CONTACTS
 |
January 09 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine A new way to stay dryLab technology may transform performance apparel
Gary Selwyn conducts product quality assurance on dual-functional, plasma-treated fabric at APJeT's Santa Fe laboratory. Photo by LeRoy N. Sanchez
Could plasma technology create comfortable outdoor wear that outperforms GORE-TEX®? A former Plasma Physics technical staff member, with the backing of financial investors, has staked his career on it. Gary Selwyn, founder, chief technical officer, and chairman of the early-stage Lab spinoff APJeT, aims to give GORE-TEX a run for its money in the outdoor performance apparel market using technology that originated at the Laboratory. In 1995, Selwyn developed the Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ®) as one of the Laboratory's first Homeland Security projects for decontamination of areas affected by chemical and biological weapons. An R&D 100 Award-winning technology in 1999, APPJ was transferred in 2002 to APJeT, a company in a license agreement with Los Alamos National Security, LLC. Today, APJeT uses its proprietary atmospheric pressure plasma technology to apply to fibers a nanometer-thin polymeric film that enables fabric to repel water and stains without changing its feel or appearance. By combining electrical power with a selected gas, the ionization process that occurs in the plasma produces active, gas-phase chemicals that bond to the surface of the fabric, producing unique properties. "We use atmospheric plasma to chemically modify textiles, such as polyester, to make them wick water better than cotton by bonding atomic oxygen to the surface," he said. "It breathes well, feels great against the body, and with a different plasma, we make the outer surface rain resistant, all properties essential for outdoor performance clothing." APJeT's dual-functional finish, trade named AP-TeX®, is about to go to market. "A big part of our current challenge has been selecting this one use for the technology and putting all of our energy and resources into that," Selwyn said. Future applications of APPJ may include depositing thin films for architectural glass, semiconductors, flooring, and solar panels. The possibility of such broad application of plasma technology across various industries is among the factors that make the company ripe for success in the eyes of Alex Padilla, APJeT's director of business development and sales. "What makes APJeT a potential success is the demonstrated support of the investment community, an overwhelming response by the textile industry to the APJeT solution, and the technical strength of the company's founder." --Mig Owens Other Headlines
|
Issues
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
