What materials can keep warm? Various kinds of materials are made from merino wool, synthetic fiber, or animal fur. What would you choose to protect yourself from the cold? Furthermore, do you prefer to wear a lot or just a coat while working out? When people are skiing or climbing, they must be able to move flexibly. So choosing a coat with thermal fabric that can keep you so warm is definitely better than wearing a lot. Far Infrared Thermal Fabric might be your good choice.
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What is Far Infrared Ray?
Far infrared (FIR) is a region in the infrared spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Far infrared is often defined as any radiation with a wavelength of 15 micrometers (μm) to 1 mm (corresponding to a range of about 20 THz to 300 GHz), which places far infrared radiation within the CIE IR-B and IR-C bands. The long-wave side of the FIR spectrum overlaps with so named terahertz radiation. Different sources use different boundaries for the far infrared; for example, astronomers sometimes define far infrared as wavelengths between 25 μm and 350 μm.
Visible light includes radiation with wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm, meaning that far infrared photons have tens to hundreds of times less energy than visible light photons. (Far infrared definition from Wikipedia)
What is Far Infrared (FIR) Thermal Fabric?
FIR material can be applied to textiles by techniques such as coating, laminating, and spinning. The FIR thermal fabric technology from SPORTINGTEX® is to add Nanoceramic particles to polymers with a unique formula that the particles embed in the textile.
When applied to the garment products like blankets or bedding sheets (especially with the human body), the ceramic materials can emit Far Infrared Radiation.
The more nano ceramic powders amounts are added into the fabric yarn, the emissivity of Far Infrared Radiation increases. However, most people believe that a high percentage of ceramic concentration can be added into fiber to get greater emissivity. Technically, the concentration of FIR powders should not exceed 5%. Powder concentration above 5% will lead to a decrease in the endurance of fibers. With the 5% concentration of nano ceramic powder, the emissivity of Far infrared (wavelength of 2-22µm, 25°C) can reach 0.88~0.90 from reliable testing institutions. It is very important to make sure the textile suppliers provide relevant testing reports for protection.
Technology: How do Far Infrared Thermal Fabric work?
As the fiber is content with ceramic powder, the FIR thermal fabric absorbs the energy from the sun that helps the heat/radiation release from the human body to reflect it to the body. In addition to that, when the ceramic powder absorbs the energy, the molecular motion gets active and excited to lead with friction, increasing the temperature of the fiber.
Ceramic fiber transforms and releases far-infrared rays with a wavelength of 6~14μm, which is similar to the wavelength from the human body’s release. It is easy to be absorbed by the human body. Once absorbed, the phenomenon of resonance absorption exists to stimulate water molecules on the cell surface of deep skin, to change the water molecules into smaller clusters of molecules. These smaller clusters get started with the friction activities during vibration, increasing the heat reaction. These warming effects can be absorbed by the fabric, allowing a heat circulation between the skin and clothes to achieve a thermal effect.
Is Far Infrared Thermal Fabric Harmful?
Far infrared thermal fabric is about the technical process that delivers Far Infrared Radiation to the human body. With the textile industry’s technology and innovative technological process, it is one of the safest technology products in the market today.
Nanoparticles of FIR-emitting ceramic material have been spined to fibers that are then woven into fabrics. The far infrared fabric is manufactured into various garments that humans and animals can wear. Unlike Ultraviolet rays, far infrared rays do not damage our skin. It can help us obtain the benefits of sunlight to make our life better.
When it comes to the fabric’s properties, the fabrics absorb and emit far-infrared rays directly to our body, where it reaches depths about 1.5 inches beneath the surface of our skin. Our body cells absorb far infrared rays that are within the same wavelength frequency of 6~14μm; the rest go through without harmfulness.
After the body absorbs the far-infrared rays, our body’s cells begin with resonance absorption, wherein body cells become initiated to get stimulated with motions. Blood circulation, metabolism, etc., will be improved, and there are no dangerous or harmful effects from coming in contact with FIR energy itself. Far infrared radiation fabrics are stable with safety production, price is affordable, and can be widely used to provide an optimized wearing experience.
The benefits of Far Infrared Thermal Fabric
- Improving thermal regulation that keeps you warm
- Expanding capillaries and increasing the circulation of oxygenated blood
- Pain relief (muscle pain is related to poor blood circulation)
- Improving metabolism
- Relaxation of muscles
- Producing negative ions (make us feel better by providing us with more energy and a positive mood)
- Revitalizing skin cells
- Improving sleep disorder
- Improve physical performance
- Restoring energy
The applications of Far Infrared (FIR) Thermal Fabric
Far Infrared Radiation products have been known for quite some time. FIR lamps, saunas, etc. which are used to deliver radiation to relieve and relax our busy life. The textile industry is using the technology to apply FIR nanoceramic into the fabrics for functional garment collections, and some people use the term “Thermal Fabric” to indicate the fabrics are warm materials.
Surprisingly, ceramic fiber is not the only material to have such magical properties. The SPORTINGTEX team found bamboo Charcoal that can absorb Far Infrared Radiation and, at the same time to achieve Eco concepts.
Bamboo charcoal contains several metal elements after 800-degree heating. With the proper concentration of bamboo charcoal powder, fibers have the same benefits as ceramic fiber to emit Far Infrared Radiation.
