Fabric for protective garments

Heat, flame, and electric arc resistant fabric (1) for use as single or outer layer of protective garments, characterized in that it comprises at least two different warp yarns and at least two different weft yarns woven together at predefined positions so as to build closed, adjacent, and square shaped pockets having upper and lower fabric surfaces having different dimensional thermal shrinkages;

• the warp and weft yarns consisting of monofilament yarns, multifilament yarns, spun yarns or core spun yarns based on materials independently chosen from the group consisting of aramid fibers and filaments, polybenzimidazole fibers and filaments, polyamide-imide fibers and filaments, poly(paraphenylene benzobisoxazole) fibers and filaments, phenol-formaldehyde fibers and filaments, melamine fibers and filaments, natural fibers and filaments, glass fibers and filaments, carbon fibers and filaments, metal fibers and filaments, and composites thereof;
• and
• wherein the at least two different warp yarns and the at least two different weft yarns are woven together by alternating them so as to obtain a chess board design such that two adjacent pockets have different upper or lower fabric surfaces.