INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE

In addition to general textiles for garments, Hohae Textile is also involved in the development of a variety of industrial textiles. Fire suits worn by firefighters are special industrial textiles created through special flame and heat-resistant treatment. This special treatment makes them heavy, restricting movement of firefighters battling flames on-site. Hohae Textile has addressed this problem by using special textiles, which are lighter in weight but still retain excellent flame and heat-proof performance, to produce firefighting garments, which do not hinder movement and allow for more effective firefighting operations. Hohae Textile has been designated as the managing agency for the national R&D project for development of an effective, lightweight fire blanket. Working with the Korea High Tech Textile Research Institute, we are working to develop a fire blanket that is lighter and more effective than any previously seen.

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Statistics indicate that upwards of 25% of passenger vehicle fires are the result of electrical faults. In the case of fires caused by high-performance batteries in electric vehicles, which are gaining ever greater popularity, the use of water to extinguish the flames poses a serious risk of secondary explosion and electrocution.

Moreover, conventional modes of fire extinguishing result in contaminants such as sulfuric acid, carbon oxides, nickel and toxic gases. These contaminants cause environmental pollution, which is unacceptable in today's environmentally-conscious society.

Meanwhile, when using a fire blanket to extinguish a fire, the blanket is thrown over the passenger vehicle or other origin of the flame. The flame is cut off from oxygen and is effectively smothered within a matter of minutes, without the extinguishing process itself giving rise to harmful gases and explosions or posing a risk of electrocution.

While fire blankets are commercially available overseas, these tend to be quite heavy and cumbersome to carry around in vehicles. Another serious disadvantage is their weight, which makes them difficult to throw over flames in the event of fire. Fire blankets need to withstand prolonged storage in a folded state, but the material used to make conventional fire blankets (fiberglass) is brittle, making it extremely vulnerable to wear and bending.

Microscopic shards of damaged fiberglass can become embedded in the skin and cause irritation, and even smaller pieces of fiberglass may be inhaled through the respiratory system, becoming lodged internally and adversely affecting health.

Drawing on our superb R&D facilities and manpower, as well as decades of expertise as a specialized textiles manufacturer, we here at Hohae Textile have developed new, inorganic fiber materials able to address the shortcomings of conventional fiberglass, along with special spinning techniques to turn these new materials into extremely lightweight yet extremely flame-proof and heat-resistant fire blankets.