Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Electricians and more generally any worker having to deal with high-voltage electricity are required to wear suitable protective personal equipment, which are resistant to arc-flash. Arc-flash is a phenomenon of heat and energy release between two live conductors (one of which can be a person) and lead to serious injuries and even death for nearby personal. The performance of the material is specified according to ASTM F1506 test method and reported as the Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV). There are four level of protection based on the ATPV score. While single-layer garments are usually referred to level 1 or 2; multi-layer garments aim to meet the level 3 or even 4 for higher protection. Despite providing high level of arc-flash protection, multi-layer garments must remain comfortable for the wearer and maintain a good level of breathability and moisture management. While working with several layers, the complexity due to the synergy between the layers, added to the performance of each single layers increases, but also offer some great opportunity to dispatch the required properties over several layers rather than combining all in a single layer. This project aims to develop new fabrics for arc-rated high energy clothing. These fabrics with new proposed configurations will lead to a single combination that is efficient, comfortable and suitable for Canadian weather (winter and summer). To do so, several composition and arrangements will be prototyped and tested to evaluate their impact on arc-flash protection. A predictive model of the useful lifetime of the prototypes will be established based on the data collected throughout the prototypes and reference garments.