Developer of silicone solutions for the textile industry, Dow Corning Corporation, introduced its new, patented impact protection technology – the Dow Corning Active Protection System – at the Techtextil-Symposium North America held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in March.

The patented system consists of a three-dimensional intelligent” spacer textile treated with a special coating, which remains soft and flexible under normal conditions but hardens instantly upon impact. When the impact force is removed, the material immediately returns to a flexible state.

Senior technical service chemist Graham Budden, who presented the new technology, reviewed the development and testing of the Active Protection System as well as its potential for wide-ranging applications within the textile industry. In addition, he examined the combination of benefits the technology offers for high-performance apparel such as the fact that it offers fully-integrated active safety that can be stitched directly into garments (unlike rigid systems that often require the use of removable components); it allows for material customisation and versatility to allow creative design possibilities; it is breathable, flexible and lightweight for comfort and freedom of movement; and it is washable for easy care and maintenance.

In independent testing under various conditions, Active Protection System exceeded European Standards EN 1621-1:1997 (two layers) and EN 1621-2:2003 (three layers) impact protection requirements for motorcycle clothing by about 40%.

Dow Corning will initially market the new technology to the manufacturers of protective motorcycle apparel, but the company anticipates potential expansion of the technology into other high performance apparel markets as well as into other industries, such as life sciences, civil and military defence, and construction.