FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions:
Smoke emission from our products exposed to high temperature
Many of our products are woven, knitted, needled or coated in machines where some organic lubricating oil is used on the machinery components.  A small amount of the oil can be left on the products.  When exposed to high temperature for the first time, they can smoke slightly.
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The smoke is harmless, and tends to smell like burning cooking oil. This smoke-off may take 10 to 15 minutes (at temperatures above 300°F / 149°C) upon the first running of the engine / exhaust system, or heating of the pipe, hose, etc.

This smoke-off also occurs on products with PSA (pressure-sensitive-adhesive), or with products where an adhesive has been used to laminate layers together.  In this case the smoke off may take longer, as there is usually more adhesive than other materials where the smoke-off is from lubricating oils.

In the case of adhesive smoke-off, we recommend that the area be well ventilated, as the smoke may be from acrylic, silicone or natural rubber adhesive products.

Items that are "heat-cleaned", such as many fabrics and sleeves, have already been heat cycled to remove the organics, and these items do not emit any smoke when heated in situ.

Sometimes smoke may emit from systems where heat-cleaned or oil-free products are used.  This may be for example from a piping system where an insulation blanket is installed, and the blanket has been fabricated from organic-free materials; often this is from a coating, cleaner, paint or other item on the pipe itself.

Smoke may emit from removable engine insulation blankets where the blanket is not properly installed, caused by a piece of the outer cold-side fabric being folded or pushed down to contact the hot pipe surface.


Materials that resist catching fire, burn slowly, or retard burning can be described as either "incombustible", "non-flammable", "non-combustible", "fire-resistant" or "fire-retardant".  "Self-extinguishing" materials cease burning once the flame or heat source is removed.  "Fireproof" is understood to mean that an object cannot burn, but few materials are truly fireproof. 

Most of our products fall within one or more of the above descriptions: they resist high temperature, flame, fire, molten metal splash and weld splatter very well but may melt with prolonged exposures past their designed maximum continuous operating temperature.  They can also provide OSHA, ANSI-FM & NFPA compliance and personnel protection.

Using our products to retain heat or cold within pipes, hoses, enclosures or equipment helps conserve energy and resources, and reduces operating costs.
AB Technology Group: Keeping Our World Cooler ä