Hydrophillic
Hydrophobic
Superhydrophobic
How Xeromax Can Help:
Product Benefits
Superhydrophobic
When a drop of water lands on hydrophobic material, such as the leaf of a plant, it beads up and runs off. The more the water drop tends to bead, the more water-resistant, or hydrophobic, the material. This level of hydrophobicity is measured by the angle the water drop makes relative to the surface upon which it resides (see the above diagram). Xeromax has the ability to make any textile superhydrophobic, meaning that only a minimal portion of the surface area of a water droplet actually comes in contact with the fabric.
Abrasion Resistant
Combining the abilities of plasma treatment, Chemical Vapor Deposition, and reaction promoters, the Xeromax process creates the most durable and abrasion resistant DWR on the market. In the process, the ultra-thin, superhydrophobic coating actually becomes part of the textile at the molecular level by creating a covalent bond between the chemicals and the individual textile fibers. Thus, the coating is as durable as the fiber itself. The charts below show how the Xeromax process performed in an abrasion test as compared to current plasma polymerization processes.
Stain Resistant
The nano-coating's water-resistant qualities react the same way to compounds that would otherwise create stains. Because each individual fiber of the textile has been encased in a protective reactive coating, the compounds are prevented from penetrating into the fiber. Rather, they are repelled by the surface treatment of the textile and are easily washed off.
Unmarred Natural Qualities
Certain materials are chosen for specific applications because of their intrinsic, natural characteristics. Because the superhydrophobic layer added is merely nanometers thick, any textile taken through the Xeromax process will retain all of its important and inherent properties such as breathability, softness, and pliability.
