UltraSoft®, UltraSoft AC® and TrueComfort™ Data

  Made in USA  

Electric Arc 

The intense energy and very short duration of an electric arc represents a very unique exposure - one that requires flame resistant garments durable enough to withstand temperatures that approach 35000° F. Once ignited, regular cotton or poly/cotton work wear can continue burning even after the source of ignition is removed. However, UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® arc flash protection fabrics will self-extinguish and provide guaranteed resistance for the life of the garment. Shock, electrocution, arc flash and arc blast are responsible for one worker death per day and 3,600 disabling injuries per year on average in the United States. 

The outstanding feature of UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® is their ability to provide unparalleled protection against the risks and hazards associated with electric arc flash. ASTM F1506 electric arc flash testing undertaken by Kinectrics Inc. of Toronto, the world’s leading authority on electric arc flash testing of fabrics and textile materials, concluded that UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® exceed the minimum requirements of NFPA 70E PPE CAT 2 (minimum 8 cal/cm²).

Flash Fire

Flash fires have a heat flux of approximately 84kW/m² and typically last less than three seconds. Wearing flash fire flame resistant work wear that self-extinguishes can give workers must-needed time to escape a flash fire and dramatically reduce burn injuries. NFPA 2112, Flame Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire, provides a minimum performance criteria and sets out guidelines for testing on instrumented mannequins. NFPA 2112 requires flash fire testing to be conducted at three second intervals with a pass/fail rate of 40% total body burn under ASTM F1930.

Flash fire testing conducted by Westex at the University of Alberta's PCERF laboratories concluded that UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® meet the requirements of NFPA 2112 thereby providing unmatched protection against flash fire hazards. PCERF is a protective clothing and equipment research facility and is one of the world's foremost flash fire laboratories. 

Molten Ferrous Metal Splash

UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® also have the unique ability to shed molten ferrous metals. While some charring may occur, the flame resistant properties of UltraSoft® and UltraSoft AC® will preclude ignition and continued combustion (ASTM F955). It should be noted that protection from second-degree burns in ferrous metal processing is highly dependent on the quantity of molten metal exposed to and the number of layers and weight of the fabric worn: thus, different weights should be evaluated. A minimum fabric weight of 305gsm/9oz is recommended for light welding/cutting operations while 407gsm/12oz or heavier weights are recommended for most other foundry and molten metal applications. In general, heavier weights will provide better insulation from heat transfer however the end user must determine the appropriate weight for their application.

ASTM tests for UltraSoft®, UltraSoft AC®, TrueComfort™ Knits and UltraSoft® Knits and Fleece as a single layer system, achieved the following NFPA 70E (ATPV) and NFPA 2112 ratings.

UltraSoft® - 88% Cotton 12% High Tenacity Nylon with an excellent reputation for providing an unparalleled balance of protection, comfort and value.

UltraSoft AC® - 88% Pima¹ Cotton 12% High Tenacity Nylon provides advanced comfort with long-staple Pima Cotton’s natural comfort, characteristics, added strength and approved appearance after laundering.

¹ Pima cotton, also called extra-long staple (ELS), is a type of cotton grown primarily in Peru, the south-western United States and Australia. It is considered to be one of the superior blends of cotton and is extremely durable and absorbent. This type of cotton is named after the Pima, a group of American Indians who first cultivated the plant in the US, but the cotton's origins are its cultivation in Peru. Unlike the more common upland cotton, which is of the species Gossypium hirsutum, pima cotton is of the Gossypium barbadense species. This type of cotton bears some similarity to many forms of Egyptian cotton which is frequently used in towels and sheets. Egyptian cotton has a much more extensive weave than other types of cotton. Towels made from Egyptian cotton are particularly desirable because they are very soft and help absorb water quickly. Growers in the south-western US, where the climate is somewhat similar to that of Egypt, began growing a type of cotton that was a mix of Egyptian and other types of cotton. Pima cotton is a little shorter than Egyptian cotton but still yields a thread that can be woven multiple times into a piece of fabric to create a dense, soft fabric.

TrueComfort™ Knits, UltraSoft® Knits and Fleece

 
^¹ Style 128 TrueComfort™ Interlock Knit 100% Cotton. Style 129 TrueComfort™ Rib Knit 98% Cotton, 2% Spandex.

² Style 130 UltraSoft® Interlock Knit and Style 180 UltraSoft® Fleece - 88% Cotton, 12% High Tenacity Nylon.

^³ Style 131 and Style 181 UltraSoft® Rib Knit – 86% Cotton, 12% High Tenacity Nylon, 2% Spandex.

^° Ebt - is equivalent to the energy break-open threshold (Ebt) and represents the highest incident energy exposure value on a fabric where the garment does not exhibit break-open.