From GORE-TEX to domestic jackets such as Snow Wolf, there are many people who pay attention to jackets, but I believe not many people know the principle of this waterproof and breathable clothing. Let's sweep away illiteracy together. These things are complicated. Although there are a lot of online materials, it is difficult to guarantee their authority. Please correct me if you can't see it, so as not to make mistakes. First, copy a passage from the website of Gore China Company: W.L. Gore &; ASSOCIATES INC has developed into a world-famous high-tech multinational company. Gore company invented and produced, and GORE-TEX made it? The multifunctional fabric named after the brand is> the magazine is listed as one of the "100 best American products"; Astronauts have been wearing GORE-TEX since the Apollo spacecraft landed on the moon for the first time in 1969. Spacesuit made of fiber; Gore was also named one of the "100 most desirable American companies" by> magazine. Since the invention of plastics and synthetic rubber, waterproofing has become a breeze, but waterproofing and ventilation have always been an irreconcilable contradiction. Until the 1970s and 1980s, the most professional outdoor heroes were still fighting the sky in heavy coated raincoats. Gore-Tex is groundbreaking in that it is waterproof and breathable for the first time, and its core is a special synthetic material called expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE). Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a very common chemical material. If you have ever seen a plumber repair a water pipe, they will wrap a white material called a raw tape around the thread to seal the water. This raw material belt is PTFE. Gore-Tex jacket is expensive, but PTFE is worthless. You can see how the plumber uses the raw material belt. Polytetrafluoroethylene material has the following characteristics: low mechanical strength, but very good chemical stability, strong acid and alkali resistance, water tightness, but certain hygroscopicity and drainage. Of course, the raw material belt is not GTX. The PTFE film was stretched in two directions by a special process, which changed the micro-physical properties of the film and made it form a network micropore structure. PTFE film becomes expanded PTFE film (e-PTFE), and then it is tightly coated on nylon fabric to become a complete Gore-Tex fabric. Because every micropore of e-PTFE membrane is larger than liquid water molecules (or condensed water molecules? ) It is many times smaller and 700 times larger than gaseous water molecules, so rain can't penetrate at all, but sweat can easily penetrate. At the same time, due to its irregular and multi-layered network micropore structure, it is difficult for air to circulate directly, so it is completely windproof. The indexes of Gore-Tex fabric are: water pressure resistance >; 10000mm water column, moisture permeability >; 6000 g-8000 g/m 2.24 h (that is, 6-8 kg of gaseous water can seep out every 24 hours per square meter of fabric). As mentioned above, PTFE is a material with good chemical stability, and it is said that Gore-Tex fabric has undergone special oil-proof treatment, so GTX has good chemical stability and will not degrade no matter how many teenagers. But the mechanical strength of PTFE membrane is very low, so it must be protected, and the outside is naturally protected by base cloth. The difference of the inner protective layer leads to the so-called two-layer GTX and three-layer GTX. Two layers of GTX are e-PTFE film as the base fabric, and then the lining is sewn inside the clothes as a protective layer to avoid the direct exposure of the e-PTFE film. A double coat feels double. When we turned the back, we saw the lining similar to the clothes we usually wear. The three-layer GTX is the protective layer of the base fabric e-PTFE film, that is, the protective layer is directly covered on the e-PTFE film, so that the lining can be omitted when making clothes. A triple jacket feels single. Open the back, you can see the exposed silver-white mesh protective layer. In addition, there is a so-called two-and-a-half-layer (GORE-TEXPACLITE), which is directly bonded to the e-PTFE film with uniform and fine floating protrusions, instead of the three-layer GTX complete protective layer. Generally speaking, double-layer GTX fabric is softer and has more pockets inside. The three-layer structure is monotonous, and the fabric feels hard, but slightly breathable and light. Generally speaking, two-story clothes are more comfortable than three-story clothes. However, if you want to pursue functionality in harsh conditions, you must be willing to spend more money to buy a three-story one. The starting point of the two-and-a-half-story design is to pursue lightness, and at the same time, the air permeability has also improved a lot. With the increasing popularity of Gore-Tex in outdoor applications, Gore has developed a series of related products. There are mainly the following types: 1, XCR of GORE-TEX This material is an improvement on the processing technology of e-PTFE film, which significantly improves the air permeability (Gore Company claims that it has increased by 25%), but the waterproof and windproof performance has not changed. Now, from professional MHW to less professional black yak, most of their high-end coats use this GTX. 2.WINDSTOPPER, the popular so-called windproof fleece jacket (two-in-one or three-in-one fleece function). The core of this kind of clothing is PTFE film. When e-PTFE film is covered between two layers of wool, it becomes windproof and breathable wool. This kind of polar fleece also has certain rain resistance, and some products have been treated with water repellent on the surface of polar fleece. However, its rain-proof performance can't be compared with that of a jacket except that it doesn't have the tight rain-proof structure, and the main difference is that there is no adhesive tape at the joint. In addition, there is a kind of WINDSTOPPER clothing, which covers a solid woven fabric with e-PTFE film and presses glue on the joints, which has the properties of warmth, wind and rain. This kind of clothing is close to fleece in cutting, close to jacket in protection, and has strong pertinence, which seems to be mostly used for playing extreme outdoors. 