The Comparison of Physical and Thermal Performance of Turnout Gear According to Washing Machines and Washing Cycles

In Korea, the service life of specfic turnout gear(TG) for firefighters is set at three years in the law. However, there are many opinions that this period is too short. To evaluate the effect of washing on the durability of such TG, we compared the physical and thermal performance of specific TG according to the type of washing machine and the number of washing cycles. Before washing, PBO exhibited lower tensile and tear strength than PBI, and both properties tended to decrease after 5 and 10 washing cycles. In particular, washing with a general washing machine resulted in a greater reduction in tensile and tear strength compared to washing with a dedicated TG washing machine. In the evaluation of flame retardant before and after washing, the afterflame time remained at 0 seconds regardless of washing cycles, but the char length increased as the number of washes increased. Especially, PBI showed a slightly longer char length than PBO. When comparing thermal protective performance(TPP) according to the number of washing cycles, the pre-wash thermal protection of PBO was higher than that of PBI. Additionally, TPP increased when washed with a general washing machine compared to a dedicated turnout gear washing machine. In contrast, PBI showed little variation in thermal protection regardless of the number of washing cycles. The washing performance of both washing machines satisfied the KFI certification standards. After 50 washing cycles, certain test items of the special turnout gear didn’t meet performance standards, including seam strength, tensile strength, tear strength, and water repellent. However, bursting strength, dimensional stability, and flame retardant met the TG standard in Korea. The moisture barrier failed to meet the water resistance after four types of pre-treatment, but satisfied the standard for dimensional stability and flame retardant. The lining did not meet the tear strength standard but met the criteria for dimensional stability and flame retardant. Assembly tests of the special TG showed that moisture permeability, chemical resistance, and thermal protection met the standards. In contrast, metallic components exhibited corrosion and did not meet performance requirements.