You might have heard about Welding Jackets at least once. If not, then that’s totally fine because you have landed on the right article to enlighten yourselves about welding jackets and their uses.
What is the Purpose of a Welding Jacket?
Welding jackets were made to shield welders from hazardous and flammable substances. It is a welder’s primary job to work in an environment with intense heat and use metallic tools for welding, which are potentially dangerous. These jackets offer protection against intense heat and burns and prevent welders from getting burn marks through sparks and flames. Welding jackets are designed in such a way that they fully cover the neck area down to the waist of a welder.
Welders are prone to skin cancer because of the incessant UV and IR radiation they are exposed to. The source of these insanely harmful radiations is the welding arc.
Plenty of welding jackets are available in the market, made up of flame-resistant materials such as cotton, leather, and nylon. But which jacket is best for you? Well, the answer depends on what environment you work in. Suppose you work in an insanely hot environment. In that case, please go with flame-resistant leather, especially because it is very durable and offers great thermal and fire resistance.
On the other hand, cotton welding jackets are good for use in an environment with mildly intense heat. In summer, cotton jackets are generally better because they are usually not too warm. Secondly, these jackets are breathable and lightweight, thus, are satisfactory in mild hot environments.
Why Do You Need a Welding Jacket?
In the above sections, we have discussed in great detail why welding jackets are useful for welders and how they protect the body. We will elaborate a bit more on why you need a welding jacket.
Firstly, you should understand that welding jackets are worn to RESIST fire, not avoid it completely. The jackets are not fireproof but are fire-resistant. The resistance to fire of a material happens only when it undergoes certain chemical treatments. Like cotton, itself is flammable, but it is chemically treated to become flame resistant. For the upper body, welding jackets are a good shield. For the lower half, you can wear leather or denim pants, which are strong, comfortable, and durable. For shoes, you can go for sturdy boots, like ones made from steel!
No matter the environment in which you are welding, and no matter the equipment you are using, it is always a good idea to be covered from head to toe to prevent any unprecedented injury or burn from happening to you.
What is The Best Material for Welding clothes?
A good welding jacket should not burn up; therefore, it should be composed of flame-resistant material. Due to its ability to shield welders from heat, molten metal, and sparks, this material is essential. Cotton and leather, which are both flame-resistant materials, are frequently used to make welding jackets. We will now compare some of the characteristics of leather and cotton jackets made of flame-resistant materials.
Cotton
Cotton is often used in welding jackets because it is affordable, lightweight, and breathable. The unique feature of this flame-resistant material is that it has been given a chemical treatment that drives all gases away from it. Because the jacket is washed with a chemical that deprives the atmosphere of oxygen, even if flames or heat are present, combustion is impossible due to a lack of oxygen, allowing these jackets to effectively survive in an environment that contains flames and heat.
Despite readily being able to withstand fire and flames, flame-resistant jackets risk being burned and blackened when they touch molten metal and splatter. Better foundation cotton with additional layers is the answer to defense against these toxins since it will increase the jacket’s durability and improve its quality.
When welding in mild conditions, when the heat isn’t too strong and searing, and the flames are relatively lower, it’s a good idea to wear a cotton-made flame-resistant jacket. In circumstances where the heat is exceptionally intense, the cotton jacket’s flame-retardant properties might not be sufficient to shield the welders. Because they are only used in modest circumstances, these coats often endure for a few months. The finest feature is that they can also be removed with soap in the event that the welders desire to get rid of extra dirt or other material.
Leather
For a very long time, leather has been the top flame-resistant material. Because of its thickness, leather is the finest material for providing heat protection. The excellent resilience of the leather prevents abrasion or puncture.
There are many different grades and cuts of leather. Several leather materials offer varying degrees of comfort and protection for the welder. As an illustration, consider grain leather, which is seen on animal hides. Grain leather is the greatest for protection since it is robust, hardy, and long-lasting. This leather is used by many businesses and has treatments applied to it to make it thin and pleasant to wear.
Grain leather is also great for preventing the welder from sparks and spatter. This leather has a quality that repels hazardous stuff.
Nylon
Nylon is a widely used material in welding jackets mainly because it is durable, sturdy, yet lightweight. This synthetic material is machine washable and has a low moisture absorbency rate. Nylon jackets can survive in very intense environments and are also resistant to tears and gush. Nylon is also commonly used with kevlar, heat-resistant, and synthetic fiber. The combination of nylon and kevlar produces an extremely long-lasting and durable jacket that can survive all sorts of heavy-duty work and industrial welding. The only drawback is that these mixed fiber jackets do not offer much protection against ultraviolet rays.
All in all, getting the right kind of jacket for yourself is imperative. Get the right sized jacket that is flame resistant and is guaranteed to shield you from sparks and flames and prevent you from burning.