3. Soft shell. It covers the back of two layers of GTX fabric with a layer of wool as a protective layer. This kind of clothing emphasizes warmth and is mainly used as snow clothes, such as ski clothes. 4.WINDSTOPPER N2S, in short, can be called windproof underwear, which is close to the body. The key of this fabric is that the next layer of material is sweat-wicking material. Of course, GTX is not the only waterproof and breathable material, and there are many fabrics marked with various TEX. Even e-PTFE membrane is not unique, and PU, which is often used as waterproof coating for tents, has certain moisture permeability. The waterproof index of the treated PU coating is the same as that of the e-PTFE film, and the moisture permeability index at room temperature and general humidity is close to that of the e-PTFE film. PU is a hydrophilic coating without micropore structure, which has certain moisture absorption and drainage effects. Its ventilation process is absorption first and then evaporation, which determines that its moisture removal ability is very limited and unstable. When the external humidity is high, the process of moisture absorption and drainage is very slow, and more importantly, at low temperature. Another TPU (microporous hydrophilic coating) also has moisture permeability. Its micropores are mainly obtained by chemical methods, and the size and number of pores are not ideal, and the moisture permeability is not much different from that of PU. PU and other coatings have been used in waterproof treatment of clothing for a long time, while e-PTFE film is relatively late, because PU material can be directly coated on fabrics and firmly bonded, while e-PTFE can be coated on textiles in a more special way. Therefore, the key to Gore's invention is not the e-PTFE itself, but the technology of coating e-PTFE with fabric. Several famous outdoor products manufacturers have their own waterproof and breathable materials, such as Power-Tex from SALEWA, OMIX Tech from COLUMBIA and MHW (I forgot). Among these waterproof and breathable materials, only E-Vent, a new material from BHA, has better moisture removal performance than Gore-Tex, which claims to surpass Gore in principle. Vaude (Ward) began to use this material in recent two years, and Lowe Alpine (Le Shebao) seems to have used it. E-vent has never seen it, but I have compared four different waterproof and breathable fabrics in an intuitive way. There is no doubt that Gore-Tex is obviously the winner, so so far, I trust Gore-Tex the most. Let's talk about the domestic situation. There are two kinds of waterproof and breathable materials in China, one is DENTIK, a patented product of Ningbo Dengtian Fluorescent Materials Co., Ltd., and the other is KKING-TEX of Shanghai Jinlin Textile Fabric Composite Co., Ltd. Of course, there may be more than two kinds, but these two kinds are the best sellers in China and have a high reputation. Let's start with Dante. This material was produced in 2003. "DENTIK waterproof breathable film with international level was carefully developed by the company for five years. After being compounded with fabric, the film has magical functions such as waterproof, breathable, windproof, ultraviolet protection, etc., breaking the situation that foreign products have monopolized the market for a long time "-the foreign products mentioned here probably refer to Gore-Tex. However, Gore's monopoly is not a long-term technological advantage, but a patent period protection. E-PTFE membrane is no secret, 1996 (about? As soon as Gore's patent expires, everyone can naturally produce e-PTFE films under various names. China, a country, is certainly unwilling to pay high prices for Gore's ready-made products, so DENTIK came into being. According to the information provided by Dengtian Company, DENTIK is also an e-PTFE membrane, which is also divided into three layers and two layers. Taking the three-layer film as an example, its waterproof and moisture permeability indexes are: water pressure resistance >; 6000mm water column, moisture permeability > 6000g/ m2.24h, very close to Gore-Tex. So it can be said that DENTIK is actually the first generation of Gore-Tex. Of course, this is only theoretical data, and the actual ventilation efficiency is hard to say. At least, it is certain that a domestic company like Ningbo Dengtian can't catch up with an internationally renowned company like Gore in the whole process of quality control. You know, Gore not only sells Gore-Tex fabrics, but also has the conditions to buy Gore-Tex. How to deal with it after Gore bought it back is also a question. Even Gore, the sewing machine, should be designated, and even Gore should make formal suggestions on the appropriate matching clothes of Gore-Tex. Whether DENTIK materials can achieve long-term quality stability like Gore-Tex, and whether Gore can keep up with the trend and continuously develop new products will directly affect its vitality. DENTIK, from Dengtian, Ningbo, was first applied to outdoor products, and it was applied to the brand K2 jacket developed by Kaitupike (an outdoor goods store in Beijing). In July, 2003, the Kaitu Mountain Climbing Team wore K2 to climb Mount Mustag. Subsequently, Sanfu's own outdoor brand ANEMAQEN jacket and trousers began to use DENTIK film, and now DENTIK film is used. These domestic brands also have to thank Dengtian Company for solving their clothing fabric problems. Without the low-priced e-PTFE membrane of Dengtian Company, they can't afford Gore-Tex. These domestic brands can solve the problem of fashion design by themselves-of course, they have no design ability and will copy. Sanfu and Kaitu are