I’m planning on using fireproof armor in a novella of mine, and was wanting some advice on making it somewhat realistic. It’s made of a magical material that’s essentially immune to flame, and is lighter and stronger than steel. I know that in real life you need to worry about air, and I also know there needs to be some kind of visor that can be opened. Is there anything else I ought to consider?
Even plate armor is immune to flame, the pink squishy human inside can still be cooked within. So heat dissipation would be a good feature to have, unless you like roasted knight in a can. https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/are-there-materials-that-can-absorb-heat-without-becoming-hot/
You could google fireproof materials and adapt them for your story. I googled 'firefighter clothing material' and lots of stuff came up. As far as I know, you're writing fantasy, right? Then you can do whatever you want with our materials and incorporate them into whatever you need fireproofed
This is how effective fireproofing can be. Roman Grosjean crashed his car a few days ago, and it burst into a huge fireball. He emerges from the inferno and hops over the fence.
if magic's a thing you could just have normal amour 'charmed against fire'... realism isnt a big issue in that kind of fantasy
The classical/ medieval legend that salamanders are immune to fire led to further legends of fire-proof armor being made from salamander skins. I imagine such material would be quite lightweight. I don't think that really helps as far as realism goes but I think the world has had enough of realism.
Basically, what was said before; it needs to be: a) fireproof b) heat-reflective c) have a supply of air Easiest way would be with magic which would cover an area around the character where air would not heat. If that is impossible, well - armour has to be hermetically closed, because if it isn't - let's just say that fireproof armour is not of much use if your lungs just got scorched or you suffocate from smoke. And if you are far away enough that those things are not an issue, you don't need a special armour anyway, unless you are a firefighter (in which case, yes, fireproof armour would be a good idea 'cause, y'know, falling stuff that is on fire. Though keep in mind that plate armour was hot anyway, so I question the practicality of a firefighter wearing one. And mail armour wouldn't protect you from anything fire-related, so...). Anyway, ancient Romans IIRC used suits of asbesthos. Of course, there were issues: https://survivornet.ca/learn/health-concerns-for-cancer-patients/asbestos-mesothelioma-lung-cancer/the-abcs-of-asbestos/the-pre-industrial-history-of-asbestos/ https://www.unrv.com/economy/asbestos.php https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/asbestos/didyouknow.html https://blog.iseekplant.com.au/blog/asbestos-the-silent-killer-for-thousands-of-years https://www.sokolovelaw.com/blog/history-asbestos-two/
for me it would depend on how the fire resistant effect functions if it just flat out dissipates or absorbs the heat with no repercussions then a normal suit of amour or shield would be fine. but if only the material itself is fire proof then you would need some inner padding of something like i guess 'cooling' to activate when the armor is doused in fire for the squishy innards to be safe. as the flame proof outside would prevent the inside from being damaged by the fire but not the heat.
Perhaps they make use of a wonderful, white, fibrous material mined from the ground and is resistant to burning. And then they discover a large proportion of people dying of lung disease.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos
