When Jomac Canada wanted to develop a line of heat protective gloves and mitts that would raise the level of protection available for people involved in hot work operations, it chose a new and innovative fabric from Auburn Manufacturing called Carbo-Flex™ FLPN1500.

“Using the Carbo-Flex fabric enables us to offer the most extreme temperature gloves available on the market,” said Guy Dufour, Jomac Canada territory manager for the Province of Quebec. “It can withstand temperatures well above 1000°F. Currently, there is no other product available that has more insulation value combined with durability and flexibility.”

Carbo-Flex combines the strength and heat resistance of aramid and glass fabrics with the excellent direct heat resistance of preox (partially carbonized acrylic). It is a lightweight and pliable composite fabric that does not fray like conventional fiberglass products. “Our tests show that it has 25% better thermal protection than vermiculite-coated fiberglass at half the weight and is 40% better at a comparable material weight,” said Dufour.

Jomac chose Carbo-Flex because it offers a combination of features not available elsewhere. Explained Dufour, “It’s the combination of properties such as heat protection, durability, flexibility and comfort that make the difference. For example, there are products on the market that can match the temperature range but don’t necessarily last that long. And, there are products that can last as long but don’t have the thermal value or are too heavy. It’s the combination that makes the Carbo-Flex material so innovative.”

Using Carbo-Flex provides the gloves and mitts with excellent performance without the stiffness and bulk associated with other products currently on the market. “They are more pliable, lighter in weight and far more comfortable,” said Dufour. “But, the bottom line is they last longer than other products currently on the market.”

Dufour explained that Jomac’s goal in developing these new products is to protect hands over time. “In cases where gloves and mitts do not provide good insulation, workers have to remove the gloves temporarily in order for them to cool down before continuing their work,” he said. “We believe that if we provide better insulation, workers will be able to work longer with the gloves on, and if they don’t feel the heat they will have a better comfort level.”

Jomac’s desire to raise the bar on hand protection levels was prompted by the vacuum left since asbestos was banned by industry. “A mineral-based product like asbestos was a great product as far as insulation and durability, but since it was banned from the market nothing seemed to come close,” said Dufour. “What we wanted to do with our Carbo-King products was to get a little closer to that performance level. By using Auburn’s Carbo-Flex fabric, we believe we have been able to raise that bar on hand protection for a wide range of hot work operations.”