basically imitations of TNF and MHW. Cheerfulness and snow wolf are simpler and directly copy the pattern of Archaeopteryx. There have been some quality problems in these domestic jackets, some of which are not up to standard in technology, some of which are not strictly controlled in quality, and some of which are common faults of imitations: dreamy, the waterproof zipper used by Archaeopteryx omits the rainproof strip, so it is copied, and the quality of waterproof zipper is not up to standard, resulting in water leakage in clothes, and so on. But now the quality should be stable. Comparing the quality of several brands, firstly, there is no good impression on K2. More than once, I saw someone on the Internet saying that K2' s boss was playing outdoors alone, and the details of things were better. But after seeing the real thing, especially after comparing with other domestic brands, I always feel that the person who said this is a nurse. Recently, I saw a snow cover of K2. * Such a simple thing is called mental retardation when designed! The seam of K2 coat is always wrinkled, while Snow Wolf and Happy are flat. This difference can be seen from 5 meters away. Anima Qing's things are clumsy, but what is rare is that Sanfu's after-sales service is very trustworthy. He once made a large-scale recall for Animaqing's coat. When I first saw the cheerful coat, I once secretly sighed: Can domestic brands make things so fine? Unfortunately, it seems that the marketing of this company is not strong enough, and now the products are not selling well, which is rare. On the whole, the snow wolf is the most worthy of the attention of ordinary consumers. This company does best in the market, probably because of its large sales volume and the easiest way to get low prices. Many members of the bald chicken also wear this domestic Gore-Tex. It should be said that the quality is acceptable. The above brands also produce some windproof fleece, and the e-PTFE membrane of Dengtian Company should be used, which is called warm keeping, and the principle is similar to Gore's WINDSTOPPER. There is also a WIN-TEC material, the situation is unknown, but Animaqing is using it. I wonder if it is new material. There are also some other manufacturers producing stormtroopers, such as SHEHE and Guangzhou Traveler. I don't know what materials are used. Things are very general and not worth considering. Let's talk about KKING-TEX in Shanghai again. KKING-TEX's publicity material claims to be a microporous membrane, and each pore is smaller than a water drop and larger than a water vapor molecule, so it is also a "breathable all-functional fabric", which is waterproof, breathable and windproof. But it is a kind of PTFE instead of e-PTFE, that is, it is not expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. If it is not expanded PTFE, how can it produce its microporous structure without mechanical biaxial stretching? Not necessarily obtained by chemical methods? I suspect that its moisture permeability function is close to that of PU material, mainly because of its moisture absorption and desorption, rather than the direct moisture permeability of microporous membrane. The indexes given by KKING-TEX are water resistance >: 6000mm water column and water permeability > 6000g/ m2.24h, which is not much different from DENTIK. Even if the data is not exaggerated, I believe it is an ideal state. Once the conditions deteriorate, the moisture permeability index will drop sharply. Different from DENTIK, KKING-TEX is mainly used in footwear in China. This film is used for Sherpa waterproof hiking shoes that the club has been selling. As far as I know, at least two brands of waterproof shoes in China also use this material, one is RAN and the other is UP(Uplander). Regardless of the overall quality of shoes, at least the waterproof performance of this film itself is reliable. It is rare for these brands to keep up with the trend, and the waterproof layer is socks. I have seen Cedar's planing shoes and complete socks, and it feels good.
Many friends are concerned about whether the clothes they buy belong to real Gore-Tex (a well-known brand of waterproof and breathable materials), and it is hard to say clearly. Even if you ask an experienced friend to help you identify it on the spot, most people can't tell the difference between true and false. Generally speaking, you can test the water resistance on site and pay attention to whether there is water leakage at the joints. Because the outer layers of new clothes have been treated by DWR waterproof glue, one obvious feature is that they won't get wet. Even if you take it to the bottom of the faucet and wash it for a few minutes, or make a water nest and wait for a few minutes, or even press the water by hand, the inside will not get wet, and the outer layer of the fabric will not get wet. Permeability can be tested by hot water. There is a way. Pour half a cup of hot water, cover the inside of the clothes on the cup mouth, and press a piece of glass on the outside of the clothes to see if there is water vapor. The above methods only prove that the fabric of that dress is waterproof and breathable. I don't know whether it is gore-tex or not, but it doesn't seem to matter whether it is gore-tex or not. After all, waterproof and breathable performance is a point of purchase, and the name and brand are not the most important. In addition, you can also check the workmanship and accessories of clothes. Gore-Tex's clothes must be sewn with Gore tape specified by Gore. The density of needle pitch also has special requirements, not too sparse or too dense. There should be tiny holes in the black fibers of the mesh lining, and all zippers should use YKK. Most outdoor clothes sold in the United States now are made in China. A Gore-Tex jacket costs $ 200-450 in America. Even if the clearance is in the off-season, it will cost 120-250 USD. If you buy a Gore-Tex jacket for three or four hundred yuan, you can be sure it is fake.