Adding to its product mix of textile solutions, 3M is introducing 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn.
The yarn is specially crafted for the development of durable, moisture-managing fabrics, which in turn allows apparel manufacturers to create dual-action, water-repellent and moisture-wicking activewear and flyknit shoes that can perform in demanding outdoor settings. The new product joins 3M’s other fabric-based innovations, such as 3M Thinsulate insulation and Scotchgard Protector.
The 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn is pretreated with Scotchgard Protector, 3M’s durable water repellent (DWR) additive. The new yarn brings greater efficiency to fabric manufacturing and dyeing processes when compared to padding on repellent, according to 3M.
3M in-house testing indicates it can save time and cost on production, increase throughput, minimize water and chemical waste on fabric, reduce chalk mark complaints, deliver uniform color treatment and eliminate the need for wet finishes on fabric.
“With this new yarn, we’re helping mills overcome common challenges they face with regard to inconsistent treatment, namely investing extensive time and money in finding the right recipes for formulas for each fabric,” said Robert Polik, senior application engineer at 3M. “Since conditions can differ from batch to batch, the mills typically obtain unstable outputs. But our treated yarn solves for this problem by simplifying the process and, in turn, providing greater ease and efficiency to fabric manufacturing.”
When held to the testing standards of the AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) and the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn received among the highest possible ratings for spray testing, anti-wicking and flex durability.
As part of 3M’s robust innovation pipeline, 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn arrives on the heels of 3M Thinsulate Xerogel Insulation. Launched in 2021, 3M Thinsulate Xerogel Insulation has already won an ISPO Textrends 2023-24 Top Ten Award, recognizing the latest textile innovations for sports and outdoor apparel.
By utilizing 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn as well as 3M Thinsulate Insulation and Scotchgard Protector, mills can develop stable DWR textiles, innovative moisture-managing fabrics and advanced water-repellent knits. In addition, brand specifiers can use them to create new lines of dual-action, water-repellent and moisture-wicking activewear, innovative outdoor gear and water-repellent flyknit footwear.
“We’re really excited about bringing 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn to the market,” Polik said. “It’s an innovative solution that’ll open new doors for mills to develop new textiles and for global brands to create activewear and outdoor gear with robust, repellent performance.”
More 3M textile-based innovations are projected for release at the end of 2022 and early 2023.
Sourcing Journal is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2022 Sourcing Journal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Sourcing Journal is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2022 Sourcing Journal Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.