Waterproof Breathable Fabric

Shaima Islam

Assistant Professor
WHY IT IS NECESSARY?
 Breathability
• Breathability is defined as
the ability of a fabric to
allow perspiration,
evaporated by the body, to
escape (diffuse) to the
outside (termed moisture
vapour transmission),
thereby allowing complete
comfort. Breathability can
therefore be defined as the
ability of clothing (and
fabric) to allow the
transmission or diffusion of
moisture vapour, and
therefore facilitate
evaporative cooling.
 Water repellent & Waterproof
• Water repellent /shower resistant fabrics (e.g. light
fashion rainwear) will provide some protection against
intermittent rain but are not suitable to be worn in a
downpour, as they will then become wet through and
dampen the wearer. Water will bead and run off the
surface of water repellent fabrics but under sufficient
pressure it will come through. The amount of pressure
required to do so is a measure of water resistance.
• Water repellency generally refers to the ability of a
fabric to resist wetting.
• WATER PROOF is the extreme case of water resistance,
implying complete resistance to water. the fabric will not
allow water even wind driven rain through, since water
cannot penetrate the fabric surface, and such fabrics and
garments should keep the wearer dry in prolonged
moderate to heavy rain.
 Water proof breathable
• Water (or rain) resistant fabrics will resist wetting by
water and also not allow water to penetrate or pass
through the fabric under most pressures, thereby keeping
the wearer dry in moderate to heavy rain.
• Wind proof means that air cannot pass through the fabric
• Weather proof is used to stand for both ‘waterproof’
and/or ‘windproof’ technologies.
• Water proof breathable garment needs to satisfy the
above waterproof requirements, as well as being able to
‘breathe’, i.e. allow water vapour to escape so as to
maintain a comfortable ‘micro- climate’ between the skin
of the wearer and the garment.
Typical usage areas of waterproof breathable fabrics
 Various products

Fashionable Clean room

Cagoules Anoraks Rainwear gmts
 Various products

Over Hospital
Gaiters Cargo Wrap
Trouser Drapes
 Various products

Walking
Survival Suit Ski Wear Packs
Boot Liners
Others test methods (spray test)
 WATERPROOF RATING
Waterproof Rating Resistance Provided Conditions
(mm)
0-5,000 mm No resistance to some Light rain, dry snow, no
resistance to moisture. pressure.
6,000-10,000 mm Rainproof and waterproof Light rain, average snow,
under light pressure. light pressure.
11,000-15,000 mm Rainproof and waterproof Moderate rain, average
except under high pressure. snow, light pressure.
16,000-20,000 mm Rainproof and waterproof Heavy rain, wet snow,
under high pressure. some pressure.
20,000 mm+ Rainproof and waterproof Heavy rain, wet snow,
under very high pressure. high pressure.
 HOW WATERPROOF A GARMENT DO I NEED?
• For riding primarily in cold and clear conditions, minimum 5,000 mm
waterproof rating of is required for ski and snowboard outerwear.
• But clothing rated between 5,000 mm and 10,000 mm is a good choice
for riders who spend long days out and ski or snowboard in any
weather conditions.
• Avid snow sport enthusiasts, especially those in wetter climates,
should look for waterproof ratings in the 10,000 mm to 20,000 mm
range or better.
• If you spend a good percentage of your time in the backcountry or
hiking to remote locations, breathability becomes equally as important
as waterproofing – look for outerwear with both waterproofing and
breathability in the 20,000 plus range. As you might expect, higher
ratings in both categories will usually mean higher prices.
• It has been stated that fabric for active sportswear should support at
least a 450 mm water column
 HOW BREATHABLE A GARMENT DO I NEED?
• If all your riding is lift-served, you don’t hike
to out-of-the-way lines, and you take regular
breaks in the lodge where you remove your
coat, a breathability rating of 5,000 to 8,000
grams will probably be fine.
• If you do a lot of “high energy” riding look
for breathability in the 10,000 to 15,000
gram range.
• Backcountry people who commonly travel
for thousands of vertical feet in a day should
look for garments with breathability in the
20,000 plus range.
10,000/10,000? 20,000/20,000? WHAT DO THE RATING NUMBERS
ACTUALLY MEAN?
• Manufacturers typically describe the waterproof
breathability of fabrics using two numbers. The first is in
millimeters (mm) and is a measure of how waterproof a
fabric is. In the case of a 10k or 10,000 mm fabric, if you
put a square tube with inner dimensions of 1” x 1” over a
piece of said fabric, you could fill it with water to a height
of 10,000 mm (32.8 feet) before water would begin to
leak through. The higher the number, the more
waterproof the fabric.
• The second number is a measure of how breathable the
fabric is, and is normally expressed in terms of how
many grams (g) of water vapor can pass through a
square meter (m2) of the fabric from the inside to the
outside in a 24 hour period. In the case of a 20k (20,000
g) fabric, this would be 20,000 grams. The larger the
number, the more breathable the fabric.
 Fundamental considerations that need to be considered while
designing a breathable fabric are

