The finishing of textiles for sport, leisure and work is a key prerequisite for ensuring clothing has the required functional properties such as weather resistance. Commonly used impregnating agents, however, such as those based on perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are controversial.

The release of these substances into the environment is increasingly seen as critical because they accumulate in the environment and are not physiologically harmless. In addition, most of these impregnating agents are not suitable for washing or are only to a limited extent before needing to be refreshed. Their abrasion resistance is also unsatisfactory, which has a detrimental impact on the functions of the garments.

Purtex, the new textile finishing product from Freudenberg, now offers an alternative. The polyurethane emulsion is entirely free from solvents and combines environmental compatibility with durable waterproofing, outstanding washing and abrasion resistance, high wear comfort and a pleasant feel. Textiles finished with Purtex retain their functional properties over their entire service lives. Purtex does not contain any substances which are considered to be critical for human beings or the environment and is free from fluorocarbons, organic tin compounds, phthalates, isocyanates, heavy metals, alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) and formaldehyde.

Purtex can be applied to woven or knitted fabrics during finishing by normal industrial processes and retains its positive properties over the entire service life of the finished textiles. Three Purtex products are available:

• Purtex WR is water-repellent, e.g. for outdoor or professional clothing.
• Purtex WA offers outstanding moisture absorption and transport, e.g. for sport and functional underwear, bed linen, etc.
• Purtex AP is a variant optimised for good abrasion and pilling behavior, especially for applications with very high mechanical loads, e.g. in interior and functional clothing.

Purtex textile finishing products are the result of an interdisciplinary development project of Freudenberg New Technologies, a business unit of the Freudenberg Group in Weinheim, Germany. Experience with the textile industry, polymer processing and surface technology was combined to develop an entirely new solution for the functional finishing of textiles.