Nikwax Analogy

	Nikwax Analogy Nikwax Analogy is a two-component fabric system for weatherproof clothing based on "biomimicry" of fur (the system was originally called "Nikwax Biological Analogy"). Technology The key to the system is the inner "pump" layer which is designed to move moisture from one face to the other by means of capillary depression (a surface tension effect causing fluid to move along a tube in the direction of increasing diameter). Combined with an outer layer that slows down incoming rain and wind, the "pump" layer is able to push water away from the wearer at a rate which should keep them dry. Since both components of the system are, by themselves, porous and air-permeable, the Analogy system is considerably more breathable than waterproofs relying on a non-porous layer. Unlike most "waterproof breathable" fabrics, Analogy can pass out liquid water as well as vapour. Unlike a conventional waterproof fabric Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are, inherently, or have been treated to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Waterproof Fabric Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are, inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. The term "waterproof" refers to conformance to a governing specification and specific conditions of a laboratory test method. They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Treatment could be either of the fabric during manufacture or of completed products after manufacture, for instance by a waterproofing spray. Examples include the rubberized fabric used in Mackintosh jackets, sauna suits and inflatable boats. Definition and specifications Waterproof/breathable fabrics resist liquid water passing through, but allow water vapour to pass through. Their ability to block out rain and snow while allowing vapour from sweat to evaporate leads to their use in rainwear, waterproof outdoor spo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Hydrostatic Head When generating hydropower, the head is the distance that a given water source has to fall before the point where power is generated. Ultimately the force responsible for hydropower is gravity, so a hydroelectricity plant with a tall/high head can produce more power than a similar plant with a short/low head. In short, for a given water flow, a larger head will be converted into greater kinetic energy. That energy is then harnessed by a water wheel or water turbine to create usable hydropower. Fabrics Hydrostatic head is also used as a measure of the waterproofing of a fabric, commonly in clothing and equipment used for outdoor recreation. It is measured as a length (typically millimetres), representing the maximum height of a vertical column of water that could be placed on top of the fabric before water started seeping through the weave. Thus a fabric with a hydrostatic head rating of mm could hold back a column of water five metres high, but no more. Notes {{reflist S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Gore-Tex Gore-Tex is a waterproof, breathable fabric membrane and registered trademark of W. L. Gore & Associates. Invented in 1969, Gore-Tex can repel liquid water while allowing water vapor to pass through and is designed to be a lightweight, waterproof fabric for all-weather use. It is composed of stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is more commonly known by the generic trademark Teflon. The material is formally known as the generic term expanded PTFE (ePTFE). History Gore-Tex was co-invented by Wilbert L. Gore and Gore's son, Robert W. Gore. In 1969, Bob Gore stretched heated rods of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and created expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). His discovery of the right conditions for stretching PTFE was a happy accident, born partly of frustration. Instead of slowly stretching the heated material, he applied a sudden, accelerating yank. The solid PTFE unexpectedly stretched about 800%, forming a microporous structure that was about 70% air. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Durable Water Repellent Durable water repellent, or DWR, is a coating added to fabrics at the factory to make them water-resistant (''hydrophobic''). Most factory-applied treatments are fluoropolymer based; these applications are quite thin and not always effective. Durable water repellents are commonly used in conjunction with waterproof breathable fabrics such as Gore-Tex to prevent the outer layer of fabric from becoming saturated with water. This saturation, called 'wetting out,' can reduce the garment's breathability (moisture transport through the breathable membrane) and let water through. As the DWR wears off over time, re-treatment is recommended when necessary. Many spray-on and wash-in products for treatment of non-waterproof garments and re-treatment of proofed garments losing their water-repellency are available. Older methods for factory application of DWR treatments involve applying a solution of a chemical onto the surface of the fabric by spraying or dipping. More recently the chemist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	Páramo Directional Clothing Páramo Directional Clothing is a British outdoor clothing company. It was founded by Nick Brown, who also started the Nikwax waterproofing products company. Background During the 1980s, Nick Brown became convinced that there was a fundamental flaw in the way waterproof fabrics commonly used in outdoor clothing worked, in the humid and cool, but not cold, environment in Britain. This is because the fabrics rely on a temperature and humidity gradient in order to breathe. These ideas led to the development of Nikwax Analogy fabrics. Páramo Directional Clothing was founded as a company to make clothing based on the Nikwax Analogy technologies. Ethics Páramo utilises a charitable manufacturing facility in Bogota, Colombia to produce all of its technical products. The factory was begun in conjunction with a local foundation and provides skills and jobs for 'at risk women', generally women who would otherwise be involved in prostitution or illegal drug use. In addition to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Waterproof Fabric Waterproof fabrics are fabrics that are, inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. The term "waterproof" refers to conformance to a governing specification and specific conditions of a laboratory test method. They are usually natural or synthetic fabrics that are laminated or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Treatment could be either of the fabric during manufacture or of completed products after manufacture, for instance by a waterproofing spray. Examples include the rubberized fabric used in Mackintosh jackets, sauna suits and inflatable boats. Definition and specifications Waterproof/breathable fabrics resist liquid water passing through, but allow water vapour to pass through. Their ability to block out rain and snow while allowing vapour from sweat to evaporate leads to their use in rainwear, waterproof outdoor spo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Science And Technology In East Sussex Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for scientific reasoning is tens of thousands of years old. The earliest written records in the history of science come from Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in around 3000 to 1200 BCE. Their contributions to mathematics, astronomy, and medicine entered and shaped Greek natural philosophy of classical antiquity, whereby formal attempts were made to provide explanations of events in the physical world based on natural causes. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, knowledge of Greek conceptions of the world deteriorated in Western Europe during the early centuries (400 to 1000 CE) of the Middle Ages, but was preserved in the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden Age and later by the efforts of Byzantine Greek scholars who brought Greek man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]