fabrics are much more expensive to produce than FRC, and they are sometimes known to shrink and/or melt when exposed to flame.
Nomex® is an aramid fabric produced by Dupont™ that is inherently flame-resistant, which means its resistance to flame is built into the fiber. It also will not sustain combustion in air when exposed to flame. Because Nomex® carbonizes and becomes thicker when exposed to intense heat, it forms a protective barrier between the heat source and the skin. This unique reaction to intense heat provides valuable escape time when flash fires occur and protects wearers against them. A suit made of Nomex® will tend to be lighter than a comparable FRC suit because it offers greater protection per material weight. Nomex® is also more durable and color fast than FRC.
Nomex® IIIA represents the combination of three fibers. The fabric is a 93/5/2 blend of Nomex® , Kevlar® and P140 fibers. P140 is a static dissipative fiber.
Fabric Considerations -There are two types of fabrics used in the manufacture of auto racing driver's gear - Fire Retardant Cotton (FRC) and aramid. FRC is a cotton based product that has been treated with chemicals at the molecular level to give it fire retardant capabilities, while an aramid is a man-made product that has fire retardancy engineered into the fibers. Either option is capable of providing the same amount of protection. The difference lies in the weight of the material and the number of layers necessary to achieve the desired specification. Also note that multi-layer suits will usually achieve a higher TPP than the sum of their layers since trapped air also acts as an insulator.
FRC - The advantages of FRC are that it is less expensive to produce than an aramid plus it tends to breathe as a fabric and will wick away moisture. In a fire, FRC will not shrink or melt. Banox® and Pyrovatex®are examples of FRC materials.
Banox FR3® is a pre-shrunk FRC material where the fire retardant chemicals are bonded to the cotton on the molecular level. Banox FR3 has the added benefit of comfort, as it will breathe and wick away moisture. Banox FR3 will not typically lose any of its fire retardant capabilities before 50 home launderings which is normally beyond the lifespan of the garment.
Pyrovatex® was developed in the 1960's as a durable flame retardant for cellulosic (cotton) fibers. Pyrovatex® offers the maximum combination of overall flame and heat protection, durability, and comfort for the price. This FRC material retains the softness and breathability of cotton and will wick away moisture from the skin. Pyrovatex® fabric is gentle and non-irritating to even the most sensitive skin. The treatment process leaves the exterior surface "shiny" and supple. Since the Pyrovatex® treatment is absorbed into the cotton fibers, with proper care; the garment will retain its flame retardant properties beyond the useful life of the garment.
Aramids - An aramid fabric is a man-made substance. Nomex® is an example of an aramid used in racing suits. Aramid fabrics are much more expensive to produce than FRC, and they are sometimes known to shrink and/or melt when exposed to flame.
Nomex® is an aramid fabric produced by Dupont™ that is inherently flame-resistant, which means its resistance to flame is built into the fiber. It also will not sustain combustion in air when exposed to flame. Because Nomex® carbonizes and becomes thicker when exposed to intense heat, it forms a protective barrier between the heat source and the skin. This unique reaction to intense heat provides valuable escape time when flash fires occur and protects wearers against them. A suit made of Nomex® will tend to be lighter than a comparable FRC suit because it offers greater protection per material weight. Nomex® is also more durable and color fast than FRC.
Nomex® IIIA represents the combination of three fibers. The fabric is a 93/5/2 blend of Nomex® , Kevlar® and P140 fibers. P140 is a static dissipative fiber.