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Coating/​Laminating/​Bonding

Haartz endorsement for Empel

GTT finish keeps water from passing through fabrics without the use of a membrane.

28th September 2023

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Acton, MA, USA

Transport/​Aerospace, Sustainable

Recent test results from the Haartz Corporation have confirmed that the PFAS-free Empel fabric finishing platform developed by Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Green Theme Technologies (GTT) delivers the most efficient system for water repellent textiles available on the market.

Haartz Corporation, headquartered in Acton, Massachusetts, is a world leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed convertible tops and interior surface materials for the automotove industry, as well as a manufacturer of home furnishings, military materials and footwear fabrics. 

Its recent competitive product testing has revealed that textiles treated with the Empel technology absorb about a third of the amount of water compared to the best Cø and C6 water repellency solutions. Equally impressive, Empel keeps water from passing through the fabrics without the use of a membrane. Using the same woven textiles for testing in a ten-minute rain test, only 2 millilitres of water passed through the Empel treated fabrics compared to 325 millilitres with competing fabrics finished with Cø and C6 treatments. 

“We have a product that will revolutionise what consumers can expect from their clothing,” said Martin Flora, VP of business development at GTT. “Brands and mills can now make fabrics that protect people from the elements without using hot and stiff rain jackets with membranes. Empel keeps the fabric dry on the surface and keeps the water on the outside of clothing and shoes. Add in our 50+ wash durability, and you have a product that will allow people to keep their gear much longer without buying new replacements. The most sustainable products use safe chemistry and work for many years in the future.”

www.greenthemetek.com

www.haartz.com

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