Scientists ‘crack’ PFAS-free waterproof challenge

BEIJING – A team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences claims to have developed a new single-step durable water repellent treatment for textiles using a fluorine-free silica shell applied directly to individual yarns.

This yarn treatment process is said to form a covalently bonded structure at the fibre level with superhydrophobic properties, with the treatment remaining intact after the yarns are woven or knitted into finished fabrics.