The call for PFC-free DWRs has escalated: HeiQ CEO
29/11/2018
Speaking to sportstextiles at the Performance Days exhibition in Munich (November 28-29), he expressed his belief that the message about DWRs has “escalated” in recent years. He added that mills have been “overwhelmed” by demands from brands to adapt their processes so as to move over to PCF-free treatments.
HeiQ has more than 20 PFC-free DWR treatments that it can offer to its customers, depending on the fabric they use, what the fabric will be used for, or the customer’s desired price point.
One of the reasons that brands have been slow to get on board with PFC-free DWRs is that their performance is not as good as products made from long-chain (C8) PFC chemistry or the less harmful short-chain (C6) alternatives.
Mr Centonze revealed, however, that PFC-free DWRs are not far from being able to offer the same performance as C6 products. In fact, HeiQ’s testing has shown that the company has actually been able to achieve equal performance, although this product is not yet available on the market. With regards to the performance of C8, he says PFC-free DWRs will not be able to reach this level with the current materials and technology available.
HeiQ goes a step further than just creating the PFC-free DWRs. As well as creating the best recipe for each customer, it is also able to give them guidance about how to apply it properly. The workshops that Mr Centonze led at Performance Days is just one way that the company shares its knowledge with the wider industry.
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