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Superabsorbent fabric keeps feet dry in all weathers
07 Oct '08
5 min read
IQ .TEX will be launching the ventilation element in the "Elefanten" brand of children's shoes in the fall of 2008. "The new technology has performed superbly in practical trials and children's feet can at last breathe properly. The next stage is to incorporate it into children's loafers which will be marketed in spring 2009" says Michael Griesel of the Deichmann Group which owns the long-established "Elefanten" brand. Safety shoes from the Baak shoe company are now also ventilated with IQ .TEX.
Men's loafers from a well-known shoe manufacturer are scheduled to follow from spring 2009. And yet shoes are only one of many possible applications for the new miniature flood barrier with its highly variable size and positioning options.
Especially for outdoor uses, many potential applications are feasible for ventilation openings that are self-sealing in the rain; tents, bivouac sacks and jackets that otherwise tend to turn into miniature greenhouses, could be made much airier and still provide 100 percent protection against the wet in rainy weather.
The Prospects
With an annual capacity close to 400,000 metric tons, BASF is one of the world's largest manufacturers of superabsorbers. More than 90 percent of this output goes in the form of specialty products to the hygiene industry which mainly uses them to produce baby diapers and sanitary napkins. Over and above the classical uses in hygiene articles, there are innumerable other applications for superabsorbers.
With their ability to absorb large amounts of water, superabsorbers are also added to potting soils in which they act as a flexible water reservoir for plant roots. Their gel-like texture when saturated also makes them valuable thickening agents and liquid stores for mortars in the construction industry.
In the packaging industry, superabsorbent polymers are used, for example, as soaker pads to absorb excess fluid in food packaging. Luquafleece as sheet material also offers further applications: already widely used for passive climate control in office chairs, it can improve seating comfort and support in automobile seats, in functional sports clothing and workwear garments.
Men's loafers from a well-known shoe manufacturer are scheduled to follow from spring 2009. And yet shoes are only one of many possible applications for the new miniature flood barrier with its highly variable size and positioning options.
Especially for outdoor uses, many potential applications are feasible for ventilation openings that are self-sealing in the rain; tents, bivouac sacks and jackets that otherwise tend to turn into miniature greenhouses, could be made much airier and still provide 100 percent protection against the wet in rainy weather.
The Prospects
With an annual capacity close to 400,000 metric tons, BASF is one of the world's largest manufacturers of superabsorbers. More than 90 percent of this output goes in the form of specialty products to the hygiene industry which mainly uses them to produce baby diapers and sanitary napkins. Over and above the classical uses in hygiene articles, there are innumerable other applications for superabsorbers.
With their ability to absorb large amounts of water, superabsorbers are also added to potting soils in which they act as a flexible water reservoir for plant roots. Their gel-like texture when saturated also makes them valuable thickening agents and liquid stores for mortars in the construction industry.
In the packaging industry, superabsorbent polymers are used, for example, as soaker pads to absorb excess fluid in food packaging. Luquafleece as sheet material also offers further applications: already widely used for passive climate control in office chairs, it can improve seating comfort and support in automobile seats, in functional sports clothing and workwear garments.
BASF
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