Protective textiles save lives

Textiles protect employees of the police, fire department and many other emergency services and must therefore meet certain requirements and standards

17.12.2020

Textiles protect employees of the police, fire department and many other emergency services and must therefore meet certain requirements and standards

Our highly specialized companies supply protective textiles to the police, customs, the Federal Border Guard, fire departments and the German armed forces, as well as to private institutions such as security services or aid organizations such as the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) in various European countries. The aim is to protect employees in the field.

It is particularly important that protective clothing has additional repellent functions in fire protection. In addition to flame-resistant fibers from which the protective suits are made, it must be ensured that the materials do not become saturated with water, oil and gasoline. This is ensured by the use of fluorochemicals.

The same principle is used for bulletproof vests. These must not become saturated with water when it rains, for example, because otherwise they would lose their function and the emergency services would no longer be protected from the lethal effects of small arms projectiles and possibly also from grenade fragments. The projectile can then penetrate the soaked textile layers of the bulletproof vest. Only the fluorocarbon finish has a permanent water-repellent effect, so that rain and sweat cannot soak the textile.

Fluorine-free alternatives cannot currently ensure this effect in the same quality over the long term.