Flame retardant fabrics

thumb|A firefighter in Toronto, Canada wears a Nomex hood in 2007.

Polybenzimidazole (PBI, short for 'poly[2,2’-(m-phenylen)-5,5’-bisbenzimidazole]') fiber is a synthetic fiber with a very high decomposition temperature. It does not exhibit a melting point, does not readily ignite, and has exceptional thermal and chemical stability. It was first discovered in 1961, by American polymer chemist Carl Shipp Marvel in the pursuit of new materials with superior stability, retention of stiffness, and toughness at elevated temperature. Due to its high stability, polybenzimidazole is used to fabricate high-performance protective apparel such as firefighter's gear, ast

fireproof PTFE-impregnated glass fabric used in aerospace applications