In recent years, we have heard a lot about graphene and its countless uses, but its use in the textile field is quite recent.

U-Power’s Research & Development department, always at the forefront when it comes to the opportunity to use new technologies in the field of incident prevention and personal protective equipment, has designed new garments using graphene fabric to offer increasingly comfortable and safe work garments.

If you have never heard of graphene and its many properties, this article will tell you what it is and the benefits of this new technology applied to work-wear.

Let's take a look together.

In the textile field, graphene offers countless benefits. 

Its special properties make these fabrics ideal for both work clothes and technical sportswear and can also be used in the field of fashion and design.

It is an extremely thin, light, highly flexible but also very resistant material, with antibacterial and antistatic properties, which can dissipate heat in particularly hot situations and keep warm in cold situations.

Let's get to know graphene better!

1. WHAT IS GRAPHENE? DISCOVERY AND APPLICATIONS
2. GRAPHENE WORK-WEAR: PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS
3. WINK AND WALL: WORK JACKET AND VEST WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTION
4. BIOKO AND TUTENDO: WATERPROOF TROUSERS AND BREATHABLE RAINPROOF SHELL

Read the article to learn more about graphene and its applications.

WHAT IS GRAPHENE? DISCOVERY AND APPLICATIONS

Graphene was discovered in 2004 by two Russian scientists, Andrej Gejim and Konstantin Novosëlov, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for finding a real treasure. Its uses, in fact, are endless and seem to anticipate a real industrial revolution.

But what is this material and what is it used for?

Graphene is a very thin structure of graphite, a carbon sheet the thickness of an atom.
Carbon is the origin of several materials: when the atoms are bonded randomly, graphite is obtained; if the structure is tidy, diamond is obtained.

Graphene has the same neat structure as diamonds – and the same mechanical strength! - but it has only two dimensions. Therefore, it is lightweight but extremely flexible and resistant.

What are the properties that make it so special?

What makes graphene so special is the hexagonal symmetry of its lattice and the two-dimensional movement of electrons that is a hundred times faster than the already fast movement of silicon transistors. We can imagine electrons as bullets that travel without ever deviating from their path. 

The compact structure of graphene is impermeable to molecules and all gases and its particular ability to carry heat and the mechanical properties add to the remarkable electronic and physical properties. 

To date, research is working on the use of graphene in various sectors, with very promising prospects.

In the textile sector, however, considerable results have already been achieved and, in this sense, we can talk about a new concept of "warmth and comfort"... and much more!

GRAPHENE WORK-WEAR: PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS

As mentioned before, graphene fabric has found wide application in clothing and, in particular, in work-wear and technical clothing, greatly improving the quality of the garments.

The most important and innovative feature is the ability of this technologically advanced fabric to lower body temperature in particularly hot situations and, at the same time, to maintain heat in cold conditions with a dynamic temperature regulation, "shifting" the heat from the hottest to the coldest points.

This means being able to rely on work clothes that ensure an ideal microclimate and constant comfort with a significant increase in well-being and performance.

Furthermore, graphene is:

• Non-toxic;
• Antibacterial;
• Antistatic;
• Hypoallergenic. 

It dramatically improves the performance of the fabrics in terms of lightness and resistance, avoiding the accumulation of electrical charges on the surface of the fabrics and their small and annoying shocks that fabrics, especially synthetic ones, can sometimes generate.

The lightness of the garment, together with the heat distribution, with constant ideal temperature, reduces stress and fatigue during intense effort, while the greater resistance extends the life of the garment.

All these features make graphene fabric a real innovation that U-Power presents in its U-Supremacy range the most technologically advanced and cutting-edge range.

WINK AND WALL: WORK JACKET AND VEST WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTION

U-Supremacy, the most technologically advanced U-Power work-wear line grows and joins the already present HeiQ Pure, HeiQ Smart Temp and Polartec eco-engineering, the innovative graphene fabric in a series of new workwear proposals – work jacket, padded gilet, waterproof trousers, rainproof shell, etc. - , which guarantee all the properties offered by graphene.

WINK WORK JACKET

Wink is a winter work jacket with a design full of details, which guarantees distribution and retention of heat, durability and resistance of the garment, guaranteeing maximum comfort, not only during work but also in your free time.

Technologically advanced hooded jacket, with graphene padding with bacteriostatic and odour-control properties, with a casual look, available in different colours.

Extremely lightweight, graphene makes Wink a weightless jacket that guarantees ample freedom of movement and a pleasant feeling of warmth and well-being.

Wink is a water-repellent jacket with soft micro-fleece lining in the neck, adjustable cuffs with Velcro, and inner wind-proof cuffs with thumb hole for greater insulation of the body from the cold.
The elasticated drawstring waist ensures maximum fit while the numerous pockets guarantee functionality and practicality: two hand warmer pockets with drainage holes, plus two vertical front pockets, a vertical chest pocket, and two spacious inner pockets.

The opening of the inner back section allows the customization of the garment facilitating prints and embroidery, whereas the reflective band on the left side of the chest and on the hood with double adjustment, ensures greater visibility. 

Wink is the innovative soft and warm winter work jacket, which guarantees the highest performance in terms of temperature control and comfort.

Well-being and a new lightness, all to be tried!

WALL WORK VEST

One of the main characteristics of graphene is, as we have seen, its ability to distribute heat, which means that it doesn’t just maintain a constant temperature on the body but can disperse excess heat in hot weather.

An exceptional feature which guarantees well-being in spring and autumn even when there are sudden temperature changes, and we can find it in the Wall work gilet in the U-Supremacy range.

Wall is a work vest with remarkable bacteriostatic and odour-control properties, with a sporty design, ideal for both work and leisure time: it is water-repellent and breathable; it guarantees an excellent fit thanks to the side inserts in Softshell and the elasticated fabric on the bottom and armholes; it features numerous pockets.

Let’s have a look at the rainproof trousers and the waterproof shell.

BIOKO AND TUTENDO: WATERPROOF TROUSERS AND BREATHABLE RAINPROOF SHELL

Graphene can be used in clothing both as padding and as a print inside the garment, in order to allow an active interaction between the fabric and the body, to favour the homogeneous distribution of body heat. 

This intelligent thermoregulation action ensures a pleasant feeling of comfort and well-being in any climatic condition, guaranteeing high performance even in the most adverse conditions. Graphene printing is the technique used in the design of the Bioko rainproof trousers and the Tutendo shell jacket.

Let’s discover its features together!

BIOKO RAINPROOF TROUSERS

Waterproof work trousers with graphene applied on the internal side. Bioko is a thermoregulating work trouser with waterproof side zips, that allow you to wear the garment more quickly, and front pass-through pockets closed with zips which are, also in this case, waterproof.

Graphene ensures excellent bacteriostatic and odour-control properties, even if worn for many hours, significantly improving the hygiene of the garment. 

Bioko coordinates with the Tutendo rain shell.

TUTENDO RAINPROOF SHELL JACKET

Breathable waterproof shell with internal graphene print with thermoregulating, bacteriostatic and odour-control properties, with central waterproof zip closure and heat-sealed seams.

Tutendo features a fixed adjustable hood with drawstring and an air vent on the back to increase breathability.

The numerous pockets – 2 front pockets, a vertical chest pocket with waterproof zip and two large inside pockets – make it particularly functional and practical.

Tutendo coordinates with the Bioko rainproof trousers.

Discover all the U-Power graphene workwear and try all the comfort of the most technologically advanced fabric!

U-Power, Innovation and Technology at the service of workers.