Commercial applications possible for fabric that adapts to sweat

Japanese performance material developer Teijin has announced a knitted fabric that it says can “respond to perspiration” to increase breathability and eliminate clamminess. The company says the new “self-adjusting fabric” will come to market in its 2023 fiscal year and predicted it would become a core product for year-round sports and outdoor apparel. 

The fabric has a solid knitted structure that, according to the company, changes shape in three directions in response to perspiration thanks to a specially textured, side-by-side composite yarn made from two types of polymer, each with different hygroscopicity. The yarn’s structure also includes a coiled crimp.

Work on a side-by-side composite yarn and on fabric with stitches that would open and close in response to perspiration began in 2009, the company says. Initially, the stitches opened too much, causing issues with clothing sizes. Teijin has limited stitch opening “to a practical level,” so that commercial applications will now be possible.