Technical Textiles Executive
Dartex Coatings
Protecting the wearer from environmental hazards & conditions is at the forefront of our minds when developing fabrics for weatherproof workwear. Supplying the world's leading workwear manufacturers, Dartex fabrics are widely used in such applications as Atlantic survival suits, air ground crew jackets, construction wear and yachting apparel. In this format the outer polyurethane skin can be readily wiped clean.
In rigorous and often hostile working environments you need clothing made from Dartex Coatings performance fabrics that have been specifically developed to keep you cleaner, cooler, drier and safer.
o WATERPROOF Dartex fabrics are all completely waterproof to a level far in excess of the demands of BS 5455. The level of waterproofness of a fabric is measured by its resistance to water penetration, also known as the hydrostatic head. This is the column of water that the fabric can support before the polyurethane yields to the force. Resistance to water penetration is measured by the methods outlined in BS 3424 (29A). All fabrics produced by Dartex Coatings are guaranteed to have a resistance to water penetration in excess of 50kPa (7.24psi), and many have a resistance which is far greater than this. This level of waterproofness will be sufficient for even the most demanding protectivewear application.
o COMFORT As well as stretch to improve the fit and flexibility of the garment, moisture vapour permeability impacts on the comfort of the wearer. Moisture vapour permeability describes the movement of water in the vapour phase through the fabric. It moves from high humidity to low humidity and therefore reduces the amount of moisture within the garment dramatically increasing the wearers comfort levels.
o DURABLE Dartex exterior polyurethane skins are highly abrasion resistant. Testing to the Martindale abrasion as defined in BS5455 (1977) method B2, unlike many coatings the integrity of the Dartex unafffected such that it still passes the resistance to water penetration test, BS3424 method 29A. Dartex weatherproof coatings only incorporate highly or very highly hydrolysis resistant polymers. Rapid aging in a humidity cabinet plus years of experience prove that Dartex fabrics will last many years in use without being degraded by hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is a feature of degradation by moisture which manifests itself by softening the polyurethane which then starts to flake on extension.
o HIGH VISIBILITY Dartex® can produce fabrics that comply with the High visibility requirements of ANSI107 and EN 471, as referenced in BS EN 343 (workwear standard). These shades comply with the exacting colour co-ordinates and luminosity specifications for protective workwear. Dartex® fabrics are stabilised to ensure that they will not be subject to degradation or oxidation caused by ultra violet light.
o WELDABLE Dartex® Coatings weatherproof fabrics are recognised as the best and strongest welding polyurethane coatings. They can be welded, either by Radio Frequency (RF) or Ultra Sound, (dependent on fabric type) to form incredibly strong sealed seams guaranteeing waterproof joins, not just as made but over time too.
o FLAME RETARDANCE Dartex® fabrics are manufactured to meet the exacting Fire Retardancy Standards (FR) of both the protective wear and healthcare markets. Fabrics are manufactured to meet BS EN 531 & BS EN 532, ASTM F-1891-02b and a host of other FR and ARC resistance standards.