Nomex is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under fire: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare Nomex with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: Nomex
Nomex (poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide)) is a family of grades whose density ~1.38 g/cm³, heat band does not melt; decomposes ~400 °C+, and fire letter inherently FR textile.
What “the material” actually is
Nomex is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide), density ~1.38 g/cm³, heat band does not melt; decomposes ~400 °C+.
This atlas treats Nomex as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: low (fibre); papers electrically insulating. Insulation score 48/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: inherently FR textile. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: DuPont 1960s, United States. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: aramid.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 36/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
Related atlas
Around Nomex
Related atlas entries, a short glossary, and three threads that keep Nomex honest.
Decision walkthrough on Nomex: fire 94, insulation 48, and one fact already on file — not a code stamp.
Read the fire-performance mark — Fire on this hub is 94/100 — teaching comparison among atlas materials.
Read the insulation mark — Insulation is 48/100 — heat-flow story, not the same question as flame.
Sit one published fact beside them — Quick fact on file: Class: Meta-aramid.
Sustainability is not a fire skip — A high sustainability mark does not replace fire protection in a real assembly.
Not a building-code rating — Named tests, thickness and build-up still decide compliance — this page is literacy only.
On Nomex, fire 94 and insulation 48 answer different jobs; Class: Meta-aramid grounds one real detail.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Thermal mark or safety fact first?
Second lab decision on Nomex: heat-resistance 88 beside published thermal fact Conductivity — literacy, not a code stamp.
Read the heat-resistance mark — Heat resistance on this hub is 88/100 — a thermal story, different from the fire/insulation pair.
Sit one thermal fact beside it — Properties chapter lists Conductivity among published thermal rows.
Heat resistance is not a fire skip — A high thermal mark does not replace named fire tests in a real assembly.
Still not a building-code rating — Thickness, build-up and named tests decide compliance — this page teaches axes only.
On Nomex, heat 88 and Conductivity are a second thermal/safety reading after fire vs insulation.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Heat line to keep
A decision from printed marks. Not a building permit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nomex non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: inherently FR textile. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Nomex insulate?
Thermal mark 48/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: low (fibre); papers electrically insulating.
What is the density band?
~1.38 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: DuPont 1960s (United States).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 36/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
does not melt; decomposes ~400 °C+
What should it be paired with?
aramid: The para-aramid strength cousin (Kevlar).
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
DuPont Nomex
United States · 1960s–
DuPont Nomex is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
Firefighter turnout
Global · 1970s–
Firefighter turnout is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
F1 underwear
Global · 1980s–
F1 underwear is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
Transformer paper
Global · 1970s–
Transformer paper is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
Honeycomb core
Aero · 1970s–
Honeycomb core is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
Arc-flash suit
Global · 2000s–
Arc-flash suit is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
NASA flight suit
United States · 1960s–
NASA flight suit is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
Meta vs para
Global · lab
Meta vs para is a reference point in the public image of Nomex.
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