Textiles industry
The importance of fluoropolymers for the sector
Fluoropolymers help provide consumers with high-performance and high-comfort clothing and footwear. They combine durability, waterproofing and breathability, in low-weight but hard-wearing materials for a range of activities.
Textiles and clothing are an important sector in Europe, some 174,000 companies were active in this sector in the EU in 2013 with a turnover of almost €170bn and sustaining 1,700,000 employees. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European sector, over 90% of textile companies have fewer than 50 employees and producing almost 60% of the sector’s added value. Fluoropolymers also provide unique properties for the treatment of organic waste as well as for industrial filtration.
Unique properties of fluoropolymers and their benefits for the sector
The unique properties of fluoropolymers make them crucial to the competitiveness of the EU textile sector.
Their non-wetting and non-stick properties provide a number of benefits including:
Combination of waterproofing, breathability and comfort (thin and light)
Increased lifetime of the finished product
Facilitates composting