Do you imagine wearing a water repellent cloth? I know many people are fearful of water or more specifically rain. No one wants to be rained on; this is due to clothes being soaked by the rainwater. For many this is a fad, however, courtesy of MIT has invented a coating that will make fabrics water resistant.
According to Kripa Varanasi a Professor in MIT, “The challenge has been driven by the environmental regulators, because of the phase-out of the existing waterproofing chemicals.” To those who have come across this new technology have praised it. This is because they believe that it could be beneficial to cotton and silk.
The professor also added that “Most fabrics that are said to be water repellent are mostly water resistant. If you are standing out in the rain, eventually water will find a way into the fabric. However, the goal of this coating is to be fully repellent and with this coating is closer to achieving the goal.”
Presently, long chain polymers with per-fluorinated side-chains make water-resistant clothes. However, EPA is re-evaluating controls on the long chain polymers that have flooded the market. The problem with the long chain polymers is that it also consists of short chain polymers that study shows that they are not good water repellents.
This current technique by the MIT scientists is done by a combination of shorter chain polymer that has water repellent properties. In addition, it will be improved by adding some additional chemical dispensation and a different coating procedure known as initiated chemical vapor deposition.
Dan Soto an MIT postdoc said, “The major challenge was finding the sweet spot where performance, durability, and initiated chemical vapor deposition compatibility could work together and deliver the best presentation.”
Professor Kripa also said, “The process works on many different kinds of fabrics, including nylon, cotton, and linen, and even on non-fabric materials such as paper. The system has been tested on various kinds of fabrics and from the result, this technology can work better on fabrics.”
From all lab test of this new technology, it has been able to repel different types of liquids such as rainwater, espresso, sodium hydroxide, ketchup, and a number of acid and bases. With this new technology, I bet no one will ever be afraid of being rained on.