PROTECTIVE CLOTHING OF
DUPONT NOMEX AND HEAT STRESS ®
What You Should Know
It’s a fact that for maximum protection against
fires, your body must be covered as completely as
possible with flame-resistant protective clothing.
This requires long pants and long sleeves, and
can lead to hot work in warm and humid climates.
Understandably, there is some concern among
industrial workers about potential heat stress
when wearing protective apparel.
Comfort Factors
In general, we think of temperature as the
main factor in determining our comfort. However,
there are actually three factors that affect
thermal comfort:
1. External conditions, which include temperature,
humidity and wind
2. Weight of garment and type of clothing
3. Type and level of activity
Work, Heat and Comfort
Any activity causes our bodies to generate heat.
This heat must be lost or dissipated through our
skin and clothing for the body to maintain its proper
temperature balance. If the body cannot lose all the
heat it is building up, then heat stress will occur.
There are two primary ways our bodies lose heat:
1. Dry heat transfer— when the surrounding
temperature is lower than that of our skin. Since
our internal body temperature is over 90°, dry heat
transfer takes place most of the time.
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2. Evaporative heat transfer—sweating and sweat
evaporation. Sweating leaves a layer of moisture on
our skin surface; when this water evaporates, our body
is cooled. The balance between the heat our bodies
create by activity and the heat that is lost through dry
and evaporative heat transfer determines how hot or various weights of other everyday and protective
cool we feel. Figure 1 demonstrates this relationship. clothing materials.
Note that we will feel warm or hot long before heat
stress occurs. Heat stress occurs only when the body Figure 2 shows the results of this test under
is unable to lose all of the heat it is generating. moderate conditions (70° F at 65% relative
humidity). Figure 3 shows the same test under
Testing NOMEX III and Other®
severe conditions (90° F at 90% relative humidity).
Materials* Note that these conditions are a simulation and
are too severe to be encountered in most work
Various everyday and flame-resistant protective
situations. For example, on the Gulf Coast of the
fabrics were evaluated for their ability to dissi-
U.S., summer temperatures are typically in the
pate heat using the sweating hot plate test in an
mid-90s, but humidity seldom exceeds 65% at
environmentally controlled chamber at an inde-
those temperatures.
pendent laboratory.** This is the state-of-the-art
laboratory test for simulating how our bodies lose
Test Results
heat through dry and evaporative heat transfer.
The test indicates the levels of activity that Figure 2 indicates that all fabrics tested are likely
to be comfortable at moderate to heavy activity
would produce feelings of comfort, discomfort
and heat stress for each material. Different levels under standard temperature and humidity
weights of NOMEX III fabrics were compared to
®
conditions. In addition, heat stress is very unlikely
Figure 1
Heat Loss Via Heat Transfer
Dry Heat Evaporative Body Unable To
Transfer Heat Transfer Dissipate Heat
■ Cool Zone ■ Comfort Zone ■ Hot Zone ■ Heat Stress
PERFORM WHEN THE HEAT’S ON
Ad No. O45911
4C / Bleed
Trim: 8-1/2" x 11"
Plus 1/8" bleed
2 Sided Nomex Heat Stress Sell Sheet
This advertisement prepared by
Young & Rubicam, N.Y. (1161-9-1)
DL1100
Product: AFS Codes: (DUL/AFS)
Art: J.McDonnell Acc’t Mgt.: G.Sanchez
CONTACT
Michelle Fein 4125
FILE NAME PAGE
O45911_Heat Stress_8.5x11 1
TIME/DATE
12/6/00 11:30 AM
 with any of the fabrics tested here, due to the
Figure 2
extremely high metabolic activity level required Thermal Comfort, Standard Enviroment (70°F, 65% RH)
to induce heat stress under these conditions.

