OVERLAND PARK, KAN. ---October 18, 2013---GE (NYSE: GE) announced today that the expanded polytetrafluorothylene (ePTFE) membranes used in eVent fabrics for apparel and footwear for outdoor activities, cycling and snow sports, have been awarded the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification. The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is a comprehensive, global textile product safety certification program that tests textile products for chemical substances, which are believed to be harmful to human health such as heavy metals, carcinogenic dye stuffs, pesticides and formaldehyde. The certification is independent and voluntary. The OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification was granted to GE after testing determined that its ePTFE untreated and oleophobic-treated membranes met the established standards.
"Our proprietary membranes provide a superior technology for air permeable, waterproof fabrics used in consumer, military and professional outdoor apparel and footwear," says Chad Kelly, global product manager for eVent fabrics. "The OEKO-TEX® certification is a reassurance that the membranes used in eVent fabrics meet the human-ecological requirements established for the OEKO-TEX standard."
The membrane technology in eVent fabrics is air permeable and waterproof, with millions of tiny pores that can breathe at their full potential. This Direct Venting™ Technology allows body heat and moisture to pass through the fabrics in one easy step, versus the two-step process most other waterproof breathable technologies employ. Humans are capable of producing up to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour during strenuous activity and eVent's Direct Venting Technology lets moisture move away from the body so the wearer stays dry and comfortable.
eVent fabrics' OEKO-TEX® certified membranes are listed in OEKO-TEX's online Buyer's Guide. For more information about event fabrics visit www.eventfabrics.com.
About OEKO-TEX®
The International OEKO-TEX® Association, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, was founded in 1992 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute and the German Hohenstein Research Institutes. Currently, its membership includes 15 independent textile research and testing institutes with 67 offices in 60 countries. To date, nearly 125,000 OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certificates have been issued---with more than 12,000 issued per year---and 9,500 companies in 90 countries are working with OEKO-TEX® to ensure that their products are tested for potentially harmful substances. OEKO-TEX® also offers certification for sustainable textile product manufacturing facilities with its new OEKO-TEX® STeP certification. www.OEKO-TEX.com.
About eVent membrane technology and fabrics
Since 1999, eVent fabrics have set the standard for truly air permeable and waterproof membranes in textiles. The technology used to create eVent membranes was invented in the 1990s to improve the pollutant-capturing performance of air filtration systems and give superior protection to industrial machinery such as gas turbines. eVent fabric membranes---with billions of pores per square inch---are now widely used for filtration, venting and as a waterproof breathable barrier for products used in the automotive, industrial, apparel and other markets.
eVent fabrics---found in outdoor, protective and military apparel and footwear---were the first waterproof performance fabrics on the market that "let the sweat out"* through direct venting technology. GE, through GE's Air Filtration business based in Kansas City, Mo., manufactures both the eVent membranes and waterproof fabrics and collaborates with worldwide suppliers to offer a broad selection of textiles to manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.eventfabrics.com.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
*Trademarks of General Electric Company or its affiliates.
GE news Boo Turner
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