Top 3 Most Frequently asked questions:
Q1. How do I find PPE appropriate for a chemical DuPont has not tested?
Q2. Is static electricity an issue with DuPont PPE?
Q3. What is the temperature range of a Tychem® fabric?
See all Frequently Asked Questions by fabric
Nomex®: Industrial, Firefighter
Kevlar®: Gloves
Tychem® Chemical: QC, CPF1, SL, CPF2, F, ThermoPro, CPF3
Tychem® Hazmat: BR, LV, CPF4, Responder®, TK, NFPA, Reflector®, Responder® CSM
Tychem® Reusable: SP
Accessories for Tychem® garments: Cool-Guard®, Level A Training Suits
Tyvek® & ProShield® General Protection: Tyvek®, NexGen®, New ProShield®
Controlled Environment (Cleanroom): Overview, IsoClean®, ProClean®
Specialty: Tempro®, NuFab®
Answers to Top 3 Most Frequently asked questions:
Q1. How do I find PPE appropriate for a chemical DuPont has not tested?
A1. Use SafeSPEC™ hazard assessment online to get a general recommendation on a chemical not found in our database. A general recommendation will suggest a garment style, seam and fabric family but will not provide a specific style from our product line.
Q2. Is static electricity an issue with DuPont PPE?
A2. Under certain conditions, such as cold and dry weather, it is possible that garments might build and discharge static electricity. Discharges are not normally dangerous except in situations where the generation of an electrical spark could ignite a flammable atmosphere or startle the wearer. When operating around flammable chemicals, steps to eliminate potential static discharges should be used. In these situations, steps have been recommended such as, but not limited to, water spray, the use of an over-cover, raising humidity level of the work area, use of a commercial, anti-static application coating, grounding straps on equipment and personnel, inherently static-dissipating under- and over-garments, and testing of the worker’s static dissipation before entry into the classified area. However, in the case of explosive or flammable atmospheres, even if sophisticated and elaborate steps are taken to manage static formation and dissipate static charge, the risk of severe injury remains if an uncontrolled or accidental ignition occurs. Tychem® chemical protective garments should not be worn in potentially flammable or explosive atmospheres. Wearers of Tychem® ThermoPro garments should not knowingly enter an environment in which the concentration of flammable gas is within flammable or explosive limits. Should wearers of any Tychem® garments determine they are in such an environment, they should retreat immediately.
Q3. What is the temperature range of a Tychem® fabric?
A3. -13°F (-25°C) to 190°F (88°C). Established by performing tests at high (ASTM D751) and low (ASTM D2136) temperatures.
Permeation testing per ASTM F739 is performed at an ambient temperature of approx. 81°F (27°C). Variation of temperature affects the behavior and aggressiveness of chemicals and may alter the barrier performance of the fabric.
Caution: Tychem® fabrics offer little or no thermal insulation to protect the wearer's skin from prolonged exposure to hot or cold. The temperature range for the fabric and seams is well beyond the temperatures that the human skin can withstand without injury.
No Tychem® garment is intended for fire fighting activities, nor for protection from hot liquids, steam, molten metals, welding, electrical arc, flammable atmospheres, explosive environments or thermal radiation. You should not knowingly enter a flammable or explosive environment while wearing a Tychem® garment, including Tychem® ThermoPro. Should you determine that the environment you are in is potentially flammable or explosive, you should retreat immediately, including when wearing Tychem® ThermoPro.
No Tychem® garment has been tested or validated for protection from cryogenic liquids and gases, which is defined as colder than -328° F (200° C). If there is a risk of exposure to liquefied gases warmer than -148°F (-100° C), then consider the use of a DuPont™ Tychem® TK ensemble certified to the optional liquefied gas requirements of NFPA 1991 (2005 edition).
Tychem® garments should not be stored at temperatures exceeding 120°F.
Please read, understand and follow the user manual and garment label before wearing a Tychem® garments.
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