In emergency response situations, it is critical to ensure that personnel are fully protected from any risk of exposure to toxic or corrosive substances. DuPont has therefore introduced the new Tychem® TK full encapsulation suit. Worn with a self-contained breathing apparatus, gas-tight suit provides an effective barrier against more than 300 chemicals.

The new Tychem® TK suit is specifically designed for situations where there is immediate danger to life and health. Protecting against toxic and corrosive gases, liquids and solid chemicals, the high performance garment is suitable for industrial, emergency response and domestic preparedness applications. A typical example of a Tychem® TK application is exposure to ammonia. This toxic chemical is most commonly found in refrigerants, cleaning products and fertilizers; but also has applications in food and petrochemical processing and metals extraction. It can be a liquid or a gas and exposure to a high concentration of ammonia can be fatal. Even in lower concentrations, ammonia will cause irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory system and chemical or freezing burns to the skin. It is therefore imperative to protect emergency responders in situations where this chemical has escaped due to an accident or malicious attack.

DuPont subjected the new garment to rigorous testing to prove its effectiveness in emergency situations. The new Tychem® TK not only exceeds the required resistance to permeation for the 15 chemicals listed in EN 943-2, it also exhibits no breakthrough at up to eight hours for 90% of the 300 chemicals tested.

DuPont subjected the new garment to rigorous testing to prove its effectiveness in emergency situations. The new Tychem® TK not only exceeds the required resistance to permeation for the 15 chemicals listed in EN 943-2, it also exhibits no breakthrough at up to eight hours for 90% of the 300 chemicals tested.

“Emergency responders will generally only wear this type of protective garment for around 20-30 minutes,” says Maxence de Langautier of DuPont Protection Solutions. “The test results give both users and specifiers total peace of mind that Tychem® TK will provide superior protection for a wide range of chemical hazards.”

Made from proven Tychem® fabric, Tychem® TK is lightweight and supple but very durable. For ease of donning and doffing, wearers can choose either the front-entry Tychem® TK 614T or the rear-entry TK615T option. Both suit variants feature an adaptive gloves system, that consists of a laminated inner glove with excellent resistance to permeation by chemicals, together with either Viton® or butyl outer gloves that provide a high degree of protection against mechanical hazards. The garments also feature a large panoramic field of vision, with expanded faceshield and 220° viewing angle.

Further features include attached socks with outer boot flaps, two exhaust valves, a double storm flap with hook and loop closure and double taped seams. To ensure the wearer is clearly identifiable, even in reduced visibility caused by smoke or poor light, the suits are a bright lime yellow.

Tychem® TK is a limited use, gas-tight garment with a five-year warranty that provides specifiers with a genuine alternative to conventional reusable chemical protective clothing. Category III, Type 1a-ET, both TK 614T and TK 615T are CE certified according to EN 943-1 + EN 943-2 (limited-use gas-tight chemical protective suit for emergencies teams).

The required resistance to permeation for the 15 chemicals listed in EN 943-2 has also been met for Tychem® TK visor, inner layer glove and seams. Permeation data for Tychem® TK fabric are available for more than 300 chemicals at this link or by visiting the SafeSPEC™ site at www.safespec.dupont.co.uk.

For added reassurance, the DuPont sales team can prove the safety and protection provided by the new Tychem® TK with a pressure test kit demonstration. Test kits and training in their use are also available separately to DuPont customers.