SPONSORED CONTENT - People are very conscious of body odour in modern life, and we are far more likely to launder clothes for freshness than to get rid of dirt. This preference for fresh-smelling apparel sits alongside other market trends: increased demand for athleisure wear, the rise in hybrid working, and greater sports participation.
“As brands increasingly look to add odour-control to their collections, mills that can deliver this capability alongside other finishing effects will be best-placed to capture a greater share of higher-value markets,” said Kerim Oner, Global Marketing Manager for Finishing at Huntsman Textile Effects.
“We have one of the industry’s most complete end-to-end systems for high-performance finishing effects. Whatever your end-market, we can help you understand and respond to consumer trends and create safe and sustainable products that stand out in crowded marketplaces.”
New anti-odour technology
A new addition to the Textile Effects solutions portfolio is NOBO™. A revolutionary anti-odour technology, it has been specifically developed by Huntsman’s partner Sciessent to adsorb compounds responsible for body odour without the use of an antimicrobial.
Effective on both natural and synthetic fabrics, NOBO™ harnesses the power of highly porous and benign non-biocidal minerals. This creates a large active surface area that bonds with odour compounds and holds them in place. Once adsorbed in this way, the odours are washed away during laundering and the technology regenerates to adsorb new odours.
Solutions for athleisure wear
Thanks to renewed public interest in wellness and to celebrity fans, athleisure remains the fastest growing category in fashion. One study found that almost 70% of consumers are likely to search for odour-resistant technology when purchasing activewear. Textile Effects suggests combining its ERIOFAST® dyes with ULTRAPHIL® PA moisture management technology and NOBO™ odour control.
The ERIOFAST® dye range was specially developed for dyeing intense brilliant shades with outstanding wet- and wash-fastness on polyamide/elastane (PA/EL) fibre blends and full-dull micro-denier PA. It lets designers use vibrant blocks of colour and high-contrast black and white without the risk of bleeding, even at the highest temperatures in home and industrial laundering.
Solutions for hybrid working
Hybrid working is creating demand for both casualwear and business wear. For casual style and comfort, consumers are choosing cotton-polyester (CO-PES) blends. Textile Effects suggests combining its ULTRATEX® STS-U silicone softener with NOBO™ odour control and using the new AVITERA® SE Fast dyeing process.
The revolutionary AVITERA® SE dyes deliver high wash- and light-fastness, along with water and energy savings of up to 50%. Combining these reactive dyes with alkali-clearable TERASIL® W/WW disperse dyes in its AVITERA® SE Fast process, Textile Effects delivers the lowest environmental impact for dyeing CO-PES blends. The combination cuts processing time from around nine hours to just six, increasing output by up to 25% or more while saving resources.
For traditional business wear, 100% cotton clothing that looks fresh for longer is always in fashion. Textile Effects recommends combining a KNITTEX® non-iron or easy-care finish with NOBO™ odour control and UVITEX® BHA LIQ. The latter is an optical brightener that helps mills achieve very high, brilliant full-white effects on cellulosic fibres, with reduced risk of discoloration when other finishing effects are applied or during storage and shipment.
Solutions for sportswear
Despite COVID-19 disruption, the global sportswear sector is set to grow 3.3% a year to USD 117 billion by 2027. Sustainability is a continuing trend. Textile Effects recommends combining its ULTRAPHIL® TG moisture management technology with NOBO™ odour control, TERASIL® W/WW disperse dyes and ERIOPON® E3-SAVE.
ERIOPON® E3-SAVE is an all-in-one textile auxiliary for PES processing that allows pre-souring, dyeing and reduction clearing to be combined in a single bath. This shortens processing time and saves water and energy.
Complete effects range
The Huntsman Textile Effects solutions portfolio includes pre-treatments that reduce processing time; resource-saving dyes and inks; durable water repellents for rain and stain protection; colour-retention solutions for sustained performance; moisture-management for enhanced comfort; UV-absorbing technologies for lasting sun protection; antimicrobial and odour-control solutions for garments that stay fresher for longer; and flame retardants for high-performance functional textiles.
