In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about membrane clothing and everything about its care.
History of membrane clothing
Първите в света мембрани са разработени преди почти 60 години в развойния център на американската компания DuPont. Целта на разработката е била да се създаде изкуствена човешка кожа. Така се появява PTFE мембраната.
The Russians are also working hard in this field and have reached the same development. The first person to wear such a membrane was the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Subsequently, a PTFE membrane was used in the spacesuits of the Apollo astronauts.
The Russian development has not been commercialized, while the Americans are making a real revolution in this area. Until the 1980s, the membranes were classified and used mainly by NASA, and after declassification they entered mainstream clothing.
Membranes and cotton
Initially, experiments were conducted with bonding the membranes to natural fibers and blends such as cotton and cotton-polyesters. In the 1990s, with the development and creation of artificial fabrics of a new generation, cotton was completely replaced by them.
The disadvantages of cotton compared to new fibers is that it has 5-10 times less abrasion resistance. Another disadvantage is that when wet, a lot of water is absorbed, the clothes become heavy and dry slowly. At the same time, when it gets wet, cotton reduces breathability by 3-4 times, and absorbed water freezes in cold weather and cracks the membranes.
Nowadays, membranes are used in many other areas besides windproof and waterproof garments. Some of them are aerospace, aircraft construction, computers, even in GSM phones - they take moisture out and protect against moisture. Membranes are also used in medicine - artificial heart valves, blood vessels, abdominal walls and others are made from them.
How to maintain our membrane clothes for longer life?
There are basic steps and methods we can follow to maintain and preserve membrane clothing for as long as possible:
- Do not stick pins, needles or badges on the membrane garment.
- Do not sew anything onto the garment by hand. (Each seam is glued at the factory on the principle of welding by the manufacturer).
- If necessary, iron at a temperature of up to 110°, through additional cotton material, not directly.
- Do not dry in direct sunlight and in a dryer, on direct fire, open rheotans and near direct heat sources.
- Do not store in a damp environment and do not crease before it is completely dry.
- Reflective inscriptions should not be ironed directly or with steam.
- Removable details with reflective writing on the sleeves should be removed, and panels with reflective writing on the back and front of the jacket should be stored before washing.
- Wash up to 40º C. Do not spin when washing and do not wash with bleaching agents.
- Zippers, buttons and velcro should be closed when washing.
- The foil for the badge should be removed before washing (do not wash).
- Do not wear non-breathable fabrics over the suit, as this will impair its normal breathability
In conclusion
We looked at the history of membrane clothes, who was the first person to wear them, how to preserve the clothes for a long time and other useful tips.
We looked at the history of membrane clothes, who was the first person to wear them, how to preserve the clothes for a long time and other useful tips.