Developed by DuPont™ and the U.S. Air Force, Thermo-Man® is built inside a container for conducting tests simulating the garment's exposure to direct fire, with temperatures up to 1200°C.

DuPont™ Thermo-Man® is a life-size mannequin, equipped with 122 heat sensors. The sensors record the temperature rise on the surface of the mannequin. The computer calculates the predicted percentage of second- and third-degree burn injuries a person might suffer under similar conditions.

Tests show that with exposure to the same flash fire, a worker dressed in cotton or polyester cotton could suffer combined second- and third-degree burns over up to 90% of his body. For a worker protected by Nomex®, the potential injury level could be contained to less than half, resulting in a lower degree of burn injury over a smaller body area and thus substantially increasing his chances of survival and reducing recovery time. See a demo in the short video above.

Previously Featured on DuPont's YouTube channel.