DuPont does not recommend washing contaminated Tychem® 2000 garments for re-use. These garments are designed for limited-use. They can be worn until damaged, altered or contaminated. However, if the garments have not been contaminated, they can be cleaned for hygienic purposes and re-used. Please refer to the section on Decontamination and Cleaning in the Tychem® User Manual - Non-Encapsulated for more information.

The decision on whether or not a garment has been contaminated is made by local managers responsible for PPE based on an analysis of the incident in which the garment was used. This analysis may include exposure time, chemicals involved, level of exposure, proximity to the actual release, tasks performed, and environmental monitoring in the area in which the garment was worn.

Garments that are damaged, altered, or show signs of contamination, such as discoloration, odor, stiffening or cracks, should not be used.

Tychem® garments may be used for 5 years from the date of manufacture as long as all of the following conditions are met:

1. The garment has been stored properly (view storage conditions)
2. The garment has not been damaged, altered or contaminated
3. The garment passes a full visual inspection (view garment inspection instructions)

The substrate used to make Tychem® 2000 garments is treated with a topical antistatic agent to help minimize static build up and reduce nuisance garment cling.

In situations where static dissipation level is a critical performance property, end-users should evaluate the performance of their entire ensemble as worn including outer garments, inner garments, footwear and other PPE. In order for any garment system to be static dissipative, it must be able to drain a charge buildup through proper grounding devices, such as, but not limited to, workstation grounding clips or static-dissipative floors.

Under certain conditions, such as cold and dry weather, it is possible that garments might build and discharge static electricity. Discharges are not normally dangerous except in situations where the generation of an electrical spark could ignite a flammable atmosphere or startle the wearer. When operating around flammable chemicals, take steps to eliminate potential static discharges. In these situations, suggested steps include, but not limited to, water spray, the use of an overcover, raising humidity level of the work area, use of a commercial, anti-static application coating, grounding straps on equipment and personnel, inherently static-dissipating under- and over-garments, and testing of the worker's static dissipation before entry into the classified area.

However, in the case of explosive or flammable atmospheres, even if steps are taken to manage static formation and dissipate static charge, the risk of severe injury remains if an uncontrolled or accidental ignition occurs. Do not wearTychem® 2000 chemical protective garments in potentially flammable or explosive atmospheres. Do not knowingly enter an environment in which the concentration of flammable gas is within flammable or explosive limits while wearing a Tychem® 2000 garment. If you determine that you are in a potentially flammable or explosive environment, retreat immediately.

If not contaminated, Tychem® 2000 garments may be landfilled or incinerated in accordance with local regulations. Uncontaminated chemical protective garments may be incinerated in a facility that is capable of handling mixtures containing plastics. Likewise, an uncontaminated chemical protective garment may be buried in a facility that accepts plastic materials. Tychem® 2000 garments may contain several different materials; they are not suitable for recycling.

Contaminated garments that cannot be handled safely without protective equipment must be disposed of with other hazardous wastes, either through incineration or landfill per local regulations.

Before discarding, cut off a sleeve or a leg so the garments cannot be worn again as protective clothing.

Chemical protective clothing can interfere with the natural regulation of body temperature. This can lead to a rise in core body temperature and heat stress. Implementing a conservative work/rest schedule or using a cooling system like the DuPont™ Cool-Guard® vest may be effective in reducing heat stress. (Note: Do not wear cooling vests in potentially flammable or explosive environments.)

Be aware of the symptoms and treatment of heat stress. If you or your co-workers have symptoms of heat stress such as nausea, dizziness, high heart rates, or excessive heat build-up, leave the work area immediately and remove the ensemble as quickly as possible after decontamination and seek professional care.

The maximum length of time the chemical protective clothing can be worn depends on variables such as the air supply, ambient conditions, climate inside the ensemble, physical and psychological conditions of the wearer, work rate and work load. The TLV® pocket guide from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH, Cincinnati) provides corrected heat stress limits for some garments. Similar information is available on the federal OSHA web site (www.OSHA.gov). The WBGT correction factor for chemical protective garments is at least 10°C or higher for chemical garments made of impervious films (such as Tychem® garments) and covering the entire body (hooded coverall or encapsulating designs). For Tyvek® coveralls, the WBGT correction factor is 2°C with a hood and 1°C without a hood.

Tychem® 2000 garments have not been designed for controlled environment applications. DuPont offers a full line of garments that have been specially manufactured, processed and packaged for use in controlled environment applications. Please see our complete line of controlled environment products at www.safespeccleanroom.dupont.com.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are written in accordance with applicable federal regulations, 29 CFR 1910.1200, to communicate health and safety data on usage and handling of hazardous chemicals. Under this regulation, DuPont™ Tyvek® 400, Tyvek® 400 D, Tyvek® 500, Tyvek® 600, Tyvek® 400 FC, ProShield®, ProShield® 70 , ProShield® 50 , ProShield® 10, ProShield® 60, ProShield® 6 SFR and Tychem®, materials and garments are defined as articles, not chemicals, and the SDS and labeling requirements in that standard do not apply.

Other than Tychem® 6000 FR, Tychem® chemical protective garments will ignite and continue to burn.

Wearing garments made of Nomex® or any other flame-resistant fabric under Tychem® garments, other than Tychem® 6000 FR, will not reduce burn injury during a fire or electric arc exposure. Other than Tychem® 6000 FR, Tychem® garments will burn and possibly melt when exposed to a fire or electric arc flash; this may increase burn injuries even when worn over garments made of Nomex® or any other flame-resistant fabric.

And because Tychem® garments melt, except for Tychem® 6000 FR do not wear Tychem® garments under a garment made of Nomex® or any other flame resistant fabric if the potential for fire or electric arc flash exists.

Do not knowingly enter an environment in which the concentration of flammable gas is within flammable or explosive limits when wearing a Tychem® garment, including when wearing a Tychem® 6000 FR garment. Retreat immediately if you encounter such an environment while wearing any Tychem® garment, including Tychem® 6000 FR.

No Tychem® garment, including Tychem® 6000 FR,is intended for fire fighting activities, nor for protection from hot liquids, steam, molten metals, welding, or thermal radiation. Tychem® 6000 FR garments are designed and tested to help reduce injury during escape from a fire and to provide some protection from electric arcs.

Store Tychem® 2000 garments in a cool, dark, dry location free of dirt and insects. Sunlight, ozone, high temperatures (>120° F ; 49° C), vehicle exhaust fumes, compression under heavy weights and sharp edges or projections are some conditions known to degrade the materials in these garments.

Store Tychem® 2000 garments in boxes, in bags or on hangers. Never step on protective garments. Never place or store heavy objects on top of protective garments.

Tychem® garments can be worn in ambient temperatures of -13°F (-25°C) to 165°F (74°C).
In colder environments, Tychem® garments can become stiff. If cold enough, the fabric may even become brittle. Please be aware that the heat stress of the wearer becomes a greater concern in higher ambient temperatures. At higher temperatures, chemical hazards can become more aggressive. Breakthrough times and permeation rates may change at higher temperatures. The published permeation data per ASTM F739 is performed at ambient temperatures (approximately 72-81° F ; 22-27° C).

Caution: Tychem® fabrics offer little or no thermal insulation to protect the wearer's skin from prolonged exposure to hot or cold.

With the exception of models TF 611T, QS 127T and QC 125T with option code DC, as of January 1, 2006, all DuPont™ Tychem® garments that are manufactured by DuPont and sold in the United States are manufactured under specifications that exclude components containing natural rubber latex or are manufactured in such a way that any natural rubber latex will not come in contact with the wearer during normal handling and use.