Business

DOW puts ODORS OFF and FRESHNESS ON your apparel

SILVADUR™ Antimicrobial Defends Against Odors in Apparel

Have you ever wondered what causes the odor that builds up on athletic apparel, shoes and socks? Or why there is a musty smell that invades your pillow case or your bath towel?

These odors are caused by undesirable bacteria growing on fabric surfaces and controlling them is critical for manufacturers at a time when consumers are embracing a more hygenic personal lifestyle and demanding apparel and home textiles that maintain their freshness longer. However, until recently, traditional, silver-based antimicrobial systems had their limitations. They were difficult to handle during manufacturing, required extensive pre and post treatment processes, and changed the functional attributes of fabrics.In response to the need for an efficient and effective antimicrobial control system, Dow Microbial Control, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, recently introduced SILVADUR™ Antimicrobial at an event held in conjunction with some of China’s leading fabric and apparel manufacturers and brand owners.

Intelligent Silver-based Antimicrobial Technology

SILVADUR™ is an innovative antimicrobial technology specifically tailored for the textile and apparel industry. Its patented, intelligent controlled-release delivery system conveys a low concentration of silver ions on fabric surfaces and activates them only in the presence of undesirable bacteria. The benefits of this intelligent technology include durable antimicrobial protection for more than 50 washings and no yellowing or staining of apparel and home textiles. Most importantly, apparel and home textiles treated with SILVADUR maintain their freshness longer.“SILVADUR has received widespread praise in China’s apparel and home furnishings markets and has been well received by textile producers and consumers in China and around the world in the past year,” said Vincent Zeng, Dow Microbial Control, Greater China Commercial Manager. “In addition to its high degree of efficacy, consumers are reacting positively to the fact that SILVADUR-treated articles are non-toxic, non-sensitizing and non-irritating to human skin. They also appreciate that it does not release silver particulates into the environment and is also recyclable and reusable during processing.”

Xtep, the China-based manufacturer and marketer of sports apparel and footwear, is treating much of its athletic footwear, including shoes and socks, with SILVADUR. Li Xia, Director of the Footwear Commodities Center at Xtep participated in the SILVADUR product event and shared Xtep’s perspectives on the product.“Odor control has become very important to the consumers who purchase our apparel and footwear,” said Li Xia. “During extensive testing, technical experts from Xtep and Dow worked together to evaluate the performance of SILVADUR. Results of rigorous testing showed conclusively that SILVADUR™ was much more evenly applied to the substrates of our footwear than other antimicrobials we had tested. It also exhibited a high degree of efficacy in controlling a broad spectrum of odor-causing bacteria in shoe linings and insoles. Also, it is very durable even after 50 rigorous launderings; SILVADUR still had a 99% antimicrobial control rate against bacteria and fungi.”SILVADUR™ was selected by R&D Magazine as one of the top 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace in 2012-13. It has been assessed as harmless to human health and added to the list of active chemical products approved by the International Oeko-Tex Association.

More information on SILVADUR Antimicrobial can be obtained from www.SILVADUR.com