Down jacket fabric is upgraded again. Can new materials replace natural down?

With the development of world industry and the increasing emphasis on environmental protection, the textile industry is also continuously improving environmental standards and technological levels to produce more environmentally friendly, healthy, and high-end fabrics. As one of the main types of winter clothing, Down jacket fabric is also constantly upgraded in this process, and new materials are constantly emerging.

The main raw material of traditional Down jacket fabric is down. The fluff in the body of birds in sleeping state has good properties such as warmth retention, sweat wicking and air permeability. However, the traditional method of collecting down often involves abusing or even killing live birds to obtain down, which has a negative impact on protecting animals and maintaining the ecological environment. In addition, traditional down also has problems such as uneven quality, susceptibility to moisture, and difficulty in cleaning.

In order to compensate for these shortcomings of traditional down, new down fabric materials have gradually been introduced. Among them, popular materials include synthetic down, imitation down, velvet, and so on. These new materials are both warm and moisturizing, not prone to static electricity, have a soft feel, and can be reused. Among them, imitation down is made by mixing fibers and down, which has good warmth retention and texture, and is not easy to flatten or leak down. Velvet is a type of fabric that has undergone special processing and treatment, with a soft, thick texture and good warmth retention. However, it can sometimes cause problems such as moisture and mold.

In addition, some new down fabric materials have gradually emerged recently, such as oxidized polyethylene (PFCs), liquid crystalline polymers (LCP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and so on. These materials have the advantages of moisture absorption, sweat wicking, warmth preservation, and environmental protection. Oxidized polyethylene is a commonly used waterproof and breathable material that can enhance the waterproof and breathable properties of clothing, making down fabrics less susceptible to moisture and heat loss. Liquid crystalline polymer is a high-performance down fabric material that can block strong winds and prevent rainwater penetration, while also possessing excellent breathability and warmth retention. Polyvinyl alcohol is also an environmentally friendly and healthy new material with excellent moisture absorption and sweat wicking ability, while preventing rainwater infiltration. It is a transparent, soft, anti fluffy, and comfortable fabric material.

However, whether these new down fabric materials can completely replace traditional natural down requires time to test and verify. While ensuring environmental protection and health, the warmth retention, breathability, and quality of new down fabric materials still need to be further improved and improved. In addition, the cost and durability of new down fabric materials also require more optimization. In general, although the new down fabric materials still need to be improved, its development is unstoppable and is expected to become the mainstream of Down jacket fabrics in the future.