The
Interceptor™ Hood is made with a layer of DuPont™ Nomex® Nano Flex
inside that acts as a filter to reduce firefighters' exposure to
persistent fire ground carcinogens and other contaminants. This
revolutionary material is sewn between two layers of knit 6 oz.
PBI®/Lenzing (20%/80%) to provide the maximum performance for particle
barrier filtration, comfort, and thermal & flashover protection.
.
SCIENTIFIC DATA
- The Interceptor™ blocks 95% of particulates at .2 micron in size or larger
- For
perspective, there are 25,400 microns in one inch and a human hair is
about 75-100 microns wide, so a .2 micron particulate is about 500x
smaller than a strand of hair
- Testing has shown that the
particulates sized at less than .2 microns don't have enough mass to
make it through the double layer knit and the Nomex® Nano Flex;
essentially meaning that this hood blocks 100% of particulates less than
.2 microns
- Nomex® Nano Flex is a revolutionary new material
however, unlike FR moisture barrier membranes, this new lightweight
(0.5oz/yd2) "barely-there" material is actually completely breathable
- Nomex® Nano Flex is a non-woven, web technology, made of submicron continuous fibers.
THE NEED FOR A PARTICLE BARRIER
The
Interceptor™ with Nomex® Nano Flex was designed to keep potentially
carcinogenic particulates and other harmful contaminants off of
firefighters’ jaws, faces, and necks; areas identified as highly
absorptive and more permeable than other areas of skin; areas likely not
getting enough protection from hazardous particles with the FR knit
hood technology that is currently available.