Taking on World's Extreme Heat with Cooling Technology from Japan: Liberta, Sumitomo Chemical and Utax Jointly Develop Innovative Cooling Wear

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Liberta Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Utax Co., Ltd.

Jun 20, 2024, 02:00 ET

-World's First Temperature-control Fiber x Cool Touch Printing to Realize Clothing with Self-acting Temperature Control-

TOKYO and NISHIWAKI, Japan, June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberta Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Liberta") is launching in Japan "series alpha," an upgraded version of FREEZE TECH cooling wear, combining the fabric made of the world's first (*1) solid polymer-based temperature-control material, Comformer (R), by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Sumitomo Chemical") and the world's top-level technology Cool Touch Printing by Utax Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Utax"). Sales are scheduled to begin in late June 2024, with sales to overseas markets following.

(*1) As of the announcement on May 21, 2024, this is the only commercially available olefin resin, according to research by Sumitomo Chemical.

-Focusing on thermal comfort threshold inside clothing
Innovative cooling sensation technology: fabric with self-acting temperature control functions

Series alpha, created through collaboration among Liberta, Sumitomo Chemical and Utax, is a product that focuses on the comfort threshold inside clothing. Thermal sensations, such as hot or cold, and moist sensations, such as stuffy or dry, are closely related to the temperature, humidity, and air current inside the garment. The stimuli that human sensory receptors perceive are temperature and humidity, and the comfort threshold inside the clothing is considered to be temperature of 32 plus-or-minus 1C (89.6 plus-or-minus 1.8F), humidity of 50 plus-or-minus 10%RH, and airflow of 25 plus-or-minus 10cm /sec (*2). The combination of Sumitomo Chemical's Comformer (R) fiber, a temperature-regulating material, and Utax's Cool Touch Printing technology has made it possible to create garments that approach this comfort threshold. The trio has brought together the technologies and expertise of each company to provide not only a cool and refreshing sensation, but also a true comfort that the human body truly requires.

(*2) Excerpt from SEN'I GAKKAISHI (Textiles and Industry) Vol. 58, No. 5 (2002)

Image1:
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M108187/202406142179/_prw_PI1fl_mIHPirjA.jpg

-Japanese cooling technology to realize shift from "hot" to "cool and comfortable" in every part of world
On to global market with Japanese cool sensation technology

With extreme heat becoming an issue worldwide in recent years, Liberta established a U.S. subsidiary on March 26, 2024, after two years of market research in North America, Italy and Australia, among others, with a view to rolling out this Japanese cooling gear series alpha on the overseas market. The company plans to start with North America and focus on developing new sales channels, especially in the working environment and sports scenes, where heat countermeasures are needed. Other potential markets, such as Switzerland, Kuwait, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, will also be explored through existing business partners. It also plans to test wholesale sales through the EC platform.