Description
CALANDRATEX is a textile finishing company, working with the application of chemical products in order to characterize textiles. The typical characterization is the hydrophobic finish, which is commonly achieve using fluorocarbon compounds. Fluorocarbons have an almost null natural degradation due to the great stability of their molecular structure. This project is a development of a new hydrophobic finish for textiles able to replace the current fluorocarbon compounds, specifically for outdoors textiles like awnings or coverings. The main goal of the project is to obtain a new hydrophobic finish for textiles using microsilicones, focused on the specific conditions required by outdoor textiles. The new finish should avoid the absorption of water by the textile and avoid that it accumulates dirt. With this new product, CALANDRATEX can offer to its customers an alternative that is able to replace the harmful compound that is fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is expected to be obsolete in the future because of the demand of ecological products by industry and society.
Summary of project results
CALANDRATEX carried out this project in order to develop a new product for awning fabrics able to substitute the traditional hydrophobic and stain resistant finishes based on the use of fluorocarbons compounds, with the intention of avoiding the water to trespass the fabric, avoid the weight increase of the fabric and create a non-stick surface to avoid the dirt to stain the fabric. The obtained product as a result of this research and development work carried out in this CDTI/EEA-Grants project has been based in the use of silicones to create a new finishing for outdoor textiles characterized by the hydrophobic and stain resistant properties. The research was focused on the properties of the silicones, and more specifically, trying to obtain a compound able to provide a rough surface at micro scale and Nano scale. The new product allows the industry to treat textiles with hydrophobic and stain resistant properties without the environmental problems related with fluorocarbons.
Summary of bilateral results