SWITZERLAND: Schoeller buoyed by eco-friendly water repellent
By Leonie Barrie | 9 July 2012
A water repelling high-tech fabric finish inspired by the way ducks and other water fowl can dive under water and re-emerge with their feathers still dry is attracting interest from companies such as Mammut and Adidas Porsche Design, its developer says.
Schoeller Technologies launched its environmentally friendly Ecorepel at the beginning of this year.
It is based on long, biodegradable paraffin chains that wrap themselves as a spiral around individual fibres, filaments or yarns in a very fine film. This reduces surface tension so that water droplets and even mud - which have significantly higher surface tension - simply run off.
The breathability and handle of the textile is not affected, the company says, and because no fluorocarbons are used it is biodegradable, passes the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 test, and complies with the Bluesign standard too.
Applications on various fibre types such as wool, cotton and synthetic fibres have tested successfully, as well as on fabrics like denim, soft-shell and fleece.
Sectors: Apparel, Fibres & fabrics, Manufacturing, Retail, Social & environmental responsibility, Sourcing
Companies: Schoeller
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