A Brief History of Nomex

As the building flares up in flames, engulfing much of the residence, a sad and frightening event is taking place. On the second story of the apartment complex is an elderly person who did not have the speed or energy to get out of the burning room in time. When all hope seemed lost a man – a firefighter – came, extinguishing the fiery blazes and rescuing the elderly individual inside.

Thanks to the bravery, along with the Nomex fiber that can be found in the firefighters’ uniform, the firefighter and the elderly individual were able to make it out alive. So, if you are wondering what Nomex fiber is, let us take a closer look into this fantastic material.

A Brief History Of Nomex

Nomex was first created back in the early 1960s but would be marketed in 1967. Dr. Wilfred Sweeney created it in the now world-renowned DuPont laboratory. Nomex’s technical name is ‘Synthetic Aromatic Polyamide Polymer’. This, in layman’s term, means that this is a material that has been made in a lab.

When broken down to molecular level, it is made up of four neat piles of molecules, which are:

• Carbon • Hydrogen • Oxygen • Nitrogen

The Uses Of Nomex

Although the principal purpose and use of Nomex is to protect against fire and flames (hence why firefighters and race car drivers have this fiber manufactured into their uniforms) it is also used in a wide array of different areas that range outside the realm of protection against flames.

Race Car Drivers

We have made a small reference to this already, but race car drivers wear suits that have Nomex fiber material laced into their suits. This is because of the accidents that are involved in car racing, along with the flames that can arise from these dangerous and near-fatal car crashes.

Electric Conductive Suit

As mentioned already, Nomex is a multi-faceted material. The same molecular properties that stop the flow of heat from engulfing firefighters and race car drivers in flames is the same molecular structure that stops the flow of electricity as well. Nomex is an extremely poor conductor meaning that this is an excellent insulator.

Aerospace Application

Much like Kevlar, in regards to the durability and lightweight appeal of this material, Nomex is a great material to use in aerospace suits as well as in aviation uniforms.

Nomex is a fantastic material that has not only helped to protect many people, but it has also helped many people to save others as well.

This lightweight, yet highly durable material, has also been used outside of just protecting people but also their living environment.