News — BTK

Barnaul Presents Firefighter Turnout Gear in Serial Production, Developed by Russian Scientists and Engineers.

Protection from open flame in the new gear exceeds minimum requirements by a factor of 10, and its resistance to heat flux is 1.5 times higher than the regulatory standard.

In addition, the design integrates membrane barriers, a built-in safety harness system, and elements that enhance visibility in smoke and darkness. Production is organized as a full cycle—from fiber synthesis to the sewing of the finished product. In an interview with Kommersant-Nauka, Marina Lobzhanidze, head of the firefighter turnout gear development team at the BTK Group, explains how scientists managed to combine seemingly incompatible properties: ultra-protection, vapor permeability, and ergonomics.

— How does the development of firefighter turnout gear actually begin? What requirements and threats are considered? What research preceded the creation of this set: was statistics on injuries and thermal burns, and occupational cancers among firefighters studied?

— Development does not begin with drawings or beautiful renderings. It begins with the question: "What actually threatens a firefighter?" We analyze all risks—from obvious ones like open flame to those that manifest years later: oncology, heart disease.

We studied statistics on fatalities among EMERCOM (Ministry of Emergency Situations) personnel over the past few years, broken down by cause: traffic accidents, suicides, illnesses, and accidents. This provides an understanding of the scale. But more importantly, besides EMERCOM, there are other types of fire protection services for which there is almost no general statistics, so we do not limit ourselves to numbers.

Next, we look at what is already on the market: materials, technologies, prices. And we necessarily go to those who put on this gear every day—from Yakutia to Crimea. We ask: what is irritating, what wears out quickly, what hinders movement, what works and what does not.

And only when three things converge—safety, comfort, and reliability—does a product come to life.

— What are "minimum requirements" from a physics perspective? What contact time with flame or temperature regime do they guarantee? And what does a tenfold excess look like: does it mean the fabric does not burn 10 times longer or withstands a temperature 10 times higher?

— Minimum requirements are the lower threshold below which one cannot go. Like an airbag: it must deploy, but you do not want to check how "minimal" it is in a real accident, do you?

In numbers, it looks like this. The standard (GOST R 53264-2019) requires that the suit withstand a heat flux of 5 kW/m² for four minutes. Heat flux is infrared radiation from heated walls and ceilings, not direct flame. We tested it: our system withstands it for 11 minutes. With open flame, the standard requires lasting 5 seconds. We achieve 60 seconds. The tests were conducted on a "Thermo-Manikin" stand with 11 temperature sensors simulating real fire conditions. We give the firefighter a real margin of time. Not 10 times hotter, but 10 times longer. Which means a chance to escape without getting burned or overheating.

— By what methods is this achieved? Due to the chemical composition of the fiber, the weaving method, impregnation, or a combination of all? Does this "recipe" have a scientific name?

— All of the above, but the main thing is the raw material. We use aramid and carbon fibers, which have fire resistance embedded at the molecular level. This is not an impregnation that washes out, but a property of the material itself.

Next comes the weaving of threads, special coatings, and membranes. Each layer does its job. The outer fabric provides protection from sparks and cuts, with an oil- and water-repellent finish. The membrane layer is vapor-permeable and waterproof. The thermal insulation layer and lining do not burn and retain their properties down to –50°C.

It is like a good cake: the layers, the cream, and the soaking are all important. Together, they provide what is called "multi-protection."

— Why did the developers highlight these four factors? How do they fundamentally differ in terms of the physics of their impact on the material and the human body? For example, heat flux is not just high temperature, but the intensity of radiation. How is it measured and how is it protected against differently than direct contact with fire?

— Because these are different threats. Open flame is scary, but a firefighter encounters it rarely and usually briefly. However, heat flux is constant IR radiation from heated objects, walls, and ceilings. It is like standing next to an open stove—there is no flame, but it radiates intense heat.

We protect against heat flux through multi-layering: the air between the layers acts as an insulator. The more such "air cushions" there are, the longer the body does not heat up. Direct flame is a short-term contact, and here it is important not so much for insulation, but for the material not to catch fire or melt. Therefore, we provide a time margin in both cases.

— As for combustion products, this is no longer physics, but chemistry and toxicology. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified occupational exposure during firefighting as Group 1: proven human carcinogens. How exactly do combustion products (soot, PAHs, dioxins) interact with the fabric? Do they settle on the surface, penetrate inside the fiber, or pass through the membrane? And how does the suit design prevent this contact?

