Bochemie a.s., the Bohumín-based chemical company, has been building its know-how for almost 120 years and over that time has become not only a leading manufacturer of modern branded speciality chemicals, but above all an innovator with a strong innovation strategy geared towards bringing unique, smart, efficient and environmentally friendly products and solutions to the European and global market across a range of industries. Research and development has always played a pivotal role in Bochemie’s activities. We spoke about one of its most recent achievements – the development of a unique patented technology for metallising flat textile materials – with Eduard Chalupa, Business Unit Manager of the MEFTEX brand.

Tell us about this unique technology.

The defining feature of this technology is its original approach to the metallisation process itself. The metal – primarily copper – is applied to the surface of the textile material using a chemical and electrochemical method in a continuous process. We are able to tailor the result of the metallisation to the needs of the customer and to the final use of the metallised textile in terms of the amount and nature of the deposited metal and the type of carrier textile material. The technology is environmentally friendly – it generates no hazardous waste, and the amount of other chemical waste is absolutely minimal.

What properties does the metallised MEFTEX textile have?

MEFTEX is an abbreviation of the English words MEtallized Fine/Functional/Flexible TEXtile, which highlight its originality. The metallised MEFTEX textile achieves exceptional new technical properties while retaining all the properties of the original material, including its textile appearance. The individual fibres are metallised in very thin (nano) layers, which affects neither the breathability nor, in essence, the weight of the base material. The most interesting functional properties of the MEFTEX textile are its ability to shield electromagnetic radiation and to reflect infrared and thermal radiation. Its low surface resistance gives it not only a significant antistatic property, but also the ability to conduct electric current. The final copper surface treatment both prevents the growth of living organisms on the surface of the textile, thereby guaranteeing its excellent antimicrobial properties, and significantly reduces the environment’s ability to cause corrosion of the metal on the surface of the material, thanks to which MEFTEX can also be described as anti-corrosive.

Where can MEFTEX be used?

Smart textiles today find applications in areas such as the electrical engineering industry, automotive, aerospace, and wherever there is a requirement for special composite materials with additional parameters. These include, for example, specialist clothing and protective equipment, or touch and thermal sensors for monitoring and control. We believe they will also make a significant contribution to improving our everyday lives – whether through their applications in medicine, construction or in ensuring personal safety and protection against harmful external influences such as electrosmog or UV radiation. Thanks to the resulting structure and surface of the material, we are now able to produce the basic MEFTEX as a composite material together with other materials such as PUR foams, cellulose or specific insulating materials. This benefit is now often required for final application solutions.

Further information is provided by the manufacturer at www.meftex.cz.