BELFASUN®
UV-PROTECTION FOR TEXTILES

Whether out on the waves, on the beach, playing golf or on safari people exposed to the sun need effective ultraviolet screening. Hence the masses of creams and sprays used each summer. If that is no sufficient, on go the textile “cover-ups”, preferably combined with conventional UV protection.

But what only a few people realize is that cotton provides little resistance to UVA/UVB radiation, particularly when white or in light colors. The protection is even less when cotton fabric becomes wet. Enter BELFASUN® from Pulcra Chemicals – the world’s first sun protection especially for cotton.

Textiles subjected to this process can be relied upon to give safe and dependable sun protection. BELFASUN® ensures total UVB and 70% UVA radiation absorption, with the remaining 30% UVA being effectively scattered. Fit for the Sun.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC REQUEST?

UV PROTECTION
WITH ZINC OXIDE

Zinc oxide is a highly effective component widely used in baby care products. Its anti-inflammatory properties are generally well known in cosmetics and have been widely utilized for decades in care creams. The advantages of the zinc oxide as compared to traditional UV filters are many and varied.

And – in volume terms – the minutest of quantities are sufficient in order to achieve the desired effect. Never the less, around 400 billion nano zinc oxide particles measuring around 50 nm are applied to each cm2 of fabric weightin 100 g/m2. In contrast to traditional UV filters, zinc oxide is toxicologically harmless and generally highly tolerable. There are no known allergies triggered by zinc oxide.

YOUR
BENEFITS

  • Reliable and enduring sun protection with nano zinc oxide
  • Wash permanence > 40 household washes
  • No loss of performance in wet or stretched fabrics
  • Effective protection against UVA and UVB radiation
  • Ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) 20-80 – depending
  • on construction and weight per m2 of the fabric
  • Zinc oxide particles recognized for the skin care properties
  • Dermatologically tested

NANOTECHNOLOGY

BELFASUN® utilizes nano particles of zinc oxide (ZnO) capable of absorbing and scattering UV radiation. These become permanently attached to the target textile through the action of a specially developed bonding system, which gets applied to the fabric during the industrial fabric or garment finishing process.

BELFASUN® contains tiny nano zinc oxide particles that are firmly attached to the fibers of the fabric. These absorb and scatter UVA and UVB radiation, reliably protecting the skin of the wearer or shade seeker. These nanoparticles are invisible to the human eye and the colors of the treated textiles remain clear and bright.

The screening effect remains intact even if the fabric becomes wet as a result of perspiration or soaking. BELFASUN® will also resist more than 40 household washes, making the sun protection treatment substantially resistant to the laundry process.

OUTSTANDING
WASH PERMANENCE

A cotton fabric treated with BELFASUN® is able to withstand more than 40 home laundry cycles – which roughly corresponds to the average lifetime of a cotton garment. An exceptionally wash resistant bonding system keeps the nano zinc oxide particles anchored and in place, giving the BELFASUN® treatment durability.

BELFASUN® treatment can protect against both UVA and UVB radiation when tested by both Australian / New Zealand standards as well as the new Hohenstein Institute 801 standard. This method tests fabrics under conditions where the fabric is wet and stretched which more closely simulates the way garments are used.

The following diagram shows how BELFASUN® treated fabric performs under each test method as well as after 40 home laundry cycles.

PULCRA CHEMICALS

Pulcra Chemicals is a global company with outstanding engineering capabilities and unique processing knowledge. We look back on over 140 years of experience in the production of innovative specialty chemicals for the fiber, textile and leather industries. Our goal is the success of our customers, whom we support in the best possible way in product development, legal compliance and sustainability.

You can find more information here.

SUSTAINABILITY

Our success speaks for itself because we know what our target markets need. Working in very specialized fields, we focus on innovation, health, safety, sustainability and regulatory compliance of our products.

You can find more information here.

SOLUTIONS FOR THE TEXTILE AND FIBER INDUSTRY

In the fiber and textile market, we offer products and technical support along the entire production chain and for a wide range of end applications. With us, you will find tailor-made help when it comes to defining the final product properties and qualities of fibers, nonwovens, yarns, woven and knitted fabrics. Our product portfolio ranges from process auxiliaries for primary and secondary spinning to sizing, pretreatment, dyeing, printing and finishing of textiles.

You can find more information here.

SOLUTIONS FOR THE LEATHER INDUSTRY

We equip leather manufacturers with a complete range of products which ensures the sustainable and efficient processing of hides in accordance with the highest quality standards for leather goods. Our customers can expect technologically proven solutions which fully meet the specific and diverse set of requirements.

Here you will find our portfolio for leather.

PULCRA CHEMICALS WORLDWIDE

We are where our customers need us:This statement is not just a promise, but a lived corporate philosophy at PULCRA Chemicals. At 16 facilities and with numerous additional agents and distributors – spread around the globe – PULCRA also offers specific product solutions as well as technical on-site service. Specialists from the R&D departments and furthermore an experienced team of engineers, technicians, sales and marketing staff develop customized solutions for you.

We live diversity and networking: Our product developers are well connected and cooperate in many ways, for example with research institutes, universities, associations and startups around the world. Innovation is a process that never ends. That’s why we are always involved when it comes to further improving a product feature. We work on this in our development laboratories around the world. Our global production network enables us to respond flexibly to customer requirements.