— Smoke and soot are not just dirt. These are particles that penetrate through the fabric and settle on the skin. A frightening statistic: up to 95% of carcinogens enter the body through the skin. And when a firefighter heats up, skin absorption increases enormously—by 400% with a temperature rise of just 5°C.

We did two things. First, the design: all vulnerable areas (neck, wrists, waist) are made sealed, without gaps. Second, the materials: we use membranes that do not let small particles through but release vapor. Even the hood liner is three-layered: it breathes but does not let soot through.

Because we know: after a fire, when the clothing is removed, carcinogens should not remain on the body.

— The membrane is the most complex element from a materials science perspective. It must be simultaneously impermeable to external contaminants and vapor-permeable to body evaporation. What physicochemical principle is embedded here? Is it a microporous structure, a hydrophilic polymer layer, or a combination? And how was it verified that the membrane actually "breathes" under conditions of intense physical exertion?

— It is a thin film of PTFE (Teflon) bonded to the fabric. It has a microporous structure: the pores are so small that water droplets cannot pass through, but vapor molecules can easily. Therefore, you do not get wet from the outside, but sweat escapes outward.

We tested it in an accredited laboratory: the membrane transmits three times more moisture than many analogs. This means less greenhouse effect, less overheating, and more working time. It is also fire-resistant and does not lose its properties after 50 washes. We verified this as well.

— The safety harness system is built directly into the design—this is a technically complex solution. How was it possible to distribute the force elements (straps, slings, attachment points) so that they do not interfere with movement, but at the same time withstand jerking loads during a fall?

— It was difficult. We removed bulky straps and belts, and instead created a safety harness system that became part of the trousers. It does not add weight, does not restrict movement, but holds the body during a fall and distributes the load not to the lower back, like an old firefighter belt, but to the hips and shoulders, like a climber's harness.

The system underwent drop tests: a mannequin was dropped from four meters—not a single part was destroyed.

And most importantly: the firefighter no longer needs to spend time "buckling up" in an emergency—he is already ready. We reduced the preparation time for exiting a window from 60 to 5 seconds, and the preparation of the firefighter for rescue from 24 to 3 seconds.

— Visibility elements include reflective and luminescent strips. Luminescence is a physical process of converting ultraviolet or other radiation into visible light. Which phosphors are used so that they retain their properties at high temperatures and do not fade?

— We use two types of materials. Reflective ones—they shine brightly in the light of headlights, like road signs. And luminescent ones—they accumulate light during the day and glow in the dark, allowing a firefighter to be found in absolute darkness and smoke.

Both withstand high temperatures, do not melt, and do not lose their properties from frost or washing. We specifically selected coatings and substrates based on aramid fibers so that they work as reliably as the rest of the gear.

— Multiple layers, a membrane, and a built-in safety harness—all this potentially increases weight and reduces mobility. How was this engineering challenge solved? Were motion tests conducted—in a working posture, bent over, crawling, with raised arms? Was it taken into account that a firefighter does not work in a static stance, but in extreme postures where air gaps between layers are compressed and thermal protection locally drops?

— We worked directly with firefighters. They wore prototypes, crawled, raised their arms, bent over, and worked in smoke. We observed where the fabric chafed, where it pressed, where the layer compressed and lost thermal insulation.

And we made the cut loose so that air remained between the layers: the air provides both insulation and protection. The membrane wicks away sweat, and perforation on the signal strips prevents them from overheating. Tests in a fire simulator confirmed: after 20 minutes of work in conditions of volumetric combustion and short-term flame bursts—no burns, material damage, or signs of heatstroke.

— Removable elements are good, but 50 wash cycles without loss of properties is a serious challenge for membranes and impregnations. How is the preservation of properties controlled after each wash? What happens to hydrophobicity and fire resistance by the 40th or 50th cycle—a smooth decline or a critical failure?

— Aramid fiber is not washed out—its fire resistance is "sewn" into the chemistry. But there is a nuance: the water-repellent impregnation weakens slightly over time. To "revive" it, the finish can be reactivated by ironing the fabric at 150°C—and it will again repel water.

And the membrane with a PTFE coating is one of the most resistant to washing and wear. We tested it for 50 cycles—the properties remain within the norm. And we continue to monitor the sets that are already in use: we take them for intermediate tests and look at real wear. Feedback from firefighters is the best test. And so far, it has only been positive.

Science-Backed Protection: BTK’s “Multi-Protective” Materials for Firefighter Suits Significantly Exceed Minimum Safety Standards

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