Contamination protection for products and processes in cleanrooms requires effective particle barrier clothing, while personal protection from hazardous substances requires an effective defence against biological and chemical substances. Tyvek® and Tyvek® IsoClean® protective clothing covers cleanroom protection needs.

Cleanroom clothing primarily functions as a personal filter that protects products and processes from contamination by people, who can often act as the most serious source of particle emission in a cleanroom. Some cleanroom work, on the other hand, requires the protection of people from hazardous substances, such as liquid or solid chemicals as well as biological agents. These hazards may occur not only in chemical, pharmaceutical and microbiological environments, but also, for instance, in the production of computer chips or while painting under cleanroom conditions.

Both cleanroom clothing and chemical protective clothing need to meet the same basic criteria for use in a cleanroom: the material and suit must be low-linting, the design must be sufficiently tight and the danger of collecting particles on the surface of the garment must be minimised.

The potential effectiveness of clothing as a particle filter to help protect products and processes, and as a barrier to protect the wearer, can be demonstrated using Tyvek® and Tyvek® IsoClean® protective clothing. The clothing and its materials are subjected to a whole range of checks to help ensure their suitability for use in a cleanroom.

• Tyvek® IsoClean® garments have a long history of use in cleanrooms due to their excellent barrier to particles, microorganisms and water-based liquid chemicals. Made from DuPont™ Tyvek® flashspun HDPE, they offer an ideal balance of protection, durability, comfort and contamination control. They are available in many styles for different cleanroom and controlled environment applications, and are packed and certified to meet European and global requirements.
• Tyvek® 500 Labo, with attached slip-retardant overshoes and inside seams, was developed to help provide head-to-toe protection for those working in controlled environments in laboratories or the pharmaceutical industry. Tyvek® 500 Labo helps protect the wearer and the products and processes, while remaining supremely comfortable. It is CE certified to Type 5 and 6.
• Tyvek® 600 Plus suits offer Type 4-B, 5 and 6 protection, as they have tight over-taped seams, helping provide additional protection from liquid aerosols and particulates. This type of suit can also be used when dealing with biological agents as it offers an effective barrier against biologically contaminated dust under EN 14126:2003. Also available with attached socks.

Moreover, Tyvek® suits can be complemented with a diverse range of accessories.

Tyvek® benefits at a glance

• Protective: Good two-way particle barrier and chemical permeation barrier to low concentration, water-based chemicals
• Extremely light yet strong, continuing to provide protection in use
• Comfortable: Both air and water vapour permeable
• Ultra low linting and silicon free
• Highly resistant to tear and abrasion