FABRIC FROM GOAL

Putaruru Press, Volume XXI, Issue 1232, 29 May 1947, Page 3

FABRIC FROM GOAL

REMARKABLE PROPERTIES Work Of British Research Chemists A remarkable new fabric, terylene, is. being perfected by British research chemists. The fabric has properties which will make it eagerly sought after when it appears on the market. This may not be for some time. Terylene is described as an! “antifreeze” fabric, and it can be derived wholly from coal. One of s components is ethylene glycol, which is used in car radiators to -prevent freezing. The material will launder easily, and will dry quickly. It can be fashioned 1 and heat set, so that garments made from it will not shrink or lose their shape even after repeated washings in boiling water. Ironing can be virtually eliminated. Moths are allergic to it, and it resists moulds and bacteria. It “wears hard,” however fine its threads, and laddering, darning and mending will be rare. It resists light, heat and moisture. These properties will enable it to be used extensively for furnishing. Although it can be dyed in perfectly uniform and fast pastel shades, it does not dye easily, and that is one of the factors' which is at the moment limiting its range as a general textile. It is expected that further experiments will eliminate this difficulty. Terylene is not merely a fashion fabric; but because of its' strength it is assured of an important place in industry. It will take a strain of 501 b to the square inch, has valuable electrical properties, and is resistant to a wide range cf chemicals.

At present it is undergoing severe testing at the hands of experts. It is being laundered and ironed by methods under which very few fabrics would survive successfully. It is being exposed to conditions which it may eventually meet in the tropics or in the Arctic. When it has passed all the tests to which it is being subjected it will be ready to go into commercial production.