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treated laminates, coatings, filaments
and membranes. Basically, emissiv-
ity is a value representing a surface’s
ability to emit thermal radiation. Like
encapsulated phase change technology,
emissivity also was exploited by NASA
(in 1997) to develop protective thermal
shielding for space re-entry vehicles.
How it works is fairly straightforward.
What it brings to the outdoor industry
is quite clever.
Understanding Trizar begins with
knowing a bit about emissivity, an
effect we experience every day. Most
new homes and buildings constructed
during the last three decades
use
low e
(emissivity) glass
in their windows or wall
panels. The glass indus-
try utilized emissivity
as a method to combat
skyrocketing cooling
and heating costs.
By tuning emissiv-
ity, glass manu-
facturers were
able to maximize
light transmit-
tance through the
glass while match-
ing its solar heat
gain to the geographic
needs of an area. This is
accomplished by precise
splattering or laminating lay-
ers of micro or nanoscopic bits of
reflective metals on glass during
its manufacture. This results in a
nearly transparent light colander
that blocks thermal radiation
in exact wave lengths and amounts,
while letting others pass. For instance,
new window installations in the Sun-
belt would specify glass with lower
emissivity to block thermal radiation.
Therefore solar heat gain is reduced,
keeping the interior space cooler,
which lowers air conditioning costs.
In colder latitudes, the exact oppo-
site would apply, helping reduce the
demand for costly heating.
The thermal radiation referred
to above is infrared light (IR) or in
the case of Trizar, near infrared light
(NIR). Near infrared light is electro-
magnetic radiation whose wavelength
is just outside of what we can see
within infrared light’s bandwidth.
We sense NIR when sitting around an
evening campfire. Even though the
surrounding air is cold, it does not
stop NIR from penetrating our cloth-
ing and skin. The NIR vibrates the
water molecules just under our skin,
giving us the sensation of warmth.
Trizar takes advantage of emissiv-
ity by reflecting and/or absorbing
NIR, depending on the design of the
textile item (e.g. apparel, tents, patio
furniture cushion covers, etc). By
using a proprietary blend of nano- to
micron-sized quartz crystals, silver,
aluminum and other elements and
compounds, applications can be
engineered to manage thermal energy.
The user experiences heat by way of
conduction (direct contact with the
wearer) or re-radiation from the cap-
tured heat. It also can reflect IR away,
giving you protection from harsh,
sunlit environments. As an added
bonus, Trizar’s components are found
abundantly in nature, so they are
inherently green.
For the designers and product de-
velopers, Trizar enhances their creative
flexibility. Once treated, darker colors,
which naturally absorb more NIR, can
be used with the same effectiveness
as lighter colors, thus expanding the
designer’s color pallet. As Brad Poor-
man, Trizar’s chief sales and marketing
officer, explains, “In membranes we
add materials that will react to the heat
your body produces to help the mem-
brane work more efficiently. We use PU
(polyurethane), polyester and mi-
cro porous polypropylene membranes
to provide a full range of hydrophilic
and hydrophobic solutions.”
Again, Poorman’s team has cre-
ated a toolbox of solutions for even
the most demanding product design
house. “We apply the materials in a
coating or inside an existing
membrane to gain the ben-
efit,” he continues. “As heat/
sweat is created inside your
garment, the Trizar materi-
als use that energy to
diffuse moisture vapor
rapidly to the outside
environment.”
Looking to add C6
durable water repel-
lent chemistry to an
application? Not a
problem, since Trizar
is compatible with most
DWR technologies. Cur-
rently, Cloudveil is featur-
ing Trizar in its Neptune and
Emissive jackets. However,
July’s OutDoor in Friedrichshafen
Germany saw more product launch-
es using Trizar.
The simplicity found in nature is
the one concept that belies nature’s
complex checks and balances. Emis-
sivity is one such player, integral to
the way many systems in our environ-
ment work. By reflecting sunlight,
absorbing it and re-emitting it, polar
snow and ice, land mass and oceans
contribute to the whole of the earth’s
surface temperature and, therefore,
climate. Trizar uses the same emissive
mechanisms but on a micro scale to
positively affect personal microcli-
mates in apparel or other like-sized
environments.
It’s the simplicity in function that
makes it so compelling. Clearly, Trizar
is the beginning of another step in the
direction of smart, more eco-friendly,
outdoor products.
Near infrared light (red arrows) enters the
textile (dashed lines) treated with Trizar,
is absorbed then reradiated. It also reflects
NIR (Source: Trizar Technology)
Inside
Outdoor
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Summer
2015
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