Japanese Firm Develops Stain-Resistant Polyester Fabric

A Japanese company Tuesday announced developing a stain-resistant polyester fabric that allows water absorption to remove stickiness and oil repellency to resist oil-based soiling. Teijin Fibers today claimed this breakthrough by leveraging proprietary fiber processing and nanotechnologies to succeed in covering the fiber surface with a 100-nanometer coating that consists of separate hydrophilic and oil-repellent layers. When sweat or other moisture contacts the fabric, water content is selectively absorbed and quickly spread to the hydrophilic layer, whereas oil is repelled and later can be easily washed off. The innovative new material offers an unprecedentedly soft texture because its special new coating is formed on each individual fiber, rather than the fabric as a unit, the company said. Polyester is hydrophobic material. It neither absorbs water nor repels oil-based grime. Existing water-repellent and oil-repellent materials present problems, such as loss of breathability and texture, because the coating is applied only to the top surface of the fabric, rather than each individual fiber. The company will begin selling the new fabric in time for spring and summer 2012 sportswear and apparel.