Teijin Frontier, the Teijin Group’s fibre products converting company, has developed MINOTECH, a highly water-repellent outerwear material for 2017 spring/summer.

The development of MINOTECH was inspired by the design of straw raincoats made in ancient Japan. It combines the usefulness of umbrella-quality fabric, the practicality of high-function wear and the attractiveness of a fashionable material.

Thanks to the material’s micro-garter structure, tiny convex bulges reduce horizontal surface tension to enable raindrops to slip smoothly off the surface in a vertical direction, the company explains. MINOTECH is also said to have high moisture permeability due to its non-laminated structure, so it allows sweat vapour to escape, keeping the inner surface dry and pleasant to touch.

Durable and pressure resistant

Samples of MINOTECH will be included among some 700 fabrics and 350 garment products in Teijin Frontier’s General Exhibition 9th For 2017 Autumn/Winter, Spirit of FRONTIER, at TEPIA in Kitaaoyama, Tokyo, from 17-18 November.

As well as being water-repellent (Grade 4), the material is also durable (Grade 3) and is said to sustain its properties after 30 washes. The new product is also pressure resistant (over 300mm), the company reports.

Teijin Group

Teijin is a technology-driven group offering advanced solutions in the areas of sustainable transportation, information and electronics, safety and protection, environment and energy, and healthcare.

Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibres, such as aramid, carbon fibres and composites, healthcare, films, resin and plastic processing, polyester fibres, products converting and IT. The group has some 150 companies and around 16,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide.

It posted consolidated sales of JPY 790.7 billion (US$ 7.4 billion) in the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2016. As a result of this recent development, the company expects its annual sales to rise to JPY 2 billion (about US$ 20 million) in the fiscal year ending in March 2019, targeting Japanese and Chinese markets specifically.

www.teijin.com