Q. Will CarbonX burn or ignite like Nomex after extended exposure to heat or flame?
A. No! Not only is CarbonX inherently nonflammable, it will not shrink, char or crack when exposed to temperatures exceeding 3000o f for over 2 minutes. In fact, when exposed to extreme flame or intense heat, CarbonX fibers / yarns expand, starving any oxygen content, thus distributing any heat energy throughout the fibers / yarns, not through the layers.Q. Do any type of chemicals deteriorate CarbonX?
A. With the dozens of chemicals we exposed CarbonX to during development, which included acids, petroleum's and many solvents, CarbonX showed no signs of deterioration or fiber breakdown. In most cases, testing did not even show any physical presence.
Q. Is CarbonX Patented?
A. Chapman Thermal Products owns and manufactures CarbonX. And yes, CarbonX received U.S. Patent No. 6,287,686. Chapman Thermal Products also owns patent No. 4,865,906. Numerous CarbonX worldwide patents are still pending.
Q. Is CarbonX available in any colors other than Black?
A. Because CarbonX is cooked at temperatures exceeding 1300o f during its fiber production stages, the inherently nonflammable fibers are not susceptible to any pigment bonding. We can, however, obtain several colors by blending different fibers we use in our proprietary patent.
Q. CarbonX is a carbon fiber based fabric. Carbon fiber based textile fabrics of past have been known to have poor tensile strength and weak abrasion
properties. Is this true with CarbonX?
A. That is one of the proprietary manufacturing properties that makes CarbonX so unique. Depending on the end use application, CarbonX yarns are blended with different types of fibers, or strengthening fibers, to achieve the desired tensile strength. These blends are what we have patented.
Q. How does CarbonX perform in terms of wicking sweat and moisture off the body versus the other leading fire retardant fabrics ?
A. Much better than any fire retardant fabric on the market. In fact, CarbonX knits wick moisture off your body with very minimum moisture retention. Better yet, if you wear CarbonX underwear under a CarbonX garment, perspiration and moisture will absorb through the undergarment into the exterior garment, resulting in rapid evaporation. Almost all FR undergarments on the market retain moisture. The problem with that is under heat exposure, the moisture boils and can cause second or third degree burns to the skin. "As a safety-driven company, Chicago Protective Apparel is always looking for better clothing fabric for our customers' protection. CarbonX exceeds anything we've experienced in our 100- year history, in regards to flame protection, comfort and durability combined in one fabric." o Scott B. Sherman President, Chicago Protective Apparel
Q. Weight for weight, how does CarbonX perform in Thermal Protection Properties (TPP) testing versus such fire retardant FR fabrics as Nomex®, Kevlar®, PBI®, Proban®, etc...?
A. According to industry testing engineers and experts, the rule of thumb is to take the weight of a single layer fabric and add two points to it and that will generally give you an accurate TPP value. Not so with CarbonX! Depending on the weave, you could usually double the weight to obtain the TPP value. With some CarbonX fabrics, you could times the weight by as much as five to obtain the TPP value. CarbonX also has the highest Limit of Oxygen (LOI) value for any apparel fabric produced, almost doubling the value over all of its competition.
Q. Will CarbonX fade when exposed to constant UV rays or repeated laundering?
A. No. After CarbonX fibers have been processed through our cooking cycle, they then obtain their true and permanent Black color.
Q. If CarbonX has so many superior properties, how come one of the big giants such as DuPont or Celanese has not offered a similar or competing product?
A. There are many issues pertaining to the manufacture of PAN based fabrics. Particulars include fiber dust contamination, very delicate fiber to spun yarn transition and yarn tensile strength, to mention a few. Plus, a company such as DuPont has spent millions to market and position their very popular FR brands such as Nomex and Kevlar.
Q. What industries are CarbonX products currently used in?
A. CarbonX has become very popular throughout the Motorsports Industry. Although our largest industry is currently the fire fighting market, we are growing rapidly in many other industries such as welding, the military, aviation, marine and foundries. Applications for CarbonX include any product or personal safety apparatus where heat energy or fire is a potential hazard. We can basically produce or duplicate any type of textile currently offered.
Q. How does CarbonX perform in cold environments?
A. During recent Cryogenic testing, CarbonX knits were exposed to temperature exceeding 350o C below zero with little or no adverse effects. We are actively working to develop a thermal insulation fabric to use in the manufacture of cold weather apparel.
Q. In Regards to the Motorsports industry, what driver's promote CarbonX?
A. It's awesome! Anybody who learns or is educated about CarbonX. Once a driver utilizes a CarbonX garment or product, he's hooked and becomes a devoted spokesperson. We have driver's like World of Outlaws standouts Mark Kinser, Andy Hillenburg and Danny Losaski, in addition to about 50% of the other Outlaw Drivers. NHRA driver's such as Larry Dixon, Gary Selzi, Bruce Sarver and Andrew Cohen are all in the CarbonX family. Trans Am Champ Paul Gentillozi, UDTRA Champ Scott Bloomquist, and the list goes on and on.
Q. Is CarbonX available from most safety equipment manufacturer's?
A. We are very selective as to whom we sell CarbonX to. The criteria we go by is based on the reputation of the company in regards to quality products and customer service. We are also very selective in regards to how many companies we associate with in each industry. This allows us to focus our energies and efforts with the selected associates. Important Information: Although CarbonX has been manufactured to increase personal safety in hazardous conditions, CarbonX is sold without warranty, expressed or implied, as to its ability to protect the user from hazards, injuries or death. The manufacturer makes absolutely no representation as to this products ability to protect the user from injury or death.
