A green, durable omniphobic treatment for wool

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The objective of this Engage project is to develop a green durable water repellent (DWR) that has performance**similar to non-green DWRs. lululemon is interested in improving the sustainability of their waterproofing**methods. Certain natural oils have been shown to exhibit both water-repellent and oil-repellent properties, but**exactly how these natural products achieve this repellency is not fully understood. Dr. Golovin's group will**investigate how reactive molecules derived from natural oils can be used as a green DWR alternative for**lululemon. In the first half of the project, the natural oils will be down-selected for their repellency properties.**In the second half, the durability towards repeated laundering and mechanical wear will be investigated.**The expected outcome is a DWR textile finish that is bio-based but still can repel oils like current**non-bio-based finishes. This is important to lululemon because they view sustainability as one of their key**market differentiators. Canadians will also benefit by reducing the nation's overall environmental impact, and**keeping drinking water safe for Canadians (current DWR chemistries do not break down in nature and are**found in water supplies).**Other