• Water proofness
• the fabric construction • Launderability
including its density and
thickness • Good
• the end use of the fabric washability/dry
• Durability/flexibility of cleanability
coating/laminating
• Comfort level • Resistance to
• Aesthetic property insect repellents
• Water-vapor transmission
• Durability: tear, tensile and • Good hydrostatic
peel strength; flex and resistance
abrasion resistance
 TYPES OF WATERPROOF
BREATHABLE FABRICS:
• Closely woven fabrics
• Microporous membranes and coatings
• Hydrophilic membranes and coating
• Combination of microporous and hydrophilic membranes
and coating
• Fabric based on biomimetics
 Closely woven fabrics
• Ventile was the first breathable woven fabric developed by
shirley institute and was introduced in England during the
WW2(1940) made from fine long staple egyptian cotton fibers,
using low twist mercerized yarns (generally combed and
plied), woven in very dense (high cover) oxford construction.
• The oxford construction provides good abrasion resistance.
GSM range is 170–295 .
• When the fabric is dry, it’s highly breathable since the cotton
fibers retain an open breathable structure. At this time, the
spacing between warp and weft is about 10μm.
• This fabric initially is not water proof, but as it comes in contact
with water the cotton fibers swell to such an extent that the
inter yarn pores of the fabric are significantly reduced and
thereby restricts the passage of water.
• On wetting the fabric, the cotton yarn swells, reducing the size
of the inter-yarn pores (from about 10 µm to 3–4 µm). Thus the
swollen fabric in combination with the durable repellent finish
(DRF) provides excellent protection against the wind, rain,
seawater, and cold.
• They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics
that are laminated to or coated with a
waterproofing material such as rubber,
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU),
silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax.
• By impregnating the fabric with a water
repellent and heat treating it at high
temperature, the water repellent
nanoparticles bond to each single fiber. Since
the entire fabric is not coated, the fabric
remains breathable and repels raindrops such
as rainwater.
 Closely woven fabrics
• Man-made micro-fibres/filaments, such as polyester, polyamide,
viscose and acrylic fibres, gives better result.
• Very fine filaments and micro-fibres (e.g. 1 dtex,10 µm or less) can be
woven into tight constructions (e.g. 1900× 3000 filaments/inch)
 Microporous membranes

• The main principle behind microporous membranes and

coatings is the following: water drops cannot penetrate
because the pores are smaller than a raindrop, while
perspiration evaporates through because the pores are
larger than vapor molecules. The diameter of a water vapor
molecule is 40×10⁻⁹mm and the diameter of various drop
types is much larger as you can see in Table 1.

• Microporous membranes and coatings function well when

the size of the pores on the outer surface of the fabric is no
bigger than 0.0002-0.0003mm. At the same time, the
average pore size in microporous membranes is between
0.0001 and 0.005mm.
 Microporous membranes

