OutDoor award for Schoeller’s corkshell technology
Schoeller Textil’s corkshell technology received one of
ten OutDoor Industry Gold Awards at OutDoor Friedrichshafen.
The innovation topped the Material Innovation category at
the award ceremony, which took place on July 12.
The new fabric combines
the natural features of cork with those of high performance fabrics. According
to the company, it provides 30% more thermal insulation than conventional
soft-shells. The fabrics are also said to be soft, lightweight and offer
natural antimicrobial properties.
The technology
uses natural FSC-certified cork granulate, which is a by-product of wine cork
production. This granulate is pulverised and combined with the fabric in a
patented process from Schoeller that firmly affixes the cork to the fabric.
Two different
versions of corkshell are available. One is a single-layer fabric construction
with a cork coating on the inside of the fabric. The other is a three-layer
fabric construction where the cork coating is sandwiched between a stretchy,
water- and wind-repelling surface.
