Application of flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabric in fire fighting equipment

Application of flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabric in fire fighting equipment

1. Introduction

Fire-fighting equipment is an important tool to ensure the safety of firefighters’ lives and effectively extinguish fires. With the advancement of technology, the application of new materials has continuously improved the performance of fire-fighting equipment. As a high-performance material, flame-retardant leather composite TPU film fabric has been widely used in fire-fighting equipment due to its excellent flame retardant, wear resistance and comfort. This article will introduce the characteristics, parameters and their specific applications in fire-fighting equipment in detail, and quote famous foreign documents for supporting them.

2. Overview of flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabric

(I) Material composition and structure

Flame-retardant leather composite TPU film fabric consists of three-layer structure:

1. External layer: Use high-strength, wear-resistant synthetic fiber fabrics to provide mechanical protection.
2. Intermediate layer: It is a flame-retardant TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) film, with excellent flame retardancy and waterproof and breathable properties.
3. Inner layer: Choose soft and comfortable natural or synthetic leather to ensure the wearer’s comfort.

(II) Main features

• Flame Retardant: By adding special flame retardants, the material is not easy to burn under high temperature environments, and no toxic gases are produced during combustion.
• Waterproof and breathable: TPU film has good waterproof properties, while allowing water vapor to pass through and keeping the interior dry.
• Abrasion Resistance: The outer fabric has been specially treated and has high wear resistance and extends its service life.
• Comfort: The inner layer of leather is soft to the skin, reduces friction and improves wear comfort.

III. Product parameters

In order to more intuitively demonstrate the performance of flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabrics, the following table lists its main technical parameters:

IV. Application Fields

(I) Fire Suit

Fire suits are direct protective equipment for firefighters when performing tasks, and are required to have extremely high flame retardancy and comfort. The flame-retardant leather composite TPU film fabric can effectively resist flames and high temperatures while maintaining good breathability and flexibility to ensure that firefighters can still operate flexibly in complex environments.

(Two) Fire gloves

Fire gloves need excellent wear resistance and cutting resistance to prevent hand injuries. The high strength and wear resistance of this material make it ideal for manufacturing high-quality fire-fighting gloves. In addition, its waterproof and breathable properties can also effectively prevent sweat from accumulation and avoid slippery hands affecting operation.

(III) Fire boots

Fire boots must have anti-slip, wear and high temperature resistance. The multi-layer structure of the material not only provides excellent physical protection, but also effectively isolates heat and protects the feet from high temperatures. At the same time, its good breathability helps keep your feet dry and reduces the discomfort caused by long-term wear.

5. Quotation of famous foreign literature

(I) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

According to NFPA 1971 standard, fire garments must have strict flame retardant properties and physical protection properties. The flame-retardant leather composite TPU film fabric fully meets or even exceeds the requirements of this standard. For example, the NFPA stipulates that the flame retardant time of fire garments should not exceed 2 seconds, while the material’s self-extinguishing time is only about 1 second (Source: NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2018 Edition) .

(II) European Commission for Standardization (CEN)

EN published by CENThe 469 standard puts forward detailed requirements on the performance of fire garments. Research has shown that flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabrics have performed well in several tests, especially in terms of heat shock resistance and waterproof and breathable (Source: EN 469: Protective Clothing for Firefighters, 2015 Edition).

(III) International Fire Rescue Organization (IFSTA)

IFSTA emphasized the importance of firefighting equipment in its training manual and pointed out that the application of new materials significantly improved the safety factor of firefighters. The organization recommends the use of composite materials with multiple protection functions, such as flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabric (Source: IFSTA Fire Fighter I & II Training Manual, 2019 Edition).

VI. Actual case analysis

(I) Los Angeles Fire Department

The Los Angeles Fire Department has gradually replaced traditional fire suits since 2015 and switched to new equipment based on flame retardant leather composite TPU film fabric. According to feedback, the new equipment performed excellently in many actual combat operations, especially in high temperature and complex environments, with significantly improved protection effects. Firefighters generally report that new equipment is lighter and more comfortable and more flexible in movement (Source: Los Angeles Fire Department Annual Report, 2020).

(II) German Berlin Fire Brigade

The Berlin Fire Brigade introduced fire gloves made from the material in 2018. After a period of use, the team members highly praised its wear resistance and cutting resistance. Especially in response to high-rise building fires, the protective performance of gloves greatly improves operating efficiency and safety (Source: Berlin Fire Brigade Operational Review, 2019).

(III) Tokyo Fire Department, Japan

The Tokyo Fire Department has used this material to manufacture fire boots on a large scale since 2017. The results show that the new fire boots not only have excellent anti-slip and high temperature resistance, but also effectively reduce the fatigue caused by long-term wear, and have been well received by firefighters (Source: Tokyo Fire Department Performance Evaluation, 2021).

7. Future development direction

With the continuous advancement of technology, flame-retardant leather composite TPU film fabrics are expected to make further breakthroughs in the following aspects:

1. Intelligent: Integrate sensors and communication modules to realize intelligent monitoring and early warning functions.
2. manyFunctionalization: Develop composite materials with multiple functions such as antibacterial and antistatic.
3. Environmental protection: Research on new materials that can be degraded or recycled to reduce environmental pollution.