Gore-Tex

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“Goretex” redirects here. For the rapper, see Goretex (rapper).

Gore-Tex membrane, electron microphotograph

Gore-Tex (abbreviated GTX) 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) and his 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. It has been within the top 10 in the US for several years.

1 Development
2 Applications
3 In popular culture
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] Development

Robert Gore was granted U.S. Patent 3,953,566 on April 27, 1976, for a tetrafluoroethylene polymer in a porous form which has a micro-structure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils. Robert Gore and Samuel Allern were granted U.S. Patent 4,194,041 on 18 March 1980 for a "waterproof laminate".

[edit] Applications

Schematic diagram of a composite Gore-Tex fabric for outdoor clothing.

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, 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 vapor 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 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 is not waterproof.

[edit] In popular culture

Gore-Tex made three separate appearances on the television sit-com Seinfeld.
- In the episode entitled "The Dinner Party", George Costanza wears a bulky, puffy coat which he claims is made out of Gore-Tex. The coat ultimately caused trouble for George when he turned and, because of its bulkiness, the coat knocked over an entire rack of wine in a liquor store.
- In The Wife, Jerry Seinfeld claims that his jacket is made from Gore-Tex.
- In Episode #504 -- "The Sniffing Accountant", Jerry promotes Glide dental floss (Gore-Tex imbibed with wax) to Newman while they are on stake-out in a car. Newman refuses because he likes dental tape, to which Jerry calls him an idiot.

Goretex is the name of a song on Seattle rapper Sir-Mix-A-Lot's 1989 album, Seminar, upon which he boasts of his tough Gore-Tex boots. Other songs on the album also contain references to Gore-Tex.

In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game the player is a spy and wears a skin tight suit partially made out of Gore-Tex. This is revealed in the 3rd book, titled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Checkmate.