X-MINING What's the Best Material for Sportswear? Understanding Functionality and Types

The material of your sportswear can significantly impact your comfort and performance during exercise. Key materials for sportswear such as polyester, polyurethane, and nylon, each known for their stretchability and quick-drying properties.

In this article we introduce the essential functions required of sportswear materials and the types of materials used. We also feature Sumitomo Metal Mining’s infrared-absorbing material (SOLAMENT™), so be sure to read through to the end.

Sportswear, unlike everyday clothing, must possess specific qualities such as quick-drying, durability, stretchability, and temperature regulation to ensure optimal performance during intense sports like tennis, soccer, and track and field.
Here, we introduce four essential functions generally required of sportswear materials:
– Quick-drying
– Durability
– Stretchability
– Temperature regulation

Quick-Drying – For Sweat-Free Comfort

Quick drying refers the material can absorb moisture quickly and dry rapidly. This characteristic is crucial in sports as it prevents the body from cooling down due to sweat, ensuring a comfortable fit that enhances performance without the added weight of moisture.

Durability – Strong and Resistant to Friction

Durability in sportswear is crucial as it ensures the garment can withstand the rigors of intense activities and frequent washing while retaining its comfort and structural integrity. It is essential for materials to resist friction and maintain fiber strength to support long-term use.

Stretchability – Flexible and Easy to Move In

Sportswear needs to be stretchable to allow unrestricted movement, providing a comfortable fit that enhances performance. The materials used are often designed to fit closely to the body, reducing air resistance.

Temperature Regulation – Adapting to Body Temperature Changes

Materials capable of regulating temperature are needed for sports in extreme weather, such as maintaining dryness and preventing overheating in summer or providing insulation and quick-drying properties in winter.

For example, summer sportswear materials should possess excellent moisture-wicking properties, allowing it to quickly absorb sweat and evaporate it from the material’s surface. This keeps the body as dry as possible helping to prevent an excessive increase in body temperature and ensuring optimal comfort during physical activities.
For winter outdoor sports, materials that combine a brushed lining with heat retention and quick-drying properties are suitable.

The characteristics of sportswear vary depending on the material used. Here’s a look at three common materials:

• Polyester
• Nylon
• Polyurethane

Polyester: Known for its Quick-Drying Properties

Polyester is widely used in sportswear for its excellent moisture-wicking and quick-drying capabilities, unlike cotton, which absorbs moisture but dries slowly, making polyester a better choice for sports activities.

Nylon – Elastic and Resistant to Wrinkles

Nylon stands out for its elasticity, flexibility, and resistance to wrinkles. It’s stronger than typical fibers, making it suitable for intense sports and frequent wear. These properties make it commonly used in winter sports apparel and windbreakers.

Polyurethane – Stretchable Material

Polyurethane is prized for its stretchability, enhancing the comfort and fit of sportswear. However, like nylon, it’s sensitive to UV light.
Sportswear made from polyurethane conforms easily to the body’s movements but, like nylon, is also susceptible to ultraviolet rays.

Sumitomo Metal Mining’s near-infrared absorbing material SOLAMENT™* is a material that can be utilized in sportswear. We will explain its features here.

*SOLAMENT™ is a material technology brand made from CWO™, nanoscale particles that have the unique ability to absorb NIR, invented by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. This innovative technology, patented and trademarked both domestically and internationally, enables precise control of sunlight.

Heat Generation Through Photothermal Conversion

SOLAMENT™ is an innovative material that absorbs near-infrared rays, converting them into heat. This feature can be used in sportswear to block or generate heat, making it ideal for winter sports and outdoor activities in cold climates.

Heating Through Light-to-Heat Conversion

* Recorded on August 2022.
By applying SOLAMENT™ to sportswear, it’s possible to either block or generate heat, thereby enhancing comfort. Fabrics integrated with SOLAMENT™ have demonstrated a temperature increase of up to 10 degrees compared to regular clothing.

Quick drying Through Heat Conversion

The heat-generating function of the near-infrared absorbing material SOLAMENT™ also enhances the quick-drying properties of sportswear.

Color Variability Through Dyeing

SOLAMENT™ is almost transparent and can be dyed directly onto fibers. This enables the application of its heat generation and quick-drying functions to brightly colored products, which were once considered challenging for light energy absorption.
With its broad spectrum of color options, we are able to produce sportswear that is both functional and stylish.

Protection Against Infrared Cameras

Unauthorized filming using near-infrared cameras continues to be a problem. The property of Sumitomo Metal Mining’s near-infrared absorbing material, to absorb wavelengths of near-infrared light can help prevent such invasions of privacy.

Our near-infrared absorbing material has been used to develop fabric for sportswear, that is opaque to near-infrared light, aiding in the prevention of unauthorized filming aimed at athletes.

For more details and functionality tests using infrared cameras and our near-infrared absorbing material, please refer to the column below.

<Related article>Near-infrared light be used to prevent covert photography is possible? Athlete’s Uniforms

Choosing the right materials for sportswear is crucial for both comfort and performance during sports activities. When you’re active and sweating, it’s essential to have sportswear that effectively wicks moisture away from your body, while also being breathable, lightweight, durable, and flexible.

Our original material named SOLAMENT is great at resisting weather changes and allows light to pass through it easily.
This material is particularly effective at absorbing near-infrared light, which is a significant part of sunlight in the 800-1200nm range, enabling it to efficiently convert this light into heat.

This ability to convert light into heat, our material helps keep you warm and comfortable even during long and intense physical activities.

If you have any interest in SOLAMENT™ and how it can improve your sportswear, we’re here to help.

Find out more about Sumitomo Metal Mining’s near-infrared absorbing material (SOLAMENT™)