Shaping the next generation of athletic apparel

When consumers are exercising outdoors or enjoying a hike, there are some things they might like to avoid. Rain that soaks through their clothes is one of them. Creating water repellent fabrics that maintain their performance over time has been a focus for the textile industry for years. It’s not as easy as it sounds – and there are a lot of factors at play! For consumers that want clothing to perform outside and in more extreme conditions for a long time, durability is key.

Solutions exist but they nearly always have a distinctive technology gap – the “beading” effect doesn’t last after multiple washes, it requires heat to activate, or the material isn’t soft to the touch. 

The first step was building the right innovation team – with experts from Research and Product Development and across industries beyond sport and outdoor gear. That’s because, sometimes, the building blocks for the perfect solution are discovered in a totally separate application. For the task of inventing a technology that was both water repellent and durable, Dow looked to the power of silicone.

Silicones are naturally hydrophobic, which makes them ideal for waterproofing applications across industries. The magic behind this patented technology enabled by silicone for textiles, however, was in Dow scientists fine-tuning it for strength, stability and softness. 

How? Dow tapped into its expertise in advanced testing capabilities. During the extensive Research & Development phase, a variety of popular performance textiles – from woven nylon/spandex to jersey to polyester – were treated with DOWSIL™ IE-8749 Emulsion and tested for wash-resistance, color retention, water repellency and feel.

This durability also means that consumers can love their performance apparel for longer. And there’s another bonus – no scratchy, uncomfortable fabric, just softness.

Another benefit of this technology for brands is in its adaptability. It is a concentrated solution, so it is easy to dilute and formulate with other ingredients for tailoring additional performance benefits.

In sport and apparel, the finish line is always inching forward, which means we cannot rest on past success. By designing this durable water repellent technology within a multi-generational product development program, apparel manufacturers can look forward to constant innovation as Dow scientists continue to iterate advancements, invent and patent novel technologies.

Visit dow.com/dwr to learn more about Dow’s latest developments in textiles durable water repellents.