Arc thermal performance value is often referred to as ATPV. Arc thermal performance value is one of the two values that determine the arc rating of a piece of clothing. This is often used to determine the arc rating of personal protective equipment, otherwise known as PPE. If you’re interested in understanding arc thermal performance values, keep reading.
ATPV Explained
Understanding arc thermal performance values starts with defining the term. Arc thermal performance values are the test results that come from testing PPE. In this instance, the PPE is flame-resistant clothing. Basically, ATPV is the measurement of a fabric’s ability to protect someone from a burn. If a fabric has a higher ATPV, it’s a more protective fabric. The ATPV of FR clothing suggests that an individual has a 50 percent chance of getting a second-degree burn if they’re exposed to an electric arc. This happens if the electric arc has the same calories of incident energy. If exposed to an incident with energy levels higher than the arc rating, the fabric can break open.
EBT Explained
Another important term to understand is the energy break-open threshold, otherwise known as EBT. The energy break-open threshold is determined after the garment breaks open but before a second-degree burn occurs. If the EBT value is equal to or below the ATPV value, the EBT value is what gets recorded as the arc rating.
Arc Rating Explained
It’s important to understand ATPV and EBT when discussing the arc rating of FR clothing. The arc rating is the number of calories that the garment can absorb if it’s exposed to an electric arc. The arc rating is the protection level provided by FR clothing. It utilizes the ASTM 1959 standard. The lowest value of the two, either ATPV or EBT, is what’s used of the FR clothing label.
At FR Outlet, we are your one-stop-shop for flame-resistant clothing. We offer FR work shirts and many other protective clothing options. Our products are NFPA 70E & 2112 compliant and HRC 2 arc-rated. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.