Chemical Protection

Industrial workers work with and around hazardous particles and chemical vapours and liquids every day. DuPont scientists evaluated the hazards and came up with solutions for personal protective clothing that offer durability, comfort and uncompromised protection that doesn’t wear away, as is the case with many other protective materials.

The DuPont™ Tychem® range helps offer chemical protection against an exceptionally broad range of dangers – even pressurised chemicals. The Tyvek® range resists a wide array of low-pressurised, water-based low-concentration chemicals and particles down to 1 micron in size.

In harm’s way

Different applications mean different safety requirements, which may demand different types of protective clothing. Hazardous substances used in this industry include highly flammable organic solvents – aldehyde, ketone, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon, alcohol and ester substance classes – many of which have toxic and/or carcinogenic properties. There are also highly corrosive acid and alkaline reagents for many chemical reactions and purification processes.

DuPont suits protect against chemicals and infective agents

DuPont presents its latest protective clothing of Tyvek® and Tychem® for use against chemicals, hazardous substances and infective agents. Depending on the model and the constituent fabric, each suit is CE certified as category III, types 3 to 6, and to EN 14126 (protection against infective agents), as well as EN 1149-5 (antistatic) and EN 1073-2 (protection against radioactive particulates).

DuPont™ Tyvek®

As a single-use protection against a wide array of water-based low concentration chemicals and small size particles and cross-contamination prevention, DuPont offers Tyvek® Classic Plus, type 4-B. Tyvek® Classic Plus suits consist of high-tech flash spun polyethylene fabric with overtaped seams, helping offer protection against low concentrations of acid, alkaline and saline solutions as well as providing limited protection from hazardous organic dusts.

Tested to extremes

Liquid penetration is a physical process whereby a liquid penetrates a fabric by passing through pores or holes in the fabric. EN ISO 5630 penetration test results at one minute of exposure to the hazardous substance – rarely the case in working conditions – showed virtually no difference between the three materials (SMS, Tyvek®, Microporous Film). Permeation, on the other hand, is the process by which a hazardous liquid chemical moves through protective clothing on a molecular level. The EN ISO 6529 permeation test assesses long-term response up to 8 hours, and therefore has significantly greater practical relevance.

DuPont™ Tychem®

Tychem® materials offer the highest level of protection from hazardous organic substances and infective agents according to EN 14126. The hoods on Tychem® suits allow freedom in head movement without reducing the wearer’s vision, while also ensuring a tight fit of the respirator. The ideal fit of Tychem® suits is further enhanced by elastic around the waist and on arm and leg cuffs, which also helps reduce the risk of leakage at the openings. The overtaped seams offer the same barrier as the actual material of the suits.

For more information on dust/particle protection, please click here.