Teijin to unveil pH controlling polyester fibre
Japanese polyester fibre manufacturing group Teijin has announced that it has developed a new polyester fabric that remains gentle to human skin by stably maintaining its mildly acidic pH level, similar to healthy skin. At launch, it will be the world’s first commercial polyester material to offer pH control.
Teijin will begin selling the new fabric in time for spring-summer 2012 sportswear. It also will be marketed for general apparel and other applications. The fabric will be exhibited at two international sports trade shows in 2011: Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City, US (January 20-23), and ISPO in Munich, Germany (February 6-9). Teijin achieved the fabric’s mild acidity by modifying polyester polymer, rather than adhering agents to fibres, to enable it to maintain its pH level stably after repeated washing and wear, while also maintaining polyester’s superior characteristics such as water-absorption and quick-drying properties. The fabric features value-added properties such as gentleness to skin, odour prevention, antibacterial and stain resistance. Currently, fabrics with such properties use agents that are adhered to their fibres through post-processing treatment, which can lead to low functionality, limited durability and a loss of original texture over time. Fabrics offering pH control have been limited to water-absorbing (hydrophilic) fibres, such as cotton and rayon, neither of which sufficiently promotes the rapid drying of large amounts of perspiration, a basic requirement of high-performance sportswear. The skin of a healthy person generally is mildly acidic, but can become more alkaline due to sweating in warm weather or drying in cooler weather. The continuance of either condition for very long can result in odours and stains due to destructive bacteria which in turn can lead to increased susceptibility to the damaging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Teijin has stated that it modified polyester polymer, which is intrinsically hydrophobic (neutral), to create localized hydrophilic properties and mild acidity on the fibre’s surface. As a result, the new fabric maintains its mildly acidic pH level even when the wearer is perspiring.