• Membranes are thin films made from polymers. There

are basically two types of membranes – microporous
membranes (they’re hydrophobic) and hydrophilic
membranes.
• The most widely used polymers for microporous fabrics
are expanded PTFE (ePTFE) and polyurethanes (PU).
Microporous films have about 1.2-1.4 billion tiny holes
per square centimeter. These pores are much smaller
than the smallest raindrops. At the same time, they’re
larger than water vapor molecules so that they can
pass through the pores of the membrane. The process
is illustrated in the figure below.
 Contt..
• The PTFE membrane is chemically inert,
smooth, UV resistant, water repellent, and
durable can withstand high temperatures.
• Problems that can arise with micro-porous
membranes and coatings include
contaminants and detergents blocking the
pores, stretching the fabric, increasing the size
of the pores, and reducing adhesion to the
textile substrate.
• Gore-tex fabric :The first commercial
microporous layer in textiles was introduced by
W.L. Gore in the 70s called gore-tex This
membrane has around 1.4 billion pores per
square centimeter, with each pore 20,000 times
smaller than a drop of water, but 700 times larger
than a vapor molecule (40×10⁻⁹mm) and able to
withstand a water pressure of up to 100 psi. The
membrane is laminated to a conventional fabric
to provide enough mechanical strength (the film
itself is mechanically weak).
• Today, some of the most durable
and high-quality breathable
fabrics are produced by
laminating (sandwiching) a
microporous membrane between
two fabrics: an inner, soft and
flexible fabric (e.g. warp knitted)
and an outer abrasion resistant
fabric (e.g. woven nylon fabric),
Mid-layer fabrics, i.e. between
those in contact with the skin and
the outer fabrics, need to offer
good wicking and insulation.
 Microporous membranes and
coatings
Micro-porous membranes are
generally made from the polymers
• PTFE,
• Polyurethane (pu),
• Polyolefins,
• Polyamides,
• Polyester,
• Polyether and polyether based
copolymers
 Microporous membranes and
coatings
A number of diverse methods have been used to
create the interconnecting pore structure in solid
polymer films and coatings.
• Wet coagulation process
• Thermo coagulation (only for coating)
• Foam coating (only for coating)
• Solvent extraction
• Radio frequency (RF)/ion/UV or E beam radiation
• Melt blown/hot melt technology
• spun bonding technology
 Wet Coagulation(coating)
• Polyurethane polymer is dissolved in the organic
solvent dimethyl formamide to produce a solution
insoluble in water. This is then coated on to the fabric.
The coated fabric is passed through a conditioning
chamber containing water vapour. As the organic
solvent is miscible with water, it is diluted and solid
polyurethane precipitates. The fabric is then washed to
remove the solvent, which leaves behind pores in the
coating. Finally the coated fabric is mangled and dried.
This method is not very popular as it requires high
capital cost for machines and solvent recovery is
expensive.
 Thermocoagulation

• Polyurethane is dissolved in an organic solvent

and the resulting solution mixed with water to
produce an emulsion. The emulsion 'paste' is
coated on to one side of the fabric. The coated
fabric then goes through a two-stage drying
process. The first stage employs a low
temperature to remove the organic solvent,
precipitating the polyurethane. The coating is
now a mixture of solid polyurethane and water.
The second stage employs a higher temperature
to evaporate the water leaving behind pores in
the coating.
 Foam coating (only for coating)
• In this process a mixture of PU and PU/polyacrylic
acid esters are dispersed in water and then foamed.
The foam is stabilized with the aid of additives. The
foam is then coated on to one side of the fabric.
The coated fabric is dried to form a microporous
coating. The fabric is finally calendared under low
pressure to compress the coatings. As the foam
cells are relatively large, a fluorocarbon (FC)
polymer water-repellent finish is applied to improve
the water resistant properties. This type of coating
production is environmentally friendly as no organic
solvents are used.
• Coating: A coating is a covering that is applied to the
surface of an object, usually referred to as the
substrate. The purpose of applying the coating may be
decorative, functional, or both. The coating itself may
be an all-over coating, completely covering the
substrate, or it may only cover parts of the substrate.
• Laminating: Laminating is the process through which
two or more flexible packaging webs are joined
together using a bonding agent. In general terms an
adhesive is applied to the less absorbent substrate
web, after which the second web is pressed against it
to produce a duplex, or two-layer, laminate. ...
 Hydrophilic membranes and coating
• Hydrophilic membranes are very thin films of chemically modified
polyester or polyurethane containing no holes which, therefore,
are sometimes referred to as non-poromeric. Water vapour from
perspiration is able to diffuse through the membrane.
• The polyester or polyurethane polymer (hard’ segments) is
modified by incorporating up to 40% by weight of poly(ethylene
oxide).The poly(ethylene oxide) constitutes the hydrophilic part
(‘soft’ segments) of the membrane by forming part of the
amorphous regions of the polyurethane polymer system.
• These amorphous regions are described as acting like
intermolecular 'pores' allowing water vapour molecules to pass
through but preventing the penetration of liquid water owing to the
solid nature of the membrane.
 Cont…
• As the name implies, the hydrophilic membranes and coatings do
not contain any pores. They’re usually made of Polyester or
polyurethane (PU). While they do not allow water to penetrate
from the outside, neither do they allow air to pass through.
Hydrophilic membranes instead rely on diffusion to transmit water
vapor. Moisture from perspiration is attracted to the hydrophilic
material, which adsorbs water molecules. The water is then
desorbed and passed along like a bucket brigade.
• The moisture is slowly adsorbed and desorbed from the warm,
humid interior of the fabric to the relatively cooler and drier
outside. While these materials are incredibly waterproof, they are
also the least effective at water vapor transmission. Not to
mention that these membranes and coatings function much better
in colder weather. As a result, fabrics using these materials may feel
stuffier than some other waterproof breathable fabrics in warmer
temperatures.
• Interestingly, breathability depends very much
on atmospheric conditions. Garments using
waterproof breathable membranes are resistant
to wind and precipitation but in certain
conditions (for instance after exposure to
prolonged severe rainy conditions) breathability
can be severely restricted even ceased.
• Fabric breathability also decreases in wet and
windy weather as well as in wet and warm
conditions
 Hydrophilic membranes and coating
Advantages:
• It is applied by conventional solvent coating equipment while
microporous material required special equipment to generate
consistent and uniform pore structure preferable below 3 mm for
optimum breathability and waterproofness.
• It does not lose their properties on cleaning and stretching of
garment.
• It has good adhesion on textile substrate. High gas, water and solvent
resistance & less expensive.
• It has the advantages in terms of aftercare (dry clean) and durability.
• Major advantages include strength, toughness, windproofness, and
wide range of chemical and solvent resistance, excellent odor barrier.
Disadvantages:
• The surface wets out in rain, giving a cold clammy handle
• The film swells when wet, leading to possible ‘noise’ effects in wet
laminates.
 Combination of microporous and hydrophilic
membranes and coating/Bi-component structures

