Partners Improve Fire-Fighting Suits

Fiber producer Teijin and materials maker Hosokawa Micron have created a new para-aramid-based fabric for use in fire-fighting suits. Suits made with the material will reduce the risk of second- and third-degree burns by 40% compared with p-aramid fabrics now in use, tests by the two companies show. The new suits are also 15% lighter than current versions, reducing firefighter fatigue and the likelihood of heatstroke. Teijin made the fabric using a new process that kneads Hosokawa-invented nanosized carbon particles into the fabric. The two Japanese firms say they plan to commercialize the fabric soon.