GORE-TEX® is a registered trademark of W.L. Gore & Associates best known for its use in relation to waterproof/breathable fabrics. The first commercial consumer product using GORE-TEX® was a tent called the Light Dimension that was created and sold by the Seattle firm, Early Winters, Ltd., in 1976. GORE-TEX® was co-invented by Wilbert L. Gore (1912-1986), Rowena Taylor, and Gore's son, Robert W. Gore. For its invention, Robert W. Gore was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. WL Gore and Associates is known for its unique corporate structure. It has consistently been placed on the Fortune magazine top 100 companies to work for worldwide.
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Development
Robert Gore was granted U.S. Patent 3,953,566 on April 27, 1976, for a porous form of polytetrafluoroethylene with a micro-structure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils. Robert Gore, Rowena Taylor, and Samuel Allen were granted U.S. Patent 4,194,041 on 18 March 1980 for a "waterproof laminate." GORE-TEX® is used for outdoor clothing such as rain jackets and waterproof boots.
Applications
Gore-Tex materials are typically based on thermo-mechanically expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and other fluoropolymer products. They are used in a wide variety of applications such as high performance fabrics, medical implants, filter media, insulation for wires and cables, gaskets, and sealants. Gore-Tex based fabric material is composed of a thin, porous fluoropolymer membrane with a urethane coating that is bonded to a fabric, usually nylon or polyester. The membrane has about 9 billion pores per square inch (around 1.4 billion pores per square centimeter), each of which is approximately 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, making it impenetrable to liquid water while still allowing the smaller sized water vapour to pass through. The result is a material that is breathable, waterproof, and also windproof. The outer fabric is treated with water repellent and seams are sealed to prevent water leakage through pinholes caused during the sewing of the fabric. The urethane coating provides a protective layer and also prevents contamination (i.e., body oils) from wetting the laminate and allowing wicking of moisture through the membrane. The best known application for GORE-TEX® fabrics is in outdoor activity clothing. In this context, it helps keep the wearer protected from the wind and rain, while nonetheless allowing sweat to evaporate and escape. This is in contrast to traditional plastic raincoats, for example, which lack breathability and therefore promote a build up of humidity in the air inside the coat, preventing sweat from evaporating effectively. GORE-TEX® is also used in surgery as an implant material, patch, or membrane, such as is used in plastic surgery and heart surgery. Gore requires that all garments made from their material have taping over the seams, to eliminate leaks. Gore's sister product, Windstopper, is similar to Gore-Tex in being windproof and breathable, but (1) has ability to stretch and (2) is not waterproof. GORE-TEX® is playing an increasing role in the conservation of illuminated manuscripts.
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