The 'functional revolution' of silicone oil in the textile industry: from waterproof treatment to intelligent wearables
The textile industry is one of the largest downstream markets for silicone oil, accounting for 30.4%. Traditional applications focus on waterproof and anti fouling treatment, such as treating sportswear with hydrogen containing silicone oil to give it a lotus leaf effect. With the rise of smart wearable devices, the function of silicone oil has extended to the fields of conductivity and sensing. For example, by incorporating graphene into silicone oil to prepare flexible electrodes, physiological indicators such as heart rate and blood oxygen can be monitored.


Enterprises are accelerating their layout in the high-end market. Japan's Toray has developed a self-cleaning silicone oil coating, which increases the fabric's washability to 50 times; China Lutai Textile uses phase change silicone oil to achieve automatic temperature adjustment of the fabric. These innovations inject new growth momentum into the textile industry.