Commercial applications now possible for fabric that adapts to sweat
Performance material developer Teijin has announced a new knitted fabric that it says can “respond to perspiration” to increase breathability and eliminate clamminess.
It said this new “self-adjusting fabric” will come to market in its 2023 fiscal year and predicted it would become a core product for year-round sports and outdoor apparel. It said it expects sales volumes of 250,000 metres of the new fabric in its 2024 fiscal year.
The fabric has a solid knitted structure that, according to Teijin’s explanation changes shape in three directions in response to perspiration thanks to a specially textured, side-by-side composite yarn made from two types of polymer, each with different hygroscopicity. The yarn’s structure also includes a coiled crimp.
Work on a side-by-side composite yarn and on fabric with stitches that would open and close in response to perspiration began in 2009, the company explained. Initially, the stitches opened too much, causing issues with clothing sizes. Teijin has now further developed the idea “to limit stitch opening to a practical level”, meaning commercial applications will now be possible.
