ColdBlack Keeps You Cooler

ColdBlack is among the winners of the OutDoor Industry Awards 2007

Anyone out and about in summer realizes just how quickly black clothing heats up when exposed to direct sunlight, as dark colors are well known for absorbing the energy in sunlight. Schoeller Switzerland presented the first textile innovations with ColdBlack at the Outdoor show in Friedrichshafen. These black dynamic, dryskin and prestige fabrics feature a surface which absorbs less heat, similar to the motorcycle fabrics previously introduced.

In good weather, those who want to be closer to the heavens also find themselves closer to the sun. Often times, mountain sports enthusiasts on longer tours select to wear dark clothing because it is less likely to show dirt and stains. However, as everyone knows, dark clothes, jackets, pants or shorts, heat up when exposed to direct sunlight. In order to alter the heat build-up, the surface of the new type of material is treated with ColdBlack, a special finishing technology. It influences reflection in the IR spectrum so that even dark colors reflect the sunlight in the same way that lighter colors do. By comparison: white reflects up to 100 %, black in contrast, as little as 0 %.

Effective heat management thanks to ColdBlack

The human eye can only perceive part of the sunlight. Part of the ultraviolet radiation (UV) and the near infra-red range (NIR), which accounts for 49 % of solar energy, is not apparent to us. White clothes are highly reflective, both in the visible and non-visible areas, which means that light and heat "bounce off" and are reflected; black clothes, on the other hand, absorb the heat in both areas. The degree of absorption and reflection depends on the darkness or lightness of the shade of color.

Schoeller