Modacrylic fibres in inherent FR fabrics

Are you aware of all the variants of inherent FR fibres on the market? Then you might have come across modacrylic fibres. Inherent FR fabrics made with these fibres are worth investigating if you care for safe, comfortable protective clothing with the right quality/price ratio. In this blog, I will tell you more about this type of inherent FR fibre. I will also help you determine if the use of modacrylic fibres could innovate and improve your protective clothing.

First things first: What are modacrylic fibres?

Modacrylic fibres are high performing synthetic fibres that are flame resistant. This results in robust resistance against electric arc and flash-fires. That is why they are commonly used in work environments like the energy utility sector or – increasingly – in the petrochemical sector. Today, modacrylics are less used in work environments with welding and grinding risks.

But what exactly makes modacrylic fibres so interesting as a inherent FR fibre? Unlike other inherent FR fibres, modacrylics can be blend with natural fibres, such as cotton or lyocell. In a blend, modacrylic fibres are able to extract oxygen from other non-FR fibres. This means they are not only able to protect themselves but also protect the other fibres in the blend from overheating and eventually burning. Another benefit is that the fibre is easy do dye, which benefits the durability to wash the fabric.

So, why should you consider modacrylic fibres in inherent FR fabrics?

Thanks to their ability to guard fibres that do not have FR properties, modacrylics are the only inherent FR fibres that can be blended with non-FR fibres. By blending the fibre, you can make use of the advantages of each fibre which results in a stronger fabric or a fabric with excellent moisture management for example.

The most common blend is modacrylic and cotton. In more advanced blends, modacrylics are being used together with lyocell, aramids and other synthetic fibres like nylon. The blend with cotton, for example, creates a more comfortable fabric due to the comfort properties of cotton. Who knows what the future holds in blending fibres that offer even better options when it comes to comfort.

Modacrylics blended fabrics are not fully synthetic, which means they have good comfort properties in terms of moisture management in comparison with other inherent FR fabrics. On top of that: modacrylics are in terms of price/quality the best ratio on the inherent FR market.

As you can see, modacrylics have a lot of advantages that we can summarize as follows:

Extremely flame resistant
The possibility to blend with all kinds of non-FR fibres in order to enhance the properties such as strength and comfort
Within blends, it scores high at comfort
Durable to wash
Best price/quality ratio on the market of inherent FR fibres

If modacrylic fibres in inherent FR fabrics match the risk environment of your company, it is definitely worth considering when re-evaluating your protective clothing.

Are you curious how modacrylic fibres can benefit your protective clothing?

The development of modacrylics offers a new and interesting alternative in the protective fabrics landscape. Depending on your specific needs, modacrylic fibres could offer an interesting alternative to other inherent FR fibres. Are you interested how modacrylics could help you innovate and improve your companies’ protective clothing? Then do not hesitate to ask advice from our protective clothing experts. Schedule here an appointment with one of our specialists to get objective and customized advice.