Waterproof and oil-proof finishing has developed more and more rapidly in recent years. Organofluorine resin is a waterproof and oil-proof finishing agent with excellent performance. It is widely used in various products such as clothing, high-end interior decorations, shoes and socks, bed sheets, luggage, etc. due to its high effectiveness, resistance to deterioration, and ease of use. .
However, I believe that many people are not particularly clear about the two concepts of waterproof fabrics and water-repellent fabrics. Faced with the increasing number of outdoor brands claiming that their products are waterproof, they will have some doubts. Which fabrics are used in clothing are truly waterproof and why? For a product that already uses waterproof fabrics, do you need to emphasize that it has been treated with water-repellent treatment?
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 directly contact the 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 a pasting process to combine the film with other fabrics to form overlapping fabrics. Brands only need to purchase these composite fabrics to directly make waterproof clothing products. The fabrics used to overlap the film are not waterproof themselves, such as polyester fiber, nylon, etc., so when we wear waterproof clothing and encounter rain, we will see water seeping into the clothing, just like ordinary clothing, but the inside of the clothing But the layer is dry and no water seeps in. This is the role of the waterproof film in the middle of the overlapping fabrics.
What we see when water disperses into small droplets on clothing and then slides off is usually because the fabric used has been treated with water-repellent treatment. The anti-repellent treatment is actually a layer of special treatment covering the surface of the fabric. Usually DWR (Durable Water Repellency) is added to the finished fabric when it 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 fluorine-free polymer 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 repellency, oil resistance, and stain resistance, 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, other animals and plants. Scientists have now 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.
Looking at the entire development process: paraffin and silicone were used in the early stage, but their performance could not meet people’s growing pursuit of high performance. Therefore, with the help of science and technology, eight-carbon fluorine-based waterproof processing agents were born. The birth of the eight-carbon fluorocarbon series surpasses paraffin and silicone types in terms of waterproof performance, and brings oil-proof properties that the former does not have. It is a revolution, and its performance in the entire system is perfect. However, with the discovery during use, the eight-carbon fluorine system will be accompanied by the production of PFOA and PFOS by-products during the production process, which are difficult to degrade, bioaccumulative, and carcinogenic, so the eight-carbon fluorine system will withdraw from the stage of history.
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