Modacrylic is a type of synthetic flame resistant (FR) fiber known for lending durability, comfort, and protection to FR clothing. Modacrylic fiber is inherently flame resistant, meaning the flame resistance is an intrinsic property of the fiber at a molecular level. Modacrylic fibers are commonly blended with other FR and non-FR fibers to create durable FR fabrics with enhanced comfort without compromising protection.
Key Features of Modacrylic Fibers
There are many benefits of modacrylic fibers that make them an excellent choice for FR fabrics, including:
- Trusted superior inherent FR protection
- High durability that imparts garments with excellent longevity
- Enhanced comfort, can be blended with cotton or lyocell
- Outstanding color retention when blended with lyocell, ensuring optimal after-wash appearance
Comfort and Protection: Modacrylic Fibers in Action
Modacrylic fibers meet all the crucial criteria for FR clothing: durability, comfort, and protection. They ensure that protective clothing remains effective in hazardous environments while also being comfortable to wear.
How Modacrylic Fibers Are Used
Modacrylics are often blended with other FR and non-FR fibers such as aramid, lyocell, cotton, and polyamide fibers to create durable fabrics with enhanced comfort and critical FR protection. Adding modacrylic to fabric blends improves thermal properties, abrasion resistance, static charge dispersion, fabric strength, durability, shape retention, and comfort. Modacrylic fibers can be used in high proportions and diverse product types. Beyond protective garments, you might find modacrylic fibers in outdoor activities and home furnishings.
Blended with cotton, modacrylic fibers make fabrics even more comfortable than many other cotton-blended FR garments thanks to the lower microclimate humidity, lightweight composition of the fiber, and lower moisture absorption rate of modacrylics than natural fibers. Non-FR fibers like cotton are protected by the intrinsic flame resistance of modacrylics, meaning wearers don’t have to sacrifice protection for comfort.
Why Choose Modacrylic Fibers?
At TenCate Protective Fabrics, we chose to use modacrylic fibers because we wanted to create an inherent FR fabric that is more comfortable than what can be achieved with aramid fibers alone. Modacrylic fibers are also more cost attractive than aramids, and can be dyed high-visibility yellow, whereas aramids cannot. Additionally, blending modacrylics with cellulosic fibers, such as cotton and lyocell, creates a synergistic effect that improves the Limited Oxygen Index (LOI) of the fabric. When these fabrics are exposed to flame, they form a char which acts as a protective layer over the wearer’s skin.
Modacrylic fibers’ features of versatility, reliability, comfort, and flame resistant protection make them an excellent choice for FR clothing in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, and utilities. Offering enhanced comfort not only improves the wearer experience but also wearer safety, because more comfortable fabrics are more likely to be worn correctly. And thanks to modacrylic fibers’ durability, garments made with them have exceptional longevity.
If you’re looking to choose the best flame resistant fabrics for your needs, the experts at TenCate Protective Fabrics are here to help. Contact us for personalized guidance and recommendations:
