When traveling outdoors to cope with changing weather, waterproof jackets, pants and even shoes are very important. However, I believe many people are not particularly clear about the two concepts of waterproof fabrics and water-repellent fabrics. Faced with the increasing number of people claiming that their products are waterproof When it comes to functional outdoor brands, there are some doubts about which fabrics are used in clothing that are truly waterproof. Why do products that already use waterproof fabrics emphasize that they have been treated with water-repellent treatment? The editor will give you a simple introduction to the differences.
Fabric waterproofing usually refers to the waterproof functionality of the fabric itself. After the initial compact fabrics and coated waterproof fabrics, waterproof fabrics are now mainly pasted film fabrics. The key to exerting the waterproof effect lies in the materials used in the fabrics. functional films.
The adhesive film-type fabrics that initially occupied the largest market share are basically made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) films. This type of film is a microporous film. The waterproof performance is expressed by the water pressure value it can withstand, which is not 100 % waterproof, and according to European environmental research, PTFE materials can produce environmentally harmful compounds when manufactured, landfilled and incinerated. In recent years, the environmental protection community has increasingly questioned PTFE materials, and some countries have begun to restrict the use of PTFE materials. Landfilling and incineration are the main methods of domestic waste treatment in the world, and these two treatment methods will produce perfluorinated compounds when processing PTFE materials. Fluorides will pollute the atmosphere and land. Due to the long period of natural decomposition of fluorides, so The environmental pollution caused by PTFE materials will be long-lasting and long-lasting. In comparison, another kind of film that has been adopted by more and more brands in recent years – non-porous hydrophilic film is not only non-porous itself and 100% waterproof, making the product’s waterproof performance more reliable, some non-porous hydrophilic films are more Because of its environmentally friendly and harmless characteristics, it is favored by more people in the industry. For example, SympaTex? film is a molecular compound of polyether and polyester. It contains absolutely no PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) components and can be directly contacted. Skin, harmless to the body, and can be recycled like PET plastic bottles.
Usually, these fabric manufacturers with film technology do not directly sell films to clothing brands. They use the pasting process to combine the film with other fabrics to form a composite fabric (as shown in the picture above, the middle layer is a film). The brand only needs Purchasing these composite fabrics can directly make waterproof clothing products. The fabrics used to combine with the film are not waterproof themselves, such as polyester fiber, nylon, etc., so when we wear waterproof clothing and encounter wet weather, we will see water seeping into the clothing, just like clothing made of ordinary fabrics. , but the inner layer of the clothing is dry and no water seeps in. This is the role of the waterproof film in the middle of the composite fabric.
What we see when water disperses into small droplets on clothing and then slides off (as shown in the picture above) is usually because the fabric used has been treated with water-repellent treatment. The anti-repellent treatment is actually a special layer covering the surface of the fabric. Treatment, usually adding DWR (Durable Water Repellency) when the finished fabric is finalized, to obtain durable water-repellent properties. The purpose of using DWR coating is that when water drips onto the surface of the clothing, it can form small water droplets or directly slide off the surface of the clothing to prevent the fabric from absorbing water. At the same time, it also makes it easier to remove oil stains attached to the surface of the clothing. Most waterproof clothing uses this kind of DWR water-repellent treatment. The advantage of using DWR treatment is that the surface layer of the clothing does not absorb moisture, thereby ensuring that the waterproof fabric can achieve good breathability, so that the human body can wear it very well. Feel.
DWR technology can generally be classified into two types based on related performance: fluoride-containing DWR and fluoride-free DWR. Fluoride-containing DWR refers to DWR surface treatment based on fluoropolymers, such as PFOA (perfluorooctanoate), which is currently widely used in the clothing industry. Although it can provide a high degree of water-repellent, oil-proof, and anti-fouling properties, fluoride Hydroxide elements are not easily degraded, and can be released into water sources and the atmosphere through various factors such as heat, water immersion, ultraviolet rays, etc., causing harm to humans and other animals and plants. Scientists have already detected the presence of this compound in human and animal blood samples from around the world. Although there is currently no evidence to point out the carcinogenic risks of PFOA and relevant regulations for the restriction of PFOA, the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has proposed to include PFOA in the list of chemical substances suspected of being toxic to the reproductive system.
At present, fluorocarbon-free DWR is commonly used: wax, paraffin, polyurethane, dendrimers or silicone, etc. to replace fluorocarbons as the basic element as a water repellent restoration agent for outdoor products. Since mid-2008, SympaTex? has begun to provide consumers with an environmentally friendly, fluorocarbon-free DWR water-repellent product. This product is an environmentally friendly product for textiles developed jointly with partner Rudolf Chemicals: BIONICFINISHECO?. In fact, SympaTex? is also the first company to develop fluorocarbon-free environmentally friendly DWR water-repellent technology products for textiles.
In the U.S. EPA 2010/2015 PFOA regulatory process, the main chemicalsManufacturers, including DuPont and Clariant, have also voluntarily committed to completely eliminating PFOA toxic chemicals in production by 2015 and replacing them with more environmentally friendly and low-emission products.
It is worth mentioning that DWR water-repellent treatment is not permanent, but correct washing and ironing methods can extend the effect of DWR water-repellent treatment. And if your clothing loses its water-repellent effect, don’t worry. Currently DWR coating restorers are commercially available.
So you can see that clothing using waterproof fabrics can basically meet the functional requirements of 100% waterproof (PTFE film products under certain conditions, non-porous hydrophilic membrane under any conditions), but in order to obtain a more comfortable wearing experience , so that these waterproof fabrics can exert a good breathable effect, DWR water-repellent treatment is also necessary.
In addition, the complete waterproofing of clothing is also closely related to the waterproof performance of the taped strips and zippers used at the seams, because the waterproof and water-repellent properties of the fabric refer to the functionality of the fabric itself, the needle holes at the seams or the gaps in the zippers Clothing cannot be 100% waterproof without treatment.
Source of article: China Textile Network
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