Vollebak puts graphene to the test in new jacket
23/08/2018
Graphene has been attracting lots of attention in the textile industry over recent years, most notably due to the work of Italian materials developer Directa Plus, which has launched a number of graphene-based products. Among the early adopters of this technology was high-end Italian sportswear brand Colmar. UK-based footwear brand inov-8 has also released a range of graphene-enhanced shoes for running and fitness activities.
Vollebak’s Graphene Jacket is fully reversible with one side coated in graphene and the other not. Its benefits and impact on the body vary depending on which way it is worn. It describes its new product as “part jacket, part science experiment”.
To create it, graphene nanoplates were blended with polyurethane to create a very thin membrane, which is then bonded to nylon. The company has said the addition of graphene “fundamentally changes” the mechanical and chemical properties of the nylon, including increasing its capacity to conduct heat.
All the panels of the jacket are cut with lasers to ensure as little of this expensive material as possible is wasted. The pockets are also laser cut. The panels are then bonded and the seams sealed for waterproofness.
When the jacket is worn with the graphene side next to the wearer’s body in cold weather, it helps maintain the temperature of the skin by conducting heat from warm areas to cold areas. It also creates less humidity next to the body than a normal membrane would.
Graphene’s tight atomic bonds make it impermeable to nearly all gases and liquids, but Vollebak says water molecules are the exception. This means the jacket is both breathable and waterproof. For the best combination of these qualities, the brand said the graphene should be worn on the inside.
Vollebak’s Graphene Jacket sold out just over a week after it was released. The brand has said it is the fastest-selling gear it has ever made.
Image credit: Vollebak.
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