Demonstration of Waterborne Polyurethane Textile Coatings Technology

Techtextil is an international trade exhibition of technical textiles and nonwovens, which will be held again in Frankfurt from 14 to 17 May 2019. Covestro will showcase the new sustainable technologies of Inskin waterborne textile coatings and waterborne polyurethane dispersions at D22 booth in Hall 3.0. Visitors can also get information about skin-friendly coatings on medical textiles, such as new TPU fibers and film solutions for smart textiles. One of the highlights of this event is breathable and waterproof outdoor clothing. Its purpose is to protect joggers or hikers from the rain, but at the same time to allow sweat to drain from their skin. Using Inskin technology, textiles can be coated with waterborne polyurethane (PU) dispersant without using solvent.

Breathable textiles give people a comfortable feeling. This is guaranteed by the adhesive coating based on impraperm dl5310 dispersion and the surface coating based on impraperm dl5249. These two products also provide the functions they want for backpacks, shoes and gloves.

Biodegradable textile coatings

In evaluating the sustainability of textiles, it is increasingly important to consider the entire product life cycle (including the behavior at the end of service life). Covestro provides a waterborne polyurethane dispersion through IMPRANIL < DLN-SD, which can be biodegraded by microorganisms at the end of the product life cycle. Initial internal tests on pure polymer films without additives confirm this. Raw materials make biodegradable coatings and composite solutions possible, thus contributing to the realization of modern circular economy. Under OECD standard 301, more than half of the dispersions degraded within 28 days. This percentage is significantly higher than that of acrylate film-forming agent.

Aliphatic polyurethane dispersion IMPRANIL< DLN-SD can be used to prepare coatings with high light resistance, and the dispersion can be used for adhesives, intermediate coatings and surface coatings. They are also suitable for other product applications, such as latex gloves and packaging. Covestro will also show a new fiber made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) at Techtextil Conference in 2019. Compared with traditional polyethylene terephthalate fiber, it has better wear resistance and can be hot pressed at lower temperature. At the same time, it also has tear resistance and good touch. Fibers can be used in footwear, functional textiles, sports accessories and leisure clothing.

Innovative Thin Film Solution for Intelligent Textiles

The use of printed electronic products is becoming more and more important in the process of digitalization of medical and health departments and leisure time. Covestro has developed a series of skin-friendly film solutions to meet the requirements of lightweight and very comfortable smart textile design. Intelligent textiles are an important application, such as for biological monitoring, diagnosis and drug management. Platilon thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films, for example, are used for continuous monitoring of important functions and accurate performance measurements. Conductive ink can be safely applied to the film to achieve this. Installed in the sole, patient data can be recorded and evaluated directly through electronic devices.

Medical Sustainable Textile Coatings

Recently, Kerschuang is also developing medical textile coatings. These include surgical clothes, hospital mattresses, coatings on medical furniture, and even bandages. In Techtextil 2019, the company will provide sustainable waterborne textile coating materials with good tactile and antiseptic properties, as well as latex-free adhesive bandages for compression therapy and secondary fixation.