Coolmax
Encyclopedia
Coolmax is a trademark and a brand name for a series of moisture-wicking technical fabrics developed in 1986 by DuPont Textiles and Interiors (now Invista
). The fabrics employ specially-engineered polyester
fibres to improve "breathability" compared to natural fibres like cotton
.
Structure: Coolmax fibres are not round, but are slightly oblong in cross-section with grooves running lengthwise along the threads. They are manufactured in either a tetrachannel or hexachannel style. The series of closely spaced channels creates capillary action
that wicks moisture through the core and out to a wider area on the surface of the fabric which increases evaporation.
Uses: CoolMax fabric was originally developed for clothing intended for use during extreme physical exertion — sweat can evaporate quickly so the wearer is kept dry. Other useful properties include resistance to fading, shrinking and wrinkling. The fibres are now often woven with other materials like cotton
, wool
, Spandex
and Tencel. As a result, CoolMax is found in a wide variety of garments from mountain climbing gear, to casual sportswear and underwear.
CoolMax fabric mattress covers and bed sheets have also been designed for those who have hot flashes or night sweating due to illness, medication or menopause
.
Competitors: Most competing fabrics are made from polyester or nylon. Other brand names are Capilene® polyester, Supplex® nylon, Pertex® fabrics and polynosic rayons like Tencel®.
'Wick away' or 'wickaway' is a general term used for fabrics that are engineered to draw moisture away from the skin through capillary action and increased evaporation over a wider surface area.
INVISTA
Invista, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, is the world's largest integrated fiber, resin and intermediates company. DuPont originally formed the company as a subsidiary in 2003 from its textile fibers division and named it DuPont Textiles and Interiors while a permanent identity was established...
). The fabrics employ specially-engineered polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
fibres to improve "breathability" compared to natural fibres like cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
.
Structure: Coolmax fibres are not round, but are slightly oblong in cross-section with grooves running lengthwise along the threads. They are manufactured in either a tetrachannel or hexachannel style. The series of closely spaced channels creates capillary action
Capillary action
Capillary action, or capilarity, is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity where liquid spontanously rise in a narrow space such as between the hair of a paint-brush, in a thin tube, or in porous material such as paper or in some non-porous material such as liquified carbon fiber, or in a...
that wicks moisture through the core and out to a wider area on the surface of the fabric which increases evaporation.
Uses: CoolMax fabric was originally developed for clothing intended for use during extreme physical exertion — sweat can evaporate quickly so the wearer is kept dry. Other useful properties include resistance to fading, shrinking and wrinkling. The fibres are now often woven with other materials like cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
, Spandex
Spandex
Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...
and Tencel. As a result, CoolMax is found in a wide variety of garments from mountain climbing gear, to casual sportswear and underwear.
CoolMax fabric mattress covers and bed sheets have also been designed for those who have hot flashes or night sweating due to illness, medication or menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
.
Competitors: Most competing fabrics are made from polyester or nylon. Other brand names are Capilene® polyester, Supplex® nylon, Pertex® fabrics and polynosic rayons like Tencel®.
'Wick away' or 'wickaway' is a general term used for fabrics that are engineered to draw moisture away from the skin through capillary action and increased evaporation over a wider surface area.
External links
- Coolmax page at the Invista site