Car Cajada Records

Archive for January 15th, 2012

In motorsport, flames are not the main cause of burns to drivers – it is in fact heat or thermal transfer which causes the majority of serious burns. Racing suits are the first and last line of defence for motorsport drivers as they can help to stop them from getting badly burnt. However, even though many motorsport suits are specially designed to provide high levels of protection, there are others which are not as robust as they need to be in the event of a fire.

The four most common materials used to make motorsport suits are:

Nomex

CarbonX

Wool

Treated cotton

Nomex, CarbonX and wool are all naturally fire resistant, have efficient self-extinguishing properties and are very good thermal insulators; therefore they do not require any additional treatment whatsoever. Treated cotton on the other hand relies entirely on chemical treatment to make it self- extinguishing or fire resistant. Sadly, washing treated cotton overalls with normal household detergents removes the fire inhibitors very quickly and thereby deprives the overalls of any protective properties which they may afford in the event of a fire. In fact, this can happen in as little as three or four washes, depending on the strength of the washing powders used.

Therefore, it is very important that motorsport drivers choose wisely when they are looking to select suits and overalls for their racing. To find out more about the importance of having fire retardant race suits in motorsport, visit www.demon-tweeks.co.uk .