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Speak with an expert

Have questions about our products? Get in touch with one of our industry experts.

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Flame resistant fabrics for protective clothing

Everything you need to know about flame resistant (FR) fabrics

What are flame resistant (FR) fabrics?

Flame resistant fabrics are permanently flame resistant and cannot be set alight from being in or close to a fire because they are self-extinguishing. Therefore, flame resistant fabrics are suitable for protective garments that are needed in several industries such as fire service, military and heavy and light industries.

What professions rely on flame resistant (FR) fabrics?

Professionals in emergency response, military, light and heavy industry, energy, and oil & gas need to rely on protective fabrics for safety. Protective fabrics are a type of specialty flame resistant textile from which garment manufacturers create life-changing personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Whilst protecting, FR fabrics need to make you feel just as free, comfortable and confident as you would wearing casual fabrics. But with the added quality of unmatched protection against extreme conditions.

 

Two types of flame resistant fabrics for PPE clothing

Flame resistant fabrics for flame resistant clothing are either FR-treated fabrics based on cotton, or inherent FR fabrics - read here more about the difference between FR-treated and inherent FR.

How to select the best flame-resistant fabrics? Identify your protective clothing requirements

When selecting flame resistant fabrics for your next PPE clothing, it’s advised to conduct a risk assessment first. A risk assessment tells you to which risks your workers are exposed and what kind of workwear solution would provide the best protection.

"Not always do we realise that the biggest part of protective clothing is actually the FR fabric, and thus it is the most important part to ensure the best workwear and improve your safety culture."

The best protective fabrics that suit your needs always have a balance between:

  • safety compliance
  • industry-related norms and regulations
  • durability while wearing
  • durability during industrial washing
  • sustainability
  • your wearers’ preferences such as the needed level of comfort, breathability, and flexibility a fabric should provide

The balance between protection and comfort is very important. Higher levels of protection often mean more weight, but the garment has to remain comfortable enough for the wearer. Constructions and fibre blends can make a difference in wearers’ comfort.

Select the best flame resistant fabrics to outfit your workers

You don’t have to search further, because we offer you the broadest high-quality and most comfortable FR portfolio in the market. From fabrics that protect firefighters, and the military, to industrial workers, we innovate fabric solutions that deliver value at every level of the production chain so that end-users can experience PPE that’s truly exceptional.

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Flame resistant fabrics for any industry

Our flame resistant fabric portfolio includes inherent FR fabrics and FR-treated fabrics for any industry or application.

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Industrial safety fabrics

Protective garments incorporating flame resistant fabrics are found in many sectors, including energy & utility, oil & gas, chemical, metal & steel, shipbuilding and manufacturing. Every day around the world, professionals working in high-risk environments face serious dangers - ranging from fire or explosions, high-voltage power and molten metal sparks to sharp materials, and corrosive and toxic chemicals. Industrial safety fabrics are designed to keep these professionals safe, both indoors and outdoors.

Our industrial safety portfolio includes flame retardant finished fabrics based on modacrylic and cotton fibres, modacrylic and lyocell fibres, or aramid fibres. The wide range of high-quality industrial safety fabrics combine protection, comfort, durability, and sustainability.

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Emergency response fabrics

From structural fires to road accidents, firefighters are exposed to a variety of hazards. Our Fire Service fabrics outfit your fire brigades with the most comfortable flame resistant protective clothing for every possible intervention.

A firefighter's turnout gear is more than just the fabric and reflective stripes we see at first glance. That’s why our emergency response portfolio includes flame resistant fabrics for each layer of the fire suit. With outer shell fabrics providing innovative protection from heat and flames, water, abrasion, cuts and lacerations. Moisture barrier fabrics that provide protection against the penetration of water, chemicals and bloodborne pathogens. And thermal liners that favour comfort and minimize heat stress. And of course flame resistant and non flame resistant stationwear fabrics for the best level of comfort when being at the station.

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Military & police fabrics

For more than a decade, military forces from every branch have been using our fabrics in the field. From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, right up until today, TenCate Protective Fabrics continues to provide complete FR solutions to the men and women who need them most.

Flame resistant fabrics for the Military and Police serve to keep troops safer, warmer and more comfortable while deployed or serving outside the wire. Fabrics are for use in defense, tactical, national law enforcement and other organizations that need military-grade solutions all over the world. Our fabrics provide maximum flame resistant protection, comfort and ease of wear to ensure that soldiers, officers and other professionals around the world can find an FR solution that suits their specialized needs.

Made for Life
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Case Study - Damen Shipyards

Made for Life
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A new level of protective
workwear safety for Damen Shipyards

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Why TenCate Protective Fabrics?

Their needs are our starting point

The starting point of every FR fabric we develop begins with a challenge an end-user is facing on the job. We create protective fabrics that bring out the best in real end-users. We pride ourselves on getting to know their daily lives – their needs, challenges, and successes – so we can better serve them. That’s what makes our products Made for Life. 

Quality at every step

We engineer our FR fabric solutions from the ground up – from fibre blending to yarn formation, weaving, dyeing and finishing. At every level of production, we keep close controls over the creation of our FR fabrics – producing over 20,000,000 meters of fabric per year.

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Global service

Our worldwide presence gives us specialized insights into global trends and technologies. We leverage our collective knowledge so we can share it with our customers to help solve problems and maximize service. With sales representatives from 6 continents, we support our global network of customers and end-users from regional head offices in Union City, Georgia, Nijverdal, Netherlands, and Bangkok, Thailand. 

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World-class partnerships

We make it our business to align ourselves with partners that share the same driving spirit of innovation. From the pioneering fibre sustainability trends, to world-class garment manufacturers across the world – our partnerships within the protective clothing value chain deliver not only excellence, but great value to our customers and end-users.

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Learn more about FR fabrics

Take a deep dive into all there's to know about flame resistant fabrics. Read our FR fabrics content here.

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Contact our FR fabric specialist today!

We understand that selecting flame resistant fabrics for your next protective clothing solution can be confusing because there are many important factors to take into account. We’re here to help! Our FR fabric experts can drive you through all available options and will give you independent advice for the best suitable solutions for your workers.