Under Armour Inc. — a Baltimore-based developer and supplier of sports performance apparel,
footwear and accessories — recently launched a collection of men’s and women’s sports apparel
featuring coldblack®, a textile finishing technology developed through a cooperation between
Schoeller Technologies AG and Clariant International Ltd., both based in Switzerland.
Coldblack technology, which enables dark-colored fabrics to reflect rather than absorb the
sun’s rays, offers dual protection from solar heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays. According to
Schoeller and Clariant, textiles treated with coldblack reflect up to 80 percent of heat rays and
are guaranteed to offer a minimum UV protection factor of 30. The technology is bluesign® approved
and meets Oeko-Tex® Standard 100, class I-IV requirements.
“We are very excited to team up with Under Armour and work closely with Schoeller on this
project, which once again demonstrates the value-adding power of Clariant as a technology provider
when our experts are involved from the early stages of development,” said Brad McClanahan, global
head, Apparel & Interior, Clariant.
“Under Armour underlines the positive benefits coldblack can bring in all kinds of activity,”
said Hans Kohn, COO, Schoeller Technologies. “The winning combination of reflecting direct sunlight
and providing UV protection brings new levels of functionality to the sports apparel market.”
Schoeller and Clariant reportedly have developed 144 separate coldblack formulations for a
range of fabrics including knitted and woven 100-percent polyester and blends with elastane and
polyamide in a variety of colors. The fabrics also feature Switzerland-based Sanitized AG’s
Sanitized® antimicrobial fabric finish, which is distributed globally by Clariant.
May 1, 2012
