Unifi will launch two yarn technologies this week that move water resistance upstream from the finishing stage, starting with Resist2O Pro at Performance Days in Munich on October 13-14.

The Greensboro, North Carolina-based manufacturer says Resist2O Pro minimises water absorption without topical durable water-repellent (DWR) treatments and without fluorinated chemistry. For mills and brands, that removes an entire finishing step from the production process — a potential gain in lead time, chemical compliance exposure and fabric-development flexibility, since the yarn works across different methods of fabric formation.

Unifi defines the technology as fluorine-free and PFOA-free, meaning it contains less than 5 ppb (parts per billion). Target applications span apparel and footwear through to furnishings and industrial textiles.

What does the second launch change?

Cofira, the second launch, combines characteristics normally split between spun and filament constructions. It delivers the aesthetics and handle of a spun yarn while retaining filament-yarn performance, and can be engineered with synthetic, blended and functional fibre technologies to create different fabric properties.

The company positions Cofira for apparel, furnishings, equipment and accessories. It can also be combined with existing Unifi technologies:

• AMT, for moisture management
• ChillSense, for cool-to-touch properties
• ReFlexx, for stretch and recovery

Cofira is available globally in both virgin and Repreve recycled polyester versions, including material made with Unifi's Repreve Takeback textile-to-textile recycling technology. Repreve versions can be traced via the company's FiberPrint technology and carry recycled-content certification including GRS and SCS.

"These new products bring multifunctional capabilities that help reduce complexities associated with high-performance products," CEO Eddie Ingle said.

Where and when to see it

Both technologies debut at booth J18 at Performance Days in Munich (October 13-14), followed by the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland, Oregon, from October 26-28.

The launches build on Unifi's Repreve recycled fibre platform, which the company says has now converted the equivalent of more than 46 billion plastic bottles and one billion T-shirts of textile waste into recycled fibre. Whether the DWR-free claim holds at scale across different fabric formations will become clearer as mills trial the yarn after the Munich and Portland showcases.