Science/Innovation

Limiting Oxygen Index

The Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) measures the amount of oxygen required in the environment for a fabric to support combustion. Any material with a LOI less than 20.95 (the oxygen volume of air) will burn in air. Oxidized Polyacrylonitrile (OPAN)—the core fiber in the CarbonX fiber blend—has an LOI rating of 55, indicating it requires an oxygen level of nearly three times that of air to burn. When exposed to intense heat or flame, our patented fiber blend carbonizes and then expands, eliminating any oxygen content within the fabric. This is a distinguishing feature of our brand.

Strength Retention

A compelling demonstration of CarbonX's extraordinary performance is its strength retention after exposure to flame and increasing temperatures over an extended period of time. After intense exposure to 250°C (482°F) heat, OPAN possesses and maintains 100 percent of its original strength. Turning up the heat to 500°C (932°F), our innovative fiber blend retains an astonishing 40 percent of its strength, even after 10 minutes of exposure.