Goretex is a waterproof material which is permeable to water vapor. This means that it allows moisture from condensation and sweat to escape from the inside while keeping rain and water from getting you wet. It is commonly used in rain gear such as jackets, boots, gloves, trousers and hiking boots.
Goretex is a synthetic material and a registered trademark of W.L. Gore & Associates. It is made of Teflon. It has numerous microscopic pores which allow water vapor to escape yet prevents large drops of water to enter the material. This allows water vapor from condensation and perspiration to escape keeping you dry. The material is a triple layered, laminated compound which is impenetrable to water and rain. It is also completely wind proof.
Goretex is commonly used in sportswear.
The Gortex Patent
Gore-tex is patented by Wilbert L. Gore, Rowena Taylor and Robert W. Gore. It was patented in 1976 for a “porous form of plytetrafluoroethylene” (Teflon) and with a micro-structure characterized by nodes interconnected fibrils. It has also been patented as a “waterproof laminate”.
The Design of Goretex
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Goretex clothing is designed in a triple layered system which laminates a special membrane layer to other high
preforming textiles. It is then sealed with a special process.
The membrane is what creates the waterproof layer on the goretex clothes. The incredible part of this process is that for every square inch of fabric there are over nine billion (9,000,000,000!) small microscopic holes. These microscopic holes are so small that they are actually 20,000 times smaller than a single drop of water, thus creating a waterproof seal.
These holes are also much larger than a water vapor molecule (about 700 times larger) which allows your perspiration to escape.
Wearing goretex clothing is a surefire way of keeping yourself dry, water is not getting through a hole that small.
Integrated into the membrane of Gore-Tex is also a oleophobic substance which prevents body oils and products such as bug repellants from entering the pores, which could clog it.
Goretex also comes with a Keep you Dry guarantee:
“If you are not completely satisfied with the waterproofness, windproofness, or breathability of a Gore-Tex product then we will repair it, replace it, or refund your purchase price.”
If you are an active person than you want yourself some Goretex!
