PBI Scriitiouimp:Care and Cleaning of PBIProtective Garments

PRI Triguard: Made of 20% Polybenzimidazole/30% Lenzing FR/50% Micro TwaronIt

PM Gold: Made of 40% Polybenzimidazole/60% Kevlar Aramid Fibers

Garments made of PBI and ara-mid fibers are premium protectiveapparel. Flame resistance is in-herent in the fibers and thereforeis not affected by washing. Aswith all apparel, proper care andcleaning will help maintain at-tractive, useful garments. PMprotective apparel can be cleanedby industrial laundering, homelaundering, or dry cleaning. Theguidelines given in this bulletinwill help you to maximize the lifeof your protective garment.

Industrial LaunderingOptimized industrial laundry pro-cedures should be developed forthe expected level and type ofsoil, using the appropriate chemi-cal supplies. As a starting point, amultiple-addition procedure suchas the one listed in the table be-low may be useful.

The wash water temperature

should not exceed 140°F(60°C) and the water should be

maintained at pH 10 or lower.

Repeated laundering at tem-peratures higher than 140°F. es-pecially in combination with highpH's, can result in increased

shrinkage and reduced garmentdurability.

While generic supplies arelisted in the table, there are manycommercial laundry products thatwill provide safe and satisfactorycleaning of PBI garments. It isimportant to conduct trials to op-timize the process by launderinggarments and flat fabric, using thechemicals and procedures of yourchoice.

Precautions

• Never bleach garmentsmade of PRI fiber withsodium hypochlorite orother chlorine bleaches.Aramid fibers can be degradedby chlorine bleach.

• Wash garments of PBI fiberseparately from other garmentsto prevent contamination withlint ftom flammable fibers.

• Remove flammable contami-nants after each wearing. Dif-ficult-to-remove soils such asgrease. oil or tar may requireprecleaning with a solvent suchas Varsol® followed by laun-

dering to remove any residualflammable solvents.

• Check all labels, emblems, andtrim for staining and colortransfer before adopting a washformula.

• Today's industrial detergentsare formulated to clean at loweralkaline levels, thus reducingthe needs for sours. Excessiveuse of sours can cause nuisancestatic in PBI garments. Testthe final rinse and add only theamount of sour necessary toobtain a neutral pH.

Industrial DryingTumble-drying temperaturesshould not exceed 160°F (7I°C)stack temperature and 210°F(99°C) basket temperature. Donot overdry the garments or allowthem to remain in a hot dryerbasket at the end of the dryingcycle. Remove and hang as soonas possible after drying. Tum-bling without heat for a short timeat the end of the drying cyclehelps to minimize wrinkles.

Garments made of PBI may betunnel dried. Fabric temperatureshould not exceed 210°F (99°C).

Operation Time Temp.°F/°C PH Usage/CWTBreak 15 min. 140/60 10 2-4 lbs

Flush 3 min. 140/60Suds 8 min. 140/60 10 1-2 lbs

Rinse 2-4 min. 120/49Rinse 2-4 min. 105/40

Rinse 2-4 min. 90/32

Sour 5 min. 80/27 7.0 as required

Supply

nonionicmetasilicate

nonionicmetasilicate

Do not use chlorinebleach or detergents containingchlorine bleach.

Home LaunderingWash garments in warm

60 water not exceeding140°F (60°C). Use per-

manent-press machine cycle anda heavy-duty detergent. Read andfollow the detergent use instruc-tions carefully. Pretreat greasystains and collar/ cuff lines.

• Do not starch.

• Read and follow carefully themanufacturer's instructionswhen using laundry aids.

• Launder garments of PSI sepa-rately to avoid contaminationwith flammable lint.

• Remove flammable contami-nants such as grease and otheroily soils from the garments aftereach wearing to maintain maxi-mum protection. If home proce-dures do not accomplish this,commercial laundering or drycleaning is recommended.

Home Drying & IroningTumble dry using perma-

511 nent press cycle or mediumtemperature setting. Use

the cool-down cycle and remove thegarments as soon as the tumblerstops. Do not overdry the gar-ments.

Do not line dry the garments indirect sunlight.

Use warm iron setting ifpressing is desired.

Dry CleaningGarments made of PBI fiber maybe dry cleaned. Virgin solvent isrecommended to prevent con-taminating the garment withflammable materials.

Garment StorageDo not hang or store garmentsin direct sunlight. Storing gar-ments in closed lockers, closets,or drawers will reduce fadingcaused by ultraviolet light.

PBI-UA8PBI Gold in logo form is a trademark of Celanese Advanced Materials, Inc.

To the best of our knowledge, the information contained herein is accurate. Celanese Advanced Materials, Inc does not assume any liability whatsoever for the accuracy or completeness of the infor-mation contained herein Final determination of suitability and whether there is any infringement of patents is the sole responsibility of the user. Users of any substance must satisfy themselves byindependent investigation that the material can be used safely. We may have described certain hazards, but we cannot guarantee that these are the only hazards that exist.

PBI Products Division, Celanese Advanced Materials, Inc., P. 0. Box 32414, Charlotte, NC 28232 — (704) 554-2744