Textile finishing innovator Devan Chemicals presents its further findings on its Moov&Cool ‘cool comfort’ technology for the apparel/sportswear market. The patented polymer technology was first introduced at the Performance Days trade fair in April earlier this year.

Moov&Cool is a polymer technology, designed to provide a cool comfort feel through a combination of durable heat absorption capacity, thermo-conductivity and a unique, balanced moisture transfer system. In addition to a fast absorption of sweat, the technology helps to manage sweat evaporation in a balanced way. The topical treatment for textiles has been brought to life in an effort to boost the performances of professional athletes, and to enhance comfort for recreational athletes, the company reports.

Devan says the company was inspired by a mechanism of plants when they started developing Moov&Cool. “Plants also use small pore-like openings (stomata) on the bottom of their leaves which open and close depending on the environment they are exposed to,” explained Dr Vanessa Daelman, Business Unit Manager Performance at Devan. “It allows them to manage the water reservoir in the leaves and hence their thermoregulation.”

Unique system

“Where other technologies count on wind to help evaporate sweat to create cool skin sensation, Moov&Cool uses superfluous heat produced by the body during the sports performance to lower the body core temperature,” explained Dr Daelman. “The effect remains when the wind speed is reduced, which makes it also suitable for indoor sports.”

Furthermore, the technology is not only useful in hot climates, but also insulates when it gets cold, Dr Daelman continues: “When Moov&Cool is exposed to colder conditions, the pore-like openings in the polymeric layer are more closed, trapping heat between the body and the fabric.”

Test results

As Devan attaches great importance to scientific proof and independent testing, they teamed up with the Bakala Academy and the University of Leuven to test the patented technology. “As we did more testing with professional athletes, trends we saw earlier can now be confirmed,” added Dr Daelman.

“Moov&Cool lowers the body core temperature significantly and has a positive effect on heart rate and heat perception. But the full details of the testing will be presented at Performance Days from 28-29 November.”

www.devan.net