• Bi-component structures are a combination of

microporous and hydrophilic membranes and coatings.
Hydrophilic membranes are coated with a thin
hydrophilic layer to increase waterproofness and to
seal the surface pores, thus reducing the possibility of
contamination of the microporous layer by dust
particles, detergents, pesticides, etc.
• A hydrophilic finish (often chemically modified PU or
polyester by incorporating poly(ethylene oxide) on a
microporous structure is used to upgrade the water-
resistance of microporous coatings. This ensures
enhanced waterproofing capacity while allowing water
vapor molecules to pass through at the same time.
Cont..
 Cont..
• Artwork: A) How SympaTex works: Unlike in GORE-TEX, there are
no micropores in SympaTex to carry moisture away from your body.
Instead, hydrophilic polyether molecules in the SympaTex
membrane effectively act like little "channels," carrying moisture
from the inside to the outside.

• Artwork: B) Inside a multi-layer sports garment (such as a

waterproof and breathable cycle sweater). 1) On the outside,
there's a durable shell made of something like 85 percent
polypropylene and 15 percent spandex (to give it body-hugging
elasticity). 2) In the middle, there's a layer of waterproof and
breathable SympaTex (or GORE-TEX). 3) On the inside, there's a
tricot, warp-mesh lining to help moisture wick away from the body
and increase comfort.
 Combination of microporous and hydrophilic
membranes and coating
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
• Hydrophilic layer seals microporous
base reduces any tendency for water • Increased stiffness
leakage through pinholes or oversized • Cost
pores. • Reduced
• It provides added strength and breathability
toughness to film. • Tends to ‘wet out’,
• It reduces stretch, which may cause giving a cold
opening of pores and possible water clammy handle.
ingress through the laminated product.
• It offers solid layer like properties of
‘wind-proofness’ and resistance to
penetration by some solvents and light
mineral oils.
 Biomimetic and smart waterproof
breathable textiles
• Inspired by nature, biomimetic fabrics are designed to
mimic the structure and function of naturally occurring
materials and processes. The advent of many discoveries
and inventions have stemmed from observing and
imitating natural processes and mechanisms. The
producers of biomimetic fabrics often draw inspiration
from biology and try to find practical applications and/or
develop outdoor products in the field of high-performance
and functional textiles.

• A breathable fabric with temperature-dependent

response; adaptive insulation mimicking penguins in
extreme cold conditions; water-repellent fabrics based on
superhydrophobicity or a lotus leaf reaction towards water
(it beads up and rolls off, cleaning the leaf’s surface in the
process) are just a small part of all biomimetic projects
related to high-performance and functional textiles.
 Fabric based on biomimetics
• Biomimetics, sometimes known as bionics or
biomimicry, is the art of taking natural adaptive
strategies used by plants or animals and translating
them into engineering designs that can be used to
implement products or tools. Biomimetics can be
said to be present in all engineering and design to
the extent that we as humans are prone to be
inspired by nature and life.

