The future of Water repellent clothing

[walkinTas]

Perhaps you saw the first episode of the excellent series "Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds" on Win TV Tuesday night at 9:00PM following TopGear. You should make an effort to catch the next two episodes. Episode two will be on Tuesday 23/11/10. In the third episode (Nov 30th probably) Hammond has a short story on work being done by NASA to make space-gear dust repellent. The research is based on understanding the microscopic properties of the Lotus leaf. General Electric are also doing similar research.

What you will see in "Invisible Worlds" is a surface coating developed by NASA, from this research, that can make any surface as water repellent as a Lotus leaf. Sometime soon there could be a product that makes any item of clothing hydrophobic. Any lightweight fabric could be used to make a backpack, tent, coat, shirt, trousers that simply can't get wet and is entirely self cleaning because dirt won't stick to it either.

[crockle]

But will they 'breathe', these tents, coats, shirts, trousers ?
With the Gore company having relentlessly told us their porky pies for a couple of decades now, it would be great to "believe again" that we could all have durable waterproof breathable lightweight clothing to go bush in.
And I guess, have the Lotus leaf scientist fellow do some comparisons between the Ancient Lotus, and Gore-Tex, eVent (TM) etc etc

Although I put myself in front of the household television only about once a month, it appears that between them, the Top Gear triumvirate present about 38 spin-off programs each. And Richard Hammond may have a few more than that?
I hate his kids show where they make the losers watch their prizes being blown up..

Seriously, will try to tune in to this. thanks WT

[blacksheep]

nano technology is not that new in apparel applications (I think I first used it 7 years ago)..but it is cool. we're using it in our down jackets next season

[ollster]

Carbon nano-tube gaiters.

[blacksheep]

who's been leaking our R&D???

[ollster]

who's been leaking our R&D???

BING! Although I might need to take out a loan to get a pair...

[Liamy77]

just wondering - i had heard something about how amazingly similar the carbon tubes are to the asbestos fibers that have caused asbestosis in the past? hope that gets checked out properly and no-one rushes to be first on the fabric market at its' expense!
of course if that's BS then they'll definately be on my wish list!

[mattyc25]

Nanotex technology has been used widely in various clothing items, including business shirts. I have tested these through my work and they are fantastic at beading water and repelling stains. I am told that the technology works on a molecular level and will never wash out. Except you cannot use fabric softener and the effect definately wears out of the garments after time, so draw your own conclusions on that.

Living in QLD the shirts are also very hot and do not breath well at all, so much so that I will not wear them. But that is just one application I have had exposure to, not writing it off as useless or anything.

Matt