Fireproof fabric

Fireproof fabric

Fabrics are textiles made from yarn, and refractory fabrics are no exception. Therefore, as their name suggests, this type of fabric is made of refractory yarns and the common denominator of all refractory fabrics is their ability to be thermally insulated. These durable fabrics provide good protection against heat and due to their application, they enter the market in a wide range of compounds. However, sometimes adding various materials to the fibers of refractory fabrics adds other properties to them, such as increasing the mechanical strength or increasing the resistance to chemicals by impregnating them with layers of polymer. Such unique features make this product suitable for use in the aerospace industry. For example, since the aircraft components operate at very high temperatures, it is necessary to prevent this very hot air from entering the cabin in order to have a comfortable trip.

On the other hand, these refractory fabrics can be used to ensure fire resistance, or smoke insulation in the cabin and components of jet engines.

The robotics industry owes much to refractory fabrics for its protective purposes. Because robots often work in conditions that are dangerous to humans, and one of these dangerous situations is to be in very hot places. Therefore, using fireproof fabrics to protect the body of robots in order to reduce the risk of damage and save on maintenance costs, seems to be a logical solution to achieve this goal.

Another advantage of refractory fabrics is that, for example, silica fabrics are widely used in welding; Because they provide ideal heat resistance to protect personnel and equipment.

Also, refractory fabrics are a common choice for very high temperature furnaces; Because high heat tolerance in these fabrics prevents the melting of parts inside the furnace without risk. Of course, the ability to protect furnaces from corrosion is another reason to use refractory fabrics in this area.

Among the many salient features of refractory fabrics, the following can be mentioned:

High strength against pressure
Extraordinary thermal properties
abrasion resistance
High dimensional stability
Low smoke emission
Resistance to chemical agents
The presence of such unique features in just one product has led to different applications for refractory fabrics, among which the following areas can be named:

Insulation blankets
Insulation of doors and stoves
Washers
Insulation of furnaces
Engine exhaust cover
Electrical insulation
Thermal insulation
Human interest in discovering new materials and expanding their knowledge is endless. Attention to the environment has also become a global concern. In the past, asbestos was one of the main materials for the production of refractory fabrics, but due to the awareness of the international community about the known dangers of asbestos for human health and increasing attention to this point, today we try to use asbestos as much as possible in the production of refractory fabrics. Avoid. As a result, the main material used in most refractory fabrics is fiberglass.

Also, a team from the Royal University of London recently found in their experiments that the melting point of tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide is about 4,000 degrees Celsius. This discovery could open new horizons for the production of materials with high thermal resistance. Tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide are both refractory ceramics and therefore have high heat resistance, but unfortunately, there is still no suitable technology to measure the melting point of these two refractory ceramics to ensure the type of environment in which they are used. In this study, scientists used laser heat generation to find the approximate melting point of each of these materials individually and in combination.

There is a wide variety of fireproof fabrics, each of which is suitable for different functions due to its different materials and, consequently, its unique properties. The following refractory fabrics can be named as the most widely used in this field:

Fiberglass refractory fabric; In most cases, fireproof glass refers to fiberglass. This thermal and fireproof insulation is able to show good performance in temperatures between minus 150 to positive 650 degrees Celsius.
Asbestos refractory fabric; Asbestos refractory yarns are the oldest type used in the industry, asbestos refractory fabrics are also the oldest examples on the market. The impermeability of asbestos, which results from the high cohesion of its fibers, has led to its continued use in industry.
Ceramic refractory fabric; To date, none of the refractories have the heat tolerance of ceramic refractories. This has made refractory ceramic fabrics the main competitor to asbestos fabrics. The fibers of this fabric are made of a combination of several other materials along with ceramics and are able to withstand heat up to 1260 degrees. The strong and cohesive texture of this fabric, along with its high flexibility, provides good tensile and abrasion resistance.
Silicone refractory fabric; In this type of fireproof fabric, one or both sides of the fiberglass fireproof fabric are covered with silicone rubber. Resistance to various rays (infrared, X and alpha) has made these refractory fabrics one of the most widely used products on the market.
Carbon fireproof fabric; The use of carbon fiber in a This type of refractory fabric improves its coefficient of elasticity and as a result endures high pressure and heat in this product. The flexibility of this type of fabric is so desirable that it is sometimes used to reinforce concrete columns. Another positive feature of carbon refractory fabric is its very high strength, compared to its low weight.
Fireproof silk fabric; This type of refractory fabric, which is newer than other types, is made of fiberglass covered with Teflon. This product is able to maintain its properties in the temperature range of negative 127 and positive 300 degrees.