Nomex is a registered trademark for flame-resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s
Nomex and related aramid polymers are related to nylon, but have aromatic backbones, and hence are more rigid and more durable.). Unlike Kevlar, Nomex cannot align during filament formation and has poorer strength. However, it has excellent thermal, chemical, and radiation resistance for a polymer material.
It is sold in both fibre and sheet forms and is used as a fabric wherever resistance from heat and flame is required. Nomex sheet is actually a calendered paper and made in a similar fashion. Nomex Type 410 paper is the original and one of the larger grade types made, mostly for electrical insulation purposes. Nomex fiber is made in the USA and in Spain (Asturias).
The paper is used in electrical laminates such as circuit boards and transformer cores as well as fireproof honeycomb structures. Honeycomb structures such as these, as well as mylar-Nomex laminates are used extensively in aircraft construction. Both the firefighting and vehicle racing industries use Nomex to create clothing and equipment that can withstand intense heat.
A Nomex hood is a common piece of racing and firefighting equipment. It is placed on the head on top of a firefighter’s face mask. The hood protects the portions of the head not covered by the helmet and face mask from the intense heat of the fire.
Race car drivers wear driving suits constructed of Nomex and or other fire retardant materials, along with Nomex gloves, long underwear, balaclavas, socks, helmet lining and shoes to protect them in the event of a fire. The FIA and the SFI Foundation provide specifications for flame-resistant drivers clothing to be used in racing. The standards range from single layer suits that provide some protection against flash fires to much thicker multilayer SFI-15 suits required by the National Hot Rod Association that can protect a driver for up to 40 seconds against the intense heat and almost invisible flames .
Military pilots and aircrew wear flight suits made of over 92 percent Nomex to protect them from the possibility of cockpit fires and other mishaps. Recently, troops riding in ground vehicles have also begun wearing Nomex. The remaining material is typically Kevlar thread used to hold the fabric together at the seams.
Military tank drivers also typically use Nomex hoods as protection against fire and extreme cold.
In the U.S. space program, also use Nomex..
Nomex has also been used for its acoustic qualities, the first time being used in Troy, NY, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC’s) main concert hall. A ceiling canopy of Nomex reflects high and mid frequency sound, providing reverberation, while letting lower frequency sound partially pass through the canopy.According to RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson, EMPAC is the first venue in the world to use Nomex for acoustic reasons.
Nomex (like Kevlar) is also used in the production of loudspeaker drivers.
Source : http://ow.ly/SvFtz
