The T-shirt that's IMPOSSIBLE to stain: Student invents top that resists Coke, ketchup and even red wine
- - The Silic shirt material has billions of silica particles bonded to its fibres
- - Water-based liquids form a 150-degree sphere on this material and roll off
- - The shirts are due to go on sale from May and will cost £30
- - Shirts can't be washed with fabric softener and need to be put in a tumble dryer after
every three washes
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If you're clumsy and constantly spilling food down yourself, or just lazy and don't like washing your clothes, a student has invented the answer to your problems - a T-shirt that is impossible to stain.
The tops can resist any spills and splashes including Coca-Cola, tomato ketchup, mustard, milkshakes, beer, ink and even red wine.
The clothing is made from polyester, which has been infused with a combination of chemicals that make it resistant to water.
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The material in the Silic shirt, pictured, created by San Fransisco-based student Aamir Patel, has billions of silica particles bonded to
the fibres. Water-based liquids form a 150-degree sphere on this material and roll off. The shirts are due to go on sale from May and
will cost £30
HOW DOES SILIC REPEL WATER?
The material in the Silic shirt has billions of silica particles bonded to the fibres on a microscopic level.
This means they won't irritate the skin.
When water-based liquids hit the surface of this material they form a 150-degree sphere and roll off.
According to Patel’s Kickstarter page, there are certain steps wearers have to take to make sure the T-shirts stays waterproof.
These include not using fabric softener in a machine wash, no bleaching or washing with colours and no ironing.
Patel also advises wearers not to dry clean the shirt.
To reactivate the water repellency, the T-shirt must also be put through a tumble dryer on a low heat at least once every three washes.
Despite this, the T-shirts are said to feel ‘no different to any other items that could be found in a clothing shop.’
University student Patel from San Francisco made a prototype using a spray-on chemical, but realised it would only last for one wash. He then began looking at ways to incorporate the technology into the fabric.
He created a fabric that has the nanotechnology bonded to the fibres on a microscopic level.
This means they won't irritate the skin.
According to Patel: ‘Most liquid molecules will not be able to touch the fabric because of a microscopic layer of air that forms between the liquid and fabric.
‘This is because the fabric is layered with billions of silica particles. Water based liquids will form a 150 degree sphere and roll right off! As a result, this barrier protects your shirt from potential accidents.’
After testing his method, the business student created a page about the invention, named Silic, on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
He has already exceeded his target of around $20,000 (£12,250), before the campaign closes on 26 January. The shirts are expected to be on sale online from May and will cost around £30.
According to Patel’s Kickstarter page, there are certain steps wearers have to take to make sure the T-shirts stays waterproof.
These include not using fabric softener in a machine wash, no bleaching or washing with colours and no ironing. Patel also advises wearers not to dry clean the shirt.
To reactivate the water repellency, the T-shirt must also be put through a tumble dryer on a low heat at least once every three washes.
Patel said: ‘I started the project a year and a half ago after looking at making smart clothing.
The image on the left shows what happens when Coke is poured onto a regular cotton T-shirt. The right-hand shirt is made of Silic
material so the Coke rolls off it
To make sure the shirts stay waterproof, wearers must not use fabric softener when washing the clothes, there must be no bleaching or washing with colours and no ironing. To reactivate the water repellency, the T-shirt must also be put through a tumble dryer on a low
heat at least once every three washes
‘I wanted to try something different and I had heard about Hydrophobic spray, which is a spray that is completely water resistant.
‘I thought about putting it on a T-shirt but when I was making a prototype after a while I became very light headed and I realised it may not be safe to use.
'I also realised that if I were to put this on clothing, it would wear off after just one wash so it wouldn't be sustainable.
'To make it safe and last longer, I put the technology into the polyester of the T-shirt while it was being made on a nanoscale, molecular level.
"The T-shirts we have now are completely safe and will last for up to 80 washes, so you get around about two year’s worth of wear out of it.'
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