The recent oil and gas boom in the United States has caused an unprecedented need for the fire-resistant (FR) apparel mandated for workers by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). According to consulting group Frost & Sullivan, U.S. sales of protective clothing rose from $1.5 billion in 2011 to $1.6 billion in 2012 and are expected to reach $2.7 billion by 2017. With the rapid growth of FR workwear over the last several years, many new fabric suppliers and new fabric options have become available to service the large number of new users in an increasingly diverse and hazardous ...