Reducing heat strain for PPE wearers

HEAT-RELATED physiological strain remains a persistent challenge in protective clothing for industrial applications, where restricted breathability can elevate core body temperatures and impair worker recovery.

Independent testing in partnership with Empa has now evidenced that DuPont's new Tyvek APX fabric substantially enhances breathability under real-world conditions, significantly reducing perceived thermal strain and shortening recovery time relative to traditional garment options. 

The collaboration with Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, has been undertaken to evaluate the physiological impact of DuPont’s next-generation Tyvek protective garments. The data-driven, multi-scale approach marks a significant milestone in DuPont’s commitment to innovation in PPE, with a focus on enhancing wearer comfort without compromising safety.

Biometric monitoring informs PPE performance

"The key objectives of the physiological study are to measure biometrics in order to evaluate the interactions between protective clothing and human responses, particularly comfort," explained Simon Annaheim, scientific group leader, Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, at Empa. "Comfort can be evaluated based on fabric or garment data, but adding the measurement of biometric data allows for a more comprehensive view of protective clothing in real-world applications."

The study leveraged Empa’s advanced human thermoregulation model and controlled environment trials to assess thermal strain, sweat rate, skin temperature, and overall comfort perception, which was then augmented by human trials with biometric monitoring to validate the simulation data. The research evaluated the breathability of Tyvek APX protective clothing under real-world working conditions, including high ambient temperatures, controlled humidity, and medium and intense activity levels.

Simulation using Empa’s thermoregulation model predicted that Tyvek APX fabric allows for a slower rise in core body and skin temperature. This effect helps reduce heat strain and perceived thermal strain and shortens recovery time during high temperatures and strenuous activities, compared to traditional garment options, including daily outfits.

Breathability linked to reduced heat strain

Human trials involving physiological data from individuals equipped with biometric sensors have validated the data obtained from these simulations. The results confirmed that the enhanced breathability of Tyvek APX garments significantly reduces heat load compared to other protective clothing. This reduction in heat strain is evidenced by lower core body temperature, reduced skin temperature, and diminished cardiovascular and respiratory responses.

“The scientific collaboration with Empa provided a rigorous simulated dataset that was then verified by human trials with biometric monitoring of real people using metrics like skin temperature, core body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and sweat loss," said Aldjia Begriche, global application development leader at DuPont Personal Protection. "The results demonstrated the superior breathability performance of Tyvek APX protective clothing, enhancing wearer comfort without compromising PPE safety."

Phase three of the strategic collaboration between DuPont and Empa is now underway. This activity includes conducting expanded human trials with increased participant diversity to reinforce and generalise findings.

For more information:

tyvek.co.uk/apx

Tel: +44 (0) 117 452 9050