TenCate Protective Fabrics has unveiled a new finish which is completely free of PFAS chemicals. This is in response to growing demand from the fire service industry to move away from products containing PFAS-based chemistry. The company is working with supply chain and garment manufacturing partners for phased availability of outer shells with new finish.

TenCate Protective Fabrics is the leading global producer of protective fabrics. The new, ground-breaking innovation is called, FreeFAS. The TenCate Protective Fabrics team is working with supply chain and garment manufacturing partners to bring all NFPA 1971 outer shells finished with FreeFAS to market with phased commercial availability starting in Spring 2021.

"The safety and well-being of our end-users has always been the driving force behind our innovations. TenCate Protective Fabrics is paying close attention to the recent movement around PFAS-free finishes as we anticipate what comes next in the field of protective materials," the company said.

Currently, all TenCate Protective Fabrics outer shells achieve Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification to ensure next-to-skin safety compliance. The fabric manufacturer is committed to achieving this same, independent, third-party certification on all future outer shells made with FreeFAS as well, to help ensure end-user well-being.

FreeFAS will initially be offered alongside TCPF's legacy Super Shelltite finish, and will replace legacy finishes as market demands for traditional solutions subside.