Japanese fibre producer Teijin Fibers has developed what it calls an “innovative stain-resistant polyester fabric”. The fabric has both oil repellency and water absorption qualities, according to Teijin.

These characteristics make the polyester fabric suitable for uniforms, sportswear and casual apparel. The company will commence the sale of the stain-resistant fabric in summer and spring of 2012.

The new material enables innerwear to resist oil-based stains from cosmetics, sebum and other products and eliminates stickiness by absorbing water and sweat, Teijin claims. The company used fibre-processing and nanotechnologies to cover the fibre surface with a 100-nanometre coating that includes individual oil-repellent and hydrophilic layers.

“As polyester is a hydrophobic material, it does not repel stains or absorb water,” claims a statement from Teijin. “In current oil-repellent and water-absorbing materials, the coating is applied only on the upper surface and this leads to texture and breathability loss issues. Teijin Fibers’ new material provides a soft texture, as a special coating is applied on individual fibre rather than the fabric as a whole.”

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