Could It Become a Savior from the Extreme Heat? How Teijin Frontier Developed the Innovative Material "COOLSHELL CARAT" that Reduces Sweat Stickiness and Provides Contact Cooling

With the recent impact of global warming, the ability to develop cooling-effect fibers has become a key differentiator from competitors. Especially in the sports market, there is a demand for clothing that supports comfortable performance even in the harsh summer heat.
 
The material "COOLSHELL CARAT" developed by Teijin Frontier Co, Ltd. is expected to be a groundbreaking material that breaks conventional wisdom. It successfully combines contact cooling functionality and reduces the uncomfortable stickiness of sweat, which has been considered difficult to achieve until now.
 
To learn more, I spoke with Nobuaki Ogata, the development director of the company, about the background of "COOLSHELL CARAT" and the technology that made it possible.

Drawbacks of Contact Cooling Materials

Teijin Frontier has been developing remarkable functional fibers such as super hollow cross-section yarns "Octa" and the polyester and nylon blended "Mixel NP". In recent years, they have also started developing fibers that suppress microplastic emissions with eco-friendliness in mind.
 
Amidst this, recognizing the increasing demand for sports clothing with cooling functions due to warming, they began to readdress the issue of sweat management.
 
"Natural materials have been used for a long time. Cotton, rayon, and silk inherently contain moisture, which provides a cool sensation.
 
"Additionally, synthetic fibers that hold moisture within their structure are said to possess contact cooling properties. However, these fibers have low sweat diffusion and tend to become sticky, which is a drawback."
 
Previous fibers were considered to have conflicting functions of contact cooling and quick-drying properties. For contact cooling, the fabric must closely adhere to the skin, which is not suitable for sweat.