Gore unveils new, thinner membrane
US-based technical textiles maker WL Gore & Associates, the company behind Gore-Tex technology, has announced an expanded polyethylene (ePE) membrane called ePE by Gore.
The membrane is formed through combining ePE with polyurethane, Gore revealed, which reportedly creates a durably waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane with a high strength-to-weight ratio, at roughly half the average thickness.
Gore said that it could achieve this by manipulating the polyethylene to form a highly porous, strong polymer framework via “billions” of tiny holes, which allow vapour to pass through while at the same time blocking water and wind. The membrane can then be bonded to fabrics to create a Gore-Tex laminate.
Due to the use of non-fluorinated materials in its formation, ePE is also free of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) of environmental concern, Gore added, the eradication of which the business has previously identified as a priority.
This, combined with the membrane’s low mass, supports the company’s goal of reducing the carbon footprint of its materials, it said. (The Higg Materials Sustainability Index [MSI] was used to score ePE by Gore.)
Global technical and innovation leader for consumer fabrics, Matt Decker, commented: “Much of the knowledge that we’ve developed over the last 40 years isn’t specific to a singular material.
“Our expertise and deep understanding of our applications is what enables us to create complementary, durable ePE products for use in Gore-Tex brand consumer products.”
The technology will be introduced as part of partners’ autumn-winter 2022 collections.
Image: Gore-Tex.
