3M Introduces 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn

July 19, 2022

Enhancing Its Portfolio of Textile Solutions for Mills and Apparel Brands

ST. PAUL, Minn., July 19, 2022/OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – 3M introduces 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn, adding to its ever-evolving product mix of textile solutions. The new product joins 3M’s other fabric-based innovations such as 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation and Scotchgard™ Protector. The yarn is specially crafted for the development of durable, moisture-managing fabrics, which in turn allows apparel manufacturers to create dual-action water-repellent/moisture-wicking activewear and flyknit shoes that can perform in demanding outdoor settings.

3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn is pretreated with Scotchgard™ Protector, 3M’s highly durable DWR. This inherently repellent yarn brings greater efficiency to fabric manufacturing and dyeing processes when compared to padding on repellent, with 3M in-house testing indicating it can:

• Save time and cost on production
• Increase throughput
• Minimize water and chemical waste on fabric
• Reduce chalk mark complaints
• Deliver easy, uniform color treatment
• Eliminate the need for wet finishes on fabric

“With this new yarn, we’re helping mills overcome common challenges they face with regard to inconsistent treatment, namely investing extensive time and money in finding the right recipes for formulas for each fabric,” said Robert Polik, Senior Application Engineer at 3M. “Since conditions can differ from batch to batch, the mills typically obtain unstable outputs, but our treated yarn solves for this problem by simplifying the process and, in turn, providing greater ease and efficiency to fabric manufacturing.”

When held to the testing standards of the AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists) and the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn received among the highest possible ratings for spray testing, anti-wicking, and flex-durability.

As part of 3M’s robust innovation pipeline, 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn arrives on the heels of 3M™ Thinsulate™ Xerogel Insulation. Launched in 2021, 3M™ Thinsulate™ Xerogel Insulation has already won an ISPO Textrends 2023/24 Top Ten Award, a prestigious prize recognizing the latest textile innovations for sports and outdoor apparel.

Xerogel is an ultralight solid that’s nearly 99% air, and due to its porous structure, it can inhibit air circulation, making it a natural thermal insulator. Developed primarily for boots and gloves, 3M™ Thinsulate™ Xerogel Insulation retains warmth even under compression. In fact, it’s proven to be 20 times more breathable and nearly twice as weight efficient as original 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation designed for footwear. Comprised of 60% post-consumer recycled content, it stands alongside other 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation with sustainable features, including:

• 3M™ Thinsulate™ 75% Recycled Featherless Insulation
• 3M™ Thinsulate™ 78% Recycled Insulation
• 3M™ Thinsulate™ 83% Recycled Insulation
• 3M™ Thinsulate™ 100% Recycled Featherless Insulation

To date, all 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation products listed above have met the strict sustainability standards for textiles set forth by the bluesign® System, OEKO-TEX®, and The Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

By utilizing 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn as well as 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation and Scotchgard™ Protector, mills can develop stable DWR textiles, innovative moisture-managing fabrics, and advanced water-repellent knits. In addition, brand specifiers can use them to create new lines of dual-action water-repellent/moisture-wicking activewear, innovative outdoor gear, and water-repellent flyknit footwear.

“We’re really excited about bringing 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn to the market,” said Polik. “It’s an innovative solution that’ll open new doors for mills to develop new textiles and for global brands to create activewear and outdoor gear with robust, repellent performance.”

Recently, at Outdoor Retailer in Denver (June 9-11), 3M and its partner brand TLC—along with CORDURA®—hosted a seminar on the future of durable and sustainable textiles. This seminar delved into the importance of 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn and 3M™ Thinsulate™ Xerogel Insulation for today’s mills and apparel manufacturers.

Throughout 2022, you can discover more on 3M-Specified Water Repellent Greige Yarn, 3M™ Thinsulate™ Xerogel Insulation, and Scotchgard™ Protector at other global events, including PERFORMANCE DAYS in Munich (November 3-4) and ISPO Munich (November 28-30).

More 3M textile-based innovations are projected for release at the end of 2022 and early 2023. For sales and/or further details, please contact Derek Wei (dwei1@mmm.com) or Totti Liang (tliang2@mmm.com).

About 3M

At 3M (NYSE: MMM), we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.