Polar fleece

Fleece (English for Velcro, German: Fleece ) is the English name for a velor fabric, which is usually made ​​of polyester, for example, made ​​from recycled PET bottles. 1979 the fabric from Malden Mills Industries Inc. (USA) was presented. The company sells its products under the brand Polartec and is considered a world leader in this area.

With fleece is not a tissue, but knitwear. Upon binding of pile loops are formed, which are then cut and roughened. Since fleece like the German word "web" is pronounced, occur in the German language is often confusion with nonwoven fabric. Fleece is mainly used for warming functional clothing in the outdoor sports such as jackets, pants, hats, gloves, as well as ceilings.

There are several qualities, which are designated by numbers. Enter the weight in grams per square meter. The larger the number, the thicker the fleece. Common values ​​are 100, 200 and 300 g/m2.

Properties

Fleece fabrics show the following properties, which make them particularly as an alternative to wool fabrics used:

• Particularly high thermal insulation properties and low weight
• Resistant and therefore durable
• Largely wrinkle-free and elastic
• Water-repellent surface and dries very quickly, but not waterproof
• Soft on the skin (no scratching as with pure new wool )
• Recyclable, partly recycled fibers already on offer
• Not windproof, so that additional membrane necessary

Unlike wool

• They show a strong electrostatic charge
• They are very sensitive to heat, such as flames and sparks.

Criticism

Fleece is suspected of polluting the world's oceans. For each wash to plastic fibers from the clothes that can not be captured by wastewater treatment plants solve. Such particles have been found worldwide in sediments of 18 beaches, not a single sample was free of it.