Teijin bows water-repellant MINOTECH

Japan’s Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fiber products converting company, announced it has developed MINOTECH™, a highly water-repellent outerwear material for 2017 spring/summer. Annual sales are expected to rise to about $20 million by the fiscal year ending in March 2019, targeting the Japanese and Chinese markets.

MINOTECH was inspired by the design of straw raincoats made in ancient Japan. It combines umbrella-quality fabric, high-function wear and fashionable material. The material’s micro-garter structure features tiny convex bulges that reduce horizontal surface tension, enabling raindrops to slip off the surface in a vertical direction. MINOTECH also has high moisture permeability due to its non-laminated structure, so it allows sweat vapor to escape, keeping the inner surface dry and pleasant to touch.

Teijin’s main fields are high-performance fibers, healthcare, films, resin and plastic processing, polyester fibers, products converting and IT.