5.6 oz FRT Cotton

Figure 3 shows that all of the fabrics tested
4.2 oz Poly/Cotton
will feel hot once the wearer exceeds light
activity levels in a hot, humid environment. 5.9 oz NOMEX® III
®
But even at moderate activity levels, all of these 4.9 oz NOMEX® III
fabrics still permit sufficient heat transfer to
8.7 oz FRT Cotton
prevent heat stress.
8.0 oz Poly/Cotton

At heavy activity levels under severe weather 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

conditions, the amount of heat generated can ■ Cool Zone ■ Comfort Zone ■ Hot Zone ■ Heat Stress
exceed the total heat loss through all of the fabrics
tested. Extended work under these conditions Figure 3
Thermal Comfort, Hot & Humid Enviroment (90°F, 90% RH)
can cause heat stress, regardless of the type of
fabric worn. These test results show, however,
that heavier fabrics make heat stress more likely. 5.6 oz FRT Cotton

Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, a garment 4.2 oz Poly/Cotton

of flame-retardant-treated (FRT) cotton or a Dry Heat
5.9 oz NOMEX® III
polyester/cotton blend that weighs eight to nine Transfer

ounces per square yard would cause heat stress 4.9 oz NOMEX® III

sooner than a NOMEX® III garment that weighs 8.7 oz FRT Cotton
only 5.9 ounces per square yard.
8.0 oz Poly/Cotton

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

C
. onclusion
These laboratory test conditions predict that
garments of NOMEX® III have no more, and
sometimes less, potential to cause heat stress
than other everyday or protective fabrics. This
■ Cool Zone ■ Comfort Zone ■ Hot Zone ■ Heat Stress
Fabric weights listed are actual measured weights of commercial fabrics.
The following activities provide examples of various metabolic rates in Watts/M2: standing: 70, walking at 3 MPH:
180, tennis: 260, heavy labor: 320/440, wrestling: 500.
Data from Fanger, P.O., “Thermal Comfort”:, McGraw Hill, New York, 24026, (1970)

is because fabrics of NOMEX® III generally weigh

less than other everyday or protective fabrics.
Heat, humidity and activity level are the primary
factors contributing to comfort and heat stress,
rather than the type of fabric worn. Fabric
weight has more influence than fabric type in
determining when and if heat stress occurs
in hot, humid environments.
This research indicates that you can enjoy the
superior protection and long wear life of protec-
tive clothing made of NOMEX® III without undue
concern about the effects of heat and heat stress.
The lighter weight of NOMEX® III fabrics makes
them less likely to cause heat stress in hot, DuPont
Advanced Fibers Systems
humid environments than other heavier fabrics.
Customer Inquiry Center
5401 Jefferson Davis Highway
**In general, the comfort limits measured by this type of Richmond, VA 23234
testing should be used only for relative comparisons
between fabrics and not as absolute predictors. In actual Tel: (800) 453-8527
garments on humans, dry and evaporative heat losses (804) 383-4400
are likely to be lower due to the presence of air layers Fax: (800) 787-7086
between the body and the garment, and the presence of (804) 383-4132
additional layers of clothing such as underwear.
E-Mail: afscdt@usa.dupont.com
**Fabric characterization was done at North Carolina
State University. Web Address: www.dupont.com/nomex

NOMEX® is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

H-43775 12/00

PERFORM WHEN THE HEAT’S ON

Trim
Bleed
Bleed
Trim

Ad No. O45911
4C / Bleed
Trim: 8-1/2" x 11"
Plus 1/8" bleed
2 Sided Nomex Heat Stress Sell Sheet
This advertisement prepared by
Young & Rubicam, N.Y. (1161-9-1)
DL1100
Client: DuPont Product: AFS Codes: (DUL/AFS)
Copy: K.Angelo Art: J.McDonnell Acc’t Mgt.: G.Sanchez
THE STUDIO

CLIENT BILLING NO. JOB NO. CONTACT

DuPont O45911 O45911 Michelle Fein 4125

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Mech_Dupont>AFS>Nomex>Heat Stress O45911_Heat Stress_8.5x11 2

SETUP / REVISE TIME/DATE
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