All Massif Fire-Resistant Garments made with DuPont™ NOMEX® brand fibers.

Frequently asked questions about Massif product materials including fleece made from DuPont™ Nomex® brand fibers.

Question: What makes Massif garments flame- and arc-resistant? Do they have a flame-retardant coating on them?

Answer: All Massif garments feature DuPont™ Nomex® brand fibers – the standard in flame and arc resistant personal protective wear. Nomex® fibers (and the fleece and other fabrics made from them) are inherently flame-resistant. This means that their molecular structure is such that the actual fibers themselves do not readily burn or melt – no coating necessary. This also means that the flame resistance of Nomex®, Nomex® fleece, and all Massif garments will never wash or wear out.
 

Question: What is Nomex IIIA®?

Answer: All Massif flame-resistant fleece fabrics feature a special type of DuPont™ Nomex® called Nomex IIIA®. Nomex IIIA® is a blend of fire-resistant fibers that increases the durability and static dissipation characteristics of Nomex®. Inherently fire-resistant Kevlar® and carbon fibers are blended in small quantity with Nomex® fibers to create the ultimate fire-resistant fiber blend for personal protective wear. The Nomex IIIA® blend consists of 92% Nomex®, 5% Kevlar®, and 2% carbon.
 

Questions: How does Nomex® Fleece compare to regular polar fleece?

Answer: The Nomex® fleece that Massif uses in its garments engineered so well that most people (including gear professionals) cannot tell it apart from conventional polar fleece. It has all of the same softness, loft/warmth, wicking, and wet insulation qualities of conventional fleece while delivering superior protection against flame and arc hazards.
 

Question: How does Nomex® Fleece compare to conventional woven Nomex®?

Answer: Besides the obvious warmth, softness, wicking, and wind/water resistance properties of Nomex® fleece, Nomex® fleece also protects up to 100 times better against third –degree burns than conventional woven Nomex® (as used, for example, in “yellow shirts” and flight suits). (Reference: Mannequin Test Method ASTM F 1930-99.)
 

Question: How long do Massif Nomex® fleece garments last?

Answer: A really long time. We’ve been producing Massif Nomex® fleece garments for about five years now and don’t know of any that have worn out due to garment construction failures or fabric break down or pilling. We do know of many of our Nomex® fleece garments that have been in daily use for many years and are still in top shape.