Dow Corning Corporation, a leading supplier of innovative silicone solutions for the textiles industry, and DEVAN Chemicals have jointly developed a new softener to treat flame-retardant textiles. Dow Corning brand DS-9000 Eco Repel is an eco-friendly multifunctional encapsulated silicone additive for technical textiles. This technology allows apparel manufacturers to increase softness and hydrophobicity on existing flame-retardant finishes without impacting flame retardancy.
"Most current flame-retardant chemicals negatively impact the softness of the textile leading to very harsh fabrics, which then become uncomfortable-to-wear garments," said Jenny Geng, Dow Corning's global textiles marketing manager. "Moreover, the material type predominantly used in textile multifunctional treatment additives for flame retardancy contains fluorocarbon derivatives, which arouse increasing concerns of safety and environmental issues."
Dow Corning DS-9000 Eco Repel provides many features and benefits that overcome these challenges for the first time, such as:
- Silicone fluid encapsulated in a silica shell using a patented process
- Formaldehyde-free
- Formulated with a low amount of surfactants to reduce environmental impact
- Suitable for multifunctional formulations due to the silicone encapsulation
- Good compatibility with fluorocarbons and flame retardants
- Formulation of soft and water-repellent textile finishes
- Specially adapted for formulations aimed at providing flame retardancy features to textiles
According to Geng, the primary applications for Dow Corning DS-9000 Eco Repel include:
- Water-repellent silicone additive for textile flame-retardant finishes
- Softener for flame-retardant fabric finishing formulations
- Softener additive for fluorocarbon-containing formulations
- Use in mattress ticking, tenting, canvas, upholstery and protective clothing
"At Dow Corning, we believe our commitment to sustainability is fundamental to both our success and the success of our customers," said Geng. "Consequently, we are working hard to develop products and technologies that reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing processes in textiles and many other industries. Dow Corning thinks strategically about sustainability, and continues to work toward integrating it into everything we do. We must all transform how we - as individuals, as corporations and as partners in this global community - share our resources responsibly while we continue to advance science and technology. Dow Corning DS-9000 Eco Repel is just one example of how we use proactive, creative thinking to reach our sustainability goal."