PBI Performance Products Inc. is the world's only producer of high performance polybenzimidazole fiber. PBI fiber is the world's leading inherently flame-resistant and thermally stable fiber produced in Rock Hill, SC USA. Through people, products and perseverance, our goal is to provide insight and offer high performance PBI solutions for a variety of demanding, high tech applications including pr
otective clothing for structural and wildlands firefighting and performance apparel for station wear/physical training. MORE:
Since opening its doors in 1983, PBI Performance Products Inc. has experienced a high level of success as the world's only producer of the polybenzimidazole (PBI) fiber. Manufacturing the PBI Gold®, PBI TriGuard™ and PBI Matrix®, PBI Performance Products strives to protect workers in the fire service, industrial, military and special operations industries from the dangers associated with heat and flame. With 25 successful years behind the company, the employees at PBI are proud of where they are today, and see a lot of opportunities for the next 25 years. The history of the PBI fiber and polymer dates back to 1961, when H. Marvel first synthesized PBI and discovered its ability to maintain exceptional thermal and oxidative stability. After the crew of the Apollo 1 was killed due to a fire during a pre-launch test in 1967, NASA began searching for a flame-resistant material to use in the flight suits. In 1969, after discovering Vogel and Marvel's research papers, NASA started using the PBI fiber to protect its astronauts, marking the first time that PBI was used to offer protection from fire. The PBI polymer gained an even wider acceptance when, in 1978, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) published its Project FIRES (Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System) report. The report stated that a blend of 40-percent PBI/60-percent Kevlar provided high tear strength and high heat resistance. "Project FIRES was a very important report, and it really put PBI fiber on the map in the fire service industry," said Grant Reeves, PBI's president. According to William Lawson, PBI's managing director and COO, PBI gained an even larger share of the U.S. fire service industry when the New York City Fire Department switched to PBI in 1994. In 1996, PBI began selling globally and today, the company's products have gained a global acceptance as being the highest performing dimensionally stable, flame-resistant fiber on the market. PBI reached another milestone in 2005 when The InterTech Group Inc., owned by Jerry and Anita Zucker, purchased the company, giving it new life and a new mandate to grow and fulfill its global potential. "The new ownership has allowed the company to expand geographically and technologically, and there is a commitment to expand that technology," Reeves said. "Jerry Zucker saw great potential for the business and re-energized our work force to strive for higher goals," Lawson said. "Sadly, Mr. Zucker recently passed away and while we will miss him, his vision for the business has been deeply rooted." That vision, shared by to Reeves, sees PBI as being the pre-eminent level of protection for firefighters globally. "We also see PBI as a material that is destined to play a major role in our space program, and as a material that will replace quartz, ceramics and some metals in the electronic and semiconductor industry," he said. "Perhaps most importantly, PBI will also be a solution in cleaning the environment, whether it's separating carbon dioxide from natural gas or making ethanol distillation more efficient." "We also see PBI as diversifying into military applications where the threat from flash burn is the primary threat, and we see growth from the international acceptance of PBI," he said. "We know there are many markets that are in need of higher performance materials," Lawson said. "As those needs become more apparent, we believe PBI will either be the solution or be part of the solution."
