THERMA-FLOAT

Therma-Float™ is a ‘Super-Soft’ buoyancy material that complies with European Safety Standards (BSEN 393, 395, 396 and 399), and is suitable for use in Life-Jackets and Buoyancy Aids for 50N, 100N, and 150N. This high performance material is now pioneering the future in protective and floatable/thermal garments, using a substrate comprising of a micro-cellular construction that is just 1.0 mm – thinner and more durable than any other existing approved floatable textile.

FACTS

Every year over 90% of all boating deaths are drownings, the result of capsizing or falling overboard.
Tragically, approximately 75% of deaths could be prevented if the victim had been wearing a life jacket, buoyancy aid or garment lined with Therma-Float. A large percentage of the victims have life jackets and buoyancy aids on board but do not wear them at the time of an accident or during critical conditions.
Most boating fatalities occur because victims end up in the water without warning or protection.
Most boating accidents occur during the day and in calm, clear weather.

Therma-Float's™ pending patent covers the use of this remarkable material in all Life-Saving Appliances, TPA’s, Survival Aids, & all clothing including work-wear, military uniforms and swim-wear, as a unique super-thin and light-weight interlining material, offering greater durability and providing extraordinary buoyancy, resistance to cold and waterproof properties.

In the past, inherently floatable fabrics have had their shortcomings, such as limitation in body weight, heat retention and being too bulky. Therma-Float™ is engineered to be so thin that its sleek profile does not encumber the wearer when used as an interlining in protective clothing, life-jackets/buoyancy aids and survival suits. It is easily contoured throughout the whole garment, whilst maintaining the drape properties of the chosen outer fabric, thus increasing the surface area of the buoyant material.

Multi-layered to provide the desired amount of buoyancy or thermal protection, Therma-Float™ provides the wearer with improved mobility, enabling faster and easier movement for improved safety and comfort, especially for extended use in difficult-to-extreme conditions. Therma-Float™ unique foam structure is reinforced with an ultra-thin high density polyethylene (HDPE) laminate which is extremely durable and flexible, providing improved resistance to abrasion, tearing, and puncturing.

Therma-Float™ is manufactured in the United Kingdom under ISO 9002 Therma-Float™ is ideal for use in all types of outerwear and accessories. The material’s extreme thinness as well as its unique buoyant properties make it suitable for a multitude of uses, e.g. for the linings of garments, blankets, cushions, sports- and leisure-wear, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, rafts, and other related uses.

Therma-Float™ thermal insulation offers about three times the warmth of down and more than twice the warmth of high-loft Fiberfil insulation (polyester/ polyolefin blend) when equal thickness are compared.

Unlike down, Therma-Float™ is designed for use where a thin compressible insulation material is important and therefore may be used with any fabric. The material also retains its insulating ability in damp conditions and is easily dried.

Add value to your garments

Therma-Float™ adds value to garments as an alternative insulation material and buoyancy provider. This material has been engineered as an extremely thin and lightweight product and can therefore be cut to shape and layered to obtain the required level of thermal insulation and buoyancy with the added advantage of not making the garment or equipment unduly bulky.

Thermal Insulation

Testing of the fabric in a range of physical environments demonstrates that this low-density textile combines both superior flotation ability – 170g of Therma-Float™ material sewn into a garment can keep a person weighing over 98kgs (215lbs) afloat and will maintain warmth through its unique thermal properties – in temperatures as low as –25oC (-43oF) due to its extremely low thermal conductivity of 0.0286.

Layers of Therma-Float	Tog	Clo	Conductivity	Thermal Capacity	Thermal Penetration
1	0.42	0.271	0.015	0.032	22.5
2	0.78	0.503	0.016	0.028	21.5
4	1.40	0.903	0.018	0.026	21.9
7	2.30	1.484	0.020	0.026	22.6
10	3.17	2.045	0.021	0.025	22.5
14	4.62	2.98	0.020	0.018	18.9

Thermal measurements were carried out with Zweigle Alambeta using varying layers of Therma-Float™ fabric.

A temperature differential of 40o C and a clamping pressure of 10 N/dm2 was used.

Thickness	Length Per Roll	Roll Width	Roll Area Sq. Metres
1.0 mm	300 Metres	1,500 mm	450

Therma-Float™ is a registered trademark. Any of the above information is subject to change in part or as a whole without notice. E & OE.

Further information on our extensive range of materials can be obtained by contacting our sales team

Therma-Float,P O Box 8, Beech Lane House, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5ES England

Telephone +44 (0)1625 251000

Fax +44 (0)1625 524584

E mail: therma-float.ltd@dial.pipex.com