Reproducing lotus leaves structure on a textile surface
Imparts water repellency equivalent to that of fluorine-based DWR
Interviewed in March 2018
Fluorine-free DWR: NEOSEED
In the textile industry, environmental persistence has been seen as a problem for certain fluorine compounds since the early 2000s, In this circumstances, the world's leading apparel and sportsbrands have set a goal to eliminate fluorine compounds from the production process by 2020. Well before this movement got underway, NICCA was researching and developing "PFC-free Durable Water Repellent Finish," which are fluorine-free. Inspired by the lotus leaves structure, our solution was "NEOSEED". Amid increasing demand for this product, two staff members have beenin charged with the further development and promotion of this product.
TAKEUCHI Narihisa
Manager of Textile Product Development Department
Institute of Surface Science and Technology
SHIMADA Saori
Sales Promotion
Chemicals Strategy Planning Division
Taking inspiration from the structure of a lotus leaves
President EMORI and R&D personnel receiving the award
Though the lotus plant leaf may appear smooth at a glance, a close look reveals that the surface of the leaf is covered with microscopic projections that also have nano-sized bumps and dips on their surfaces. Air becomes trapped in the spaces between the projections and the indentations, forming "A Layer of Air" that repels water.
This principle was applied when we started to focus on developing NEOSEED in 2004. NEOSEED is the fusion of a chemical innovation to replace fluorine compounds which has excellent water repellency and a physical innovation inspired by the structure of the lotus leaves. After many years of work and gradual improvement, we have reached a level of water repellency that is comparable to fluorine-based DWRs. In addition, when this product is designed with sufficient consideration regarding the impact of water repellency processing on the fabric properties, such as hand-feel, seam slippage resistance etc., it is expected that NEOSEED can be deployed over a wide range of fields, mainly in sports and casual apparel brands.
In the course of the development of NEOSEED, the patent rights were acquired in 2012 and NEOSEED was awarded the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Prize, the highest award at the 2017 Kinki Regional Innovation Awards (sponsored by Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation). NEOSEED was highly evaluated for meeting global needs in that it is environmental-friendly and contributes to energy conservation.
Promoting NEOSEED Fluorine-Free Water-Repellency Brand Awareness with Hang-Tag
In January 2018, NEOSEED was exhibited for the fourth consecutive year at ISPO MUNICH, the world's largest sporting goods trade fair.The latest NEOSEED technology were introduced to those in attendance. Industry attention on PFC-free DWR is high and we are currently negotiating with apparel brands for outdoor jackets and other specific items.
NEOSEED has excellent water repellency as a stand-alone product, moreover we plan to increase orders by promoting the possibility of further improving water repellency in textile processing through combining NEOSEED with other agents NICCA provides, such as those used in the scouring and dyeing processes. In this way, we aim to achieve global sales of 2 billion JPY in 2020.
In addition, as part of our sales promotion measures, we have produced a Hang-Tag to attach to apparel products made from NEOSEED water repellent processed fabric. This Hang-Tag will be proposed to apparel and sport brands that utilize NEOSEED in the future to raise the awareness of consumers who want to select environmental-friendly products. We will continue to improve the product's functionality, including water repellency and hand-feel, while also focusing on promotional activities to build NEOSEED into a globally recognized brand.
Donating to Hanahasu Park in FUKUI
In appreciation of the inspiration we received from the lotus leaf when developing NEOSEED, we have donated a portion of our NEOSEED sales profits to Hanahasu Park in Minami Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, which boasts the largest number of flowering lotus plants in Japan.
We plan to continue to make this donation in the future to ensure the long-term conservation of this park.