• There are many obvious applications of

biomimetics. Velcro is meant to simulate the
grasping effect of plant burrs. Water and dirt-
resistant paint is said to mirror the hydrophobic skin
of the lotus. Fabric can be used to create an
artificial canopy.
 Fabric based on biomimetics
• Biomimetics or biomimicry is the imitation of the models, systems,
and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human
problems.
 Pine Cone Effect (wind proof)
• Pine cone opens and closes its spines according to the
weather, if it's going to rain, the spines close up to protect
the seeds inside and if it's going to stay dry, the spines
open up to improve the chances of the seeds escaping.
• Researchers at England's Bath University and the London
College of Fashion are trying to design this biomimetics
clothe.
• The fabric could be made with an outer layer of tiny
spikes, only 1/200th of a millimetre wide.
• When it's hot, the spikes would open up to let out the
heat, cooling you down.
• When it's cold, the spikes would flatten back down to trap
air and provide more effective insulation
Pine Cone Effect
 NIKE MARCO REACT
• Nike introduced similar concept to produce its „macro react‟
range with a fish-scale pattern. It was first worn by tennis star
Maria Sharapova at US open 2006 and later by Roger Federer at
Wimbledon.
• When someone wear this clothing, upon perspiration, the flaps
in the fabric swings open to release heat and moisture to keep
one dry and cool. The same clothing is made way for golf
dresses
 INOTEK Fibres
INOTEK fibres works on pine cone effect.
• Its blend with natural fibres like merino wool and commercial fibres like tencel.

• As the material starts absorbing moisture the fibres start to close (mimicking the pine
cone) and reduce in volume causing yarn to thin in the cross-section. Microscopic air
pockets are opened in the material and this increases its breathability. In contrast to
pure wool, an INOTEK/wool blended yarn can reduce its thickness by up to 10% of
its original width in damp conditions. The reactive response to humidity is also
reversible. INOTEK fibres revert back to their original state in dry conditions, reducing
air permeability and increasing insulation of the textile as in case of pine cone.

• INOTEK fibres can find application not only in apparel sector but also in health and
hygiene sector such as bedding, where more efficient moisture management would
be of huge benefit and wound dressing, where this unique breathable technology
could control moisture levels beneath the dressing, enhancing comfort whilst offering
the same level of protection from infection etc
 Akzo nobel’s; stomatex
• Vapour permeability of
fabric coatings may be
produced by incorporating
an analog of the leaf
stomata which opens
when the plant needs to
increase moisture vapour
transpiration and closes
when it needs to reduce it
• Akzo nobel is marketing
the product under the
trade name of stomatex.
Transpiration is a process that
involves loss of water vapour
through the stomata of plants.
The loss of water vapour from
the plant cools down the plant
when the weather is very hot.
When the plant loses water
through transpiration from the
leaves, water from the stem
and roots moves upward, or is
`pulled', into the leaves.
 Stomatex
• The mechanism of respiration in plants requires gaseous exchange of
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Stomata (tiny pores) on the
surface of plant leaves allow this process to occur. The stomata are
thought to open in daylight and close during the hours of darkness, with
the motion being controlled by guard cells that react to internal pressure
within the plant structure.
• Stomatex® is a composite technical textile that is based on these
principles. The base textile is neoprene (a synthetic polymer foam rubber)
within a synthetic outer layer, into which small dome-shaped structures
have been embossed. Each dome has a small hole (pore) at its apex, as
illustrated in Figure 1. The textile is designed to be close-fitting, thus able
to react to the body’s movements.
• At rest, any excess heat and moisture rises into the domes and is released
via the pore. When the body is moving, the domes (and pores) flex and
move, allowing heat and moisture out, and cooler air in, thus maintaining
a comfortable microclimate .
• Stomatex® has found specific applications in garments for athletes,
particularly those using compression garments to enhance performance
and recovery, and in medical support appliances .
 Akzo nobel’s; stomatex
• These domes mimic the transpiration
process that takes place within a leaf,
providing a controlled release of water
vapor to provide comfortable wear
characteristics.
• Stomatex is used in conjunction with
Sympatex, Akzo Nobel‟s waterproof
breathable membrane, to produce a
breathable waterproof insulating barrier
for use in clothing and footwear. The
manufacturer claimed it as „the most
comfortable clothing and footwear
systems in the world today‟ .
• The thickness (thermal insulation) of the
insulating component varies from two
millimeters (mm) to six mm, with the
most frequently used being between two
and five mm.