Waterproof fabric
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Description
A textile that is impermeable to water. Waterproof fabrics were first patented by Charles Macintosh in 1823, for the production of raincoats. In 1884, Charles Goodyear patented a process for coating fabric with vulcanized rubber. The cravenette process, patented in 1888, made fabric water-repellent without changing its texture or weight. Currently, waterproof fabrics are coated with Silicone or laminated with films of microporous polymers (e.g. GORE-TEX®, Darlexx®, Permia®, Ultrex®).
Synonyms and Related Terms
cravenette; Gore-Tex®; Darlexx®; Permia®; Ultrex®;
Resources and Citations
- Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Phyllis G.Tortora, Robert S. Merkel (eds.), Fairchild Publications, New York City, 7th edition, 1996
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998