Your browser doesn't support javascript. This means that the content or functionality of our website will be limited or unavailable. If you need more information about Vinnova, please contact us.

SilCoTex: Sustainable anti-soiling textile

Reference number
Coordinator CHALMERS TEKNISKA HÖGSKOLA AKTIEBOLAG - Institutionen för kemi och kemiteknik
Funding from Vinnova SEK 3 230 000
Project duration December 2017 - April 2020
Status Completed
Venture Challenge-driven innovation - Phase 2 Collaboration
Call Challenge-driven innovation - Stage 2 Collaboration 2017 (autumn)

Important results from the project

The goal of the project was to provide the Swedish textile industry with a substitute, based on ecofriendly materials, to the current fluorine based anti-soiling finishing technology. The main objective was therefore to integrate a know-how from the painting industry in the form of novel coatings for textiles. This has been successfully conducted by developing and testing prototypes by the textile partners for various kind of materials, using current methods of productions and new methods of applications, leading to further implementation.

Expected long term effects

The newly developed coatings have been tested both in small scale production with the textile partners, as well as in larger scale for on-site and in real situation evaluation. The results show that the solutions developed can be implemented in the current production scheme and that the anti-soil properties are suitable for targeted applications. The outcome of this work is a new family of finishes that can be competitive, for some applications, with current state of the art of anti-soiling treatment while managing less noxious products.

Approach and implementation

By targeting specific features provided by perfluorinated compounds (PFC), and avoiding the general pitfall of trying to make a one-to-one substitute to PFC, we have been able to develop suitable alternatives capable of delivering good performance for anti-soil properties for a variety of textile. One of the key aspects has been to understand the partners needs and to tune the formulations to meet the production requirements that varies depending on the application. By doing so, we have been able to enhance and upscale the solutions developed in step 1 and implement some of the them.

The project description has been provided by the project members themselves and the text has not been looked at by our editors.

Last updated 1 December 2021

Reference number 2017-03724