Who discovered the waterproof and sweatproof Gore-Tex?
If you tightly cover your body with a waterproofing or warming material, you're likely to overheat. Wearing a jacket or coat can protect you from the wind or rain, but any physical exercise during this time will cause you to overheat and sweat.
A synthetic fabric called GORE-TEX, which can offer a solution to this problem, prevents your skin from sweating while at the same time allowing your skin to breathe.
GORE-TEX occurs when polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), a polymer composed of long carbon fluorine chains, expands as a result of exposure to high temperatures. The large number of pores on this material allow the sweat produced by the skin of the person wearing it to evaporate and disappear. However, since these pores are extremely small, they also have waterproof properties. A special coating is placed between the layers of this fabric for comfort and protection.
Robert W. Gore (April 15, 1937 – September 17, 2020) was an American engineer and scientist, inventor and businessman. Gore led his family's company, W. L. Gore & Associates, in developing applications of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ranging from computer cables to medical equipment to the outer layer of space suits. His most significant breakthrough was likely the invention of Gore-Tex, a waterproof and breathable fabric popularly known for its use in sporting and outdoor gear.
The invention of GORE-TEX is actually the result of a family's collaborative work. It was invented by Wilbert L. Gore (1912-1986) and his son Robert W. Gore, as well as Rowena Taylor. In 1958, Gore Senior and his wife, Vieve, founded a company in the basement of their Delaware home to manufacture a substance made using PTFE for use in insulating electronics. Nearly ten years later, Robert Gore discovered that PTFE, which can stretch quickly, became durable and waterproof, and GORE-TEX was born. GORE-TEX was first applied to a fabric in 1976 to make a tent fabric waterproof and more durable. Following this, waterproof raincoats, clothing, shoes, plastic bottles and even dental floss started using GORE-TEX.
The advantages of GORE-TEX, which allows the wearer's skin to breathe, are so high that many countries use this material in the clothes of their soldiers. In addition to military use, the use of GORE-TEX in the medical field is extremely common. Some studies suggest that this substance has been used in more than 25 million plastic and heart surgeries since its manufacture.