Amphitex

The Problem

Traditional Waterproofs are Harmful to the Planet

The durable water repellent (DWR) coatings used on waterproof garments often contain per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals (PFAS/PFC) which are damaging to human and animal health. They wash off and leach out into the environment during production, use and in landfill, never degrading in nature.

High-performance membranes are typically made from PFAS materials such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). When incinerated, ePTFE has been shown to produce highly toxic hydrofluoric acid and in landfill all of these materials break down slowly to produce micro-plastics, which persist and spread in the environment.

Waterproof breathable textiles are made from a multi-layer fabric, comprising of a coated face fabric, a waterproof breathable membrane, and a lining fabric that are bonded together to form the final textile. These unique layers are made of different polymers that cannot be separated for recycling forcing all of these garments to end their life in landfill or incineration.

The Solution

How is Amphitex™ Different?

The Amphidry™ Yarn in the face fabric is inherently superhydrophic and its construction requires no additional water repellent chemical coating to protect it, it really is that simple.

Our new hydrophobic source material, which is not PTFE based, can be made into a highly waterproof and breathable membrane that matches the performance of current industry leaders.

All the layers within Amphitex™ are made from the same source material to create an innovative mono-material waterproof and breathable system. This means the whole garment and any cut-offs from the manufacturing cycle can be easily recycled together and regenerated into future garments, helping to close the loop on textile waste.

Our features

reliable and environment-friendly

Recyclable

We know that we mention it a lot, but only because it is really important. Using recycled materials is becoming more common in the outdoor industry, often to create non-recyclable garments by combining different polymers. This is a step in the right direction but our ambition is to go further and close the loop by creating long lasting mono-material textiles that allow the whole garment to be recycled with the quality to be used again, and again.

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Waterproof

Our proprietary Amphidry™ Yarn is woven to create the hydrophobic outer fabric, meaning it will remain water repellent without the use of harmful or short-lasting chemical coatings. Meanwhile, the membrane has achieved a waterproof rating of 20,000 mmH2O at lab scale and we are currently working hard to scale it up. This combination of repellency and waterproofing provides the ultimate shell against any weather, even whilst sitting on wet grass or snow, to keep you dry and comfortable.

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Breathable

Amphitex™ keeps the rain and wind out, but let’s your skin breathe to keep you comfortable on the mountain, in the forest or on your way to work. Specially constructed micropores in the membrane allow water vapour to pass through whilst blocking everything else that mother nature can throw at you. Breathability is under rigorous development and is on track to reach our first goal of 10,000 g/m²/24hr by Spring 2023.

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PFAS-free materials

Amphico never uses PFAS and neither should you. This group of artificial substances can be found in everything from paints to cleaning products and unfortunately often in many water repellent coatings. These forever chemicals have been found to bioaccumulate in some of the world’s most remote rivers and lakes and proven to pose a serious risk to human and animal health. Whilst the outdoor industry is moving away from PFAS we pose a radical new solution, to not use any coatings at all.

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We prevent our clients from having to make a difficult choice between environmental toxicity and high performance

Although the issues of PFAS in outdoor wear are now widely recognised and many brands and material suppliers have already moved away from PFAS-based chemistries, most of these solutions do not go far enough and choices between toxic chemistries or shorter garment lifecycles are made.
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PFAS-free DWR coatings wear off much faster than alternatives which substitute one issue for another often falling short on durability and performance.

Although the issues of PFAS in outdoor wear are now widely recognised and many brands and material suppliers have already moved away from PFAS-based chemistries, most of these solutions do not go far enough and choices between toxic chemistries or shorter garment lifecycles are made. PFAS-free DWR coatings wear off much faster than alternatives which substitute one issue for another often falling short on durability and performance.

About our Mission

For a cleaner planet. For all of us.

We estimate that these are the impacts you can have by switching to an Amphitex jacket. They are in-house calculations comparing a three-year life cycle of Amphitex with published figures of an industry leader's equivalent three-layered waterproof and breathable textile. Once we finish an in-depth LCA, we will update these calculations to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date figures that we can.

40kg

carbon equivalent emissions cut

20g

PFAS saved from leaking into nature

2.5m²

fabric stopped from going to landfill

1.6t

of freshwater reductions

Amphitex awards

Recognised by:

Stronger together

Trusted by our partners

"I will always support innovation like Amphitex™ to disrupt the outdoor performance textile market so that we do not become complacent as an industry. Amphitex™ is a great example which helps re-establish British design and material innovation."

Charles Ross

Specialist in Performance Sportswear Design & Sustainable Matters FRSA

"FFF and UoL have been working with Amphico, both via FFF Responsive R&D funding and IUK awards since 2020. Having helped to take the startup’s original waterproof breathable textile fibre and turn it into a viable product, we are thrilled that this innovative technology is gaining impetus through the application of Amphitex™, which has exciting ramifications not only for Amphico's own collections, but as a sustainable alternative to be used in a range of outerwear pieces."

Susan Rainton

Future Fashion Factory (FFF) Programme Manager

"As part of a Future Fashion Factory R&D project, Dr Mark Taylor, Dr Ioana Taylor and I were able to assist the Amphico team to support the early-stage commercial development and physical testing of the new Amphitex product. Amphico is now collaborating with large retail brands, as well as trialling methods of recycling Amphitex for the production of new products. It's really good to see the progress that Amphico has made in building its new business and creating an exciting new product to replace traditional WWB membranes."

Prof. Stephen Russell

Director of the Nonwovens Research Group and the Centre for Technical Textiles at the University of Leeds