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Taiwan-based Hwa Fune ® develops high-performance sustainable fabrics, including its pioneering product Porlite. This employs a microporous membrane that provides air permeable, breathable and waterproof qualities. WTiN finds out more.
Functional fabric innovator Hwa Fune is responding to the textile industry’s increasing environmental awareness. From consumers and regulators pushing for more eco-friendly movements within facility advancement, material and technology upgrades, Hwa Fune has developed a series of advanced materials to meet these needs and push them into brand and consumer consciousness.
Through revolutionary collaboration the company has, most recently, exhibited its Porlite product with US-headquartered, rain gear and cycling company Showers Pass. The first Porlite branded products for the brand are almost complete and will be launched to consumers before the end of 2024. They will include Showers Pass’ Elite III jacket, Refuge Jacket and Refuge Pants in the Porlite material.
Porlite, which launched in 2021, uses simple carbon and hydrogen molecules that do not produce toxicity. Additionally, an olefin-base micropores membrane has strong moisture permeability and breathability qualities. This is achieved through a class of polymers produced from a simple olefin, carbon and hydrogen as a monomer.
Showers Pass said: “At Showers Pass, we see Porlite as a catalyst for change in the industry. The material is the key driver behind the introduction of the new Elite III jacket, the first major overhaul of our flagship cycling jacket in over a decade.”
Compared with the other polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane (PU), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), Porlite is more eco-friendly than any type of treatment, as it does not produce any toxic gases or compounds when combusted. The microporous technology makes it suitable for aerobic exercise, and features in hiking, water sport and climbing wear among other outdoor activities.
Additionally, the laminating machine used to attach the treatment to the fabric contains 20 rollers of different densities and uses a special glue. It is designed to overcome the problem of washing appearance under multiple condition adjustments. It is resistant for up to 30 washes or more. And the fabric has to be tumble dried on a low temperature to retain its water-repellent properties.
Portland-based Showers Pass aims to make the best possible technical cycling outerwear for year-round riding. Its Elite cycling jacket has been designed for maximum breathability for performance cycling and has been created using Nylon as the main fabric in its construction.
“Our design philosophy is centred on iterative improvement to create durable, long-lasting products. It takes a very special innovation like Porlite to create such a big step forward,” the company added.
Haw Fune has collaborated with rain gear and cycling company Showers Pass
Why this innovation is important
Coupled with harsh chemical treatments fabrics can pose a number of environmental challenges. Porlite’s treatment works on polyester and nylon fabrics, mitigating some of the harmful impacts of harsh chemical treatments that are added to the materials.
Porlite so forth represents a huge opportunity for brands such as Showers Pass to revolutionise their offerings with performance-driven, sustainable materials.
Hwa Fune started developing Porlite in 2018 to be introduced as a brand for non-toxic sustainable fabric “providing a variety of eco-friendly options to customers, and to build a better future together”.
The company has continued to develop the product since then, working with molecules that had been widely used in tech industry but not in textile industry. In 2023 at ISPO Munich Hwa Fune introduced Porlite 2.0 2L and 4L, to overcome previous limitations and offer vibrant membrane colours and versatility.
Hwa Fune has achieved certification from organisations such as bluesign, OEKO-TEX, and GRS and Porlite OEKO-TEX.
With the EU, as the world’s largest textile import market, textiles that enter the market must have durability and recyclability built into them and their supply chains. Hwa Fune said this presents both new challenges and opportunities for Taiwan’s textile industry, which is on a mission to prioritise the development of recyclable fibres to maintain a competitive edge and achieve sustainability and carbon reduction goals.
Hwa Fune Chairman Jackson Chang said: “I can guarantee that Porlite is capable of replacing existing functional fabrics and can fully address high-end brands’ product development requirements.”
Showers pass Elite cycling jacket has been designed for maximum breathability for performance cycling
The demand for alternative materials
The numbers of brands looking for alternative functional fabrics has increased with the rising environmental awareness.
Greenpeace, for example, has reported that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can evaporate from textile products into the air. They exist in the environment and never disappear. These chemicals are thought to accelerate deterioration in many human health systems, cause harm to reproduction, and increase or promote cancers.
The European Union (EU) has responded to such environmental concerns with a raft of legislation, including proposing a ban on fabrics containing PTFE – a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene – and a ban on PFAS.
PTFE is attractive to manufacturers of functional apparel due its moisture permeability and breathability and has been adopted more widely than PU and TPU. Yet, high temperatures during manufacturing generate PFOAs that linger in the environment as they are unable to be broken down. Likewise, many of these fabrics end up in landfill and never breakdown, or are incinerated, releasing these chemicals into the atmosphere.
Clothing made from Porlite fabrics can be incinerated directly without releasing toxins into the air, because the membrane is fluorine-free and non-toxic. Additionally, its unused membrane can be recycled after laminating the fabrics and reused onto new fabrics, meaning no resources are wasted in the manufacturing process, ultimately maximising the use of its resources.
Showers Pass is excited to be incorporating the Porlite fabric into its new offering for not only its environmental credentials but also for its high-performance attributes as moisture can be dissipated through the membrane itself providing breathability and moisture permeability. This opens a raft of new options for the rain gear cycling brand.
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