Nomex

NOMEX? is the brand name of a flame retardant meta-aramid material marketed and first discovered by DuPont in the 1970s. It is sold in both fiber and sheet forms and is used as a fabric wherever resistance from heat and flame is required. Both the firefighting and vehicle racing industries use Nomex to create clothing and equipment that can stand up to intense heat.

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A Nomex hood is a common piece of firefighting equipment. It is placed on the head on top of a firefighters face mask which supplies air to him/her inside a smoke filled environment. The hood protects the portions of the head not covered by the helmet and face mask from the intense heat of the fire.

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Race car drivers commonly use a similar hood to protect them in the event that a fire engulfs their car. Nomex has been adapted to a wide variety of uses now, including machinery and circuitry for its insulation. A recent application of the unique properties of Nomex is the oven rack guard, invented

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by Burt Shulman of Wappingers Falls, NY, in 2003.

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The DuPont scientist responsible for discoveries leading to the creation of Nomex, Dr. Wilfred Sweeny, earned a Lavoisier medal http://www.fibersource.com/f-info/More_News/dup-062102.htm partly for this work in 2002.

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Aramid: Aramid fiber (1961) is a fire-resistant and strong synthetic fiber. It is used in aerospace and military applications, for "bullet-proof" body armor fabric, and as an asbestos substitute. The term is a shortened form of "aromatic polyamide"....

DuPont: :This article is about the DuPont company. For the other uses of DuPont, see Dupont (disambiguation)....

Race car driver: REDIRECT Auto racing...