Daletec’s Extreme X: Arc Flash PPE Produced Sustainably PCIAW

Inspired by the changing demands of the workwear market and increased awareness of the impact particular chemicals can have on our environment, Daletec is transforming their collection of flame retardant workwear materials in a more sustainable direction. Over the past decades, the most commonly used chemistries for dirt and water repellent properties in the complete processing industry has been fluorocarbons, often shortened as PFAS or PFC. The fluoro based chemicals also known as “ Forever Chemicals” as they remain as contamination for a very long time without decay. These chemistries have been giving dirt and water repellent properties to both textiles, metal goods and plastic materials for decades, but some of the drawbacks are potential health issues such as skin irritations, respiratory illness and cancer if a person is exposed to higher amounts of chemistry or aerosols. In addition, it is proven to have potentially large environmental damages and since the chemistry is not bio-degradable it eventually ends up as a cause of risk to wildlife and human life through drinking water.Even if the industries have taken measures to reduce the use of mentioned chemistries as well as changing to less damaging alternatives, there is still not a ban of the use of these chemistries.

Over the past years, as textile brands and consumers have been getting more aware of the issues, the textile manufacturers have been looking for alternatives for how to completely stop using fluoro- containing chemistries in their processing.Daletec, as one of the first workwear textile manufacturers, have successfully started to use non-PCF chemistry in different FR fabric solutions. Water repellency as well as industrial chemical splash protection are key elements of protective clothing and still have to be achieved. Through detailed RnD using non-PFC chemistry their PD engineers have been able to transform Daletec FR materials to a stage where chemical splash standard EN 13034 is being met without PFC substances.This is a game changing breakthrough, which gives still the needed acid protection. At the same time it does not affect other protection features against flames, welding protection, antistatic or electric arc protection.

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