Dri-Lex® Diffusion™ - Moisture management in footwear re-defined.

‘Diffusion’ is our proprietary term for the active moisture management properties of our Dri-Lex fabrics in footwear. Dri-Lex fabrics are engineered to keep the foot surface dry and comfortable via diffusion mechanisms within the shoe environment. Here’s how diffusion works:

• 1. Millions of micro-zones in our fabrics acquire and move moisture away from the foot through a combination of surface dimensionality, different yarn sizes and textures as well as fiber chemistry.
• 2. Dri-Lex® perspiration-moving performance properties result from an acquisition face combined with a water-attracting transition zone and outer transfer face as illustrated in Figure 1.

a. Acquisition Face: The acquisition face consists of polyester yarns in a 3D fabric structure, allowing optimal transfer of perspiration into the fabric. This transfer is facilitated by creating more surface area through combinations of textured filament yarns, knit 3D patterns, and brushing or napping the fabric surface. The diffusion of water through this thin acquisition layer into the transition zone is due to specially designed synthetic yarns which strongly attract water, pulling it into the transition zone while leaving the surface against the foot dry and comfortable.
b. Transition Zone: Water is moved through interlocking loops of hydrophilic yarns in the transition zone into the outer transfer face where it spreads across the fabric surface then is absorbed into the foam of the shoe.
c. Transfer Face: The high surface area of the transfer face puts hydrophilic yarns in close contact with the shoe’s foam, transferring water into the foam by diffusion. The transfer material consists of fine filament textured yarns which have high surface areas and microporous interstitial spaces in the yarn bundles to diffuse perspiration throughout. Perspiration is then transferred into the shoe foam to which it is laminated. This diffusion process continues as more perspiration is generated from the foot, but the wearer’s foot surface will stay dry and comfortable until the foam reservoir is completely saturated.

Dri-Lex® Maximizes Diffusion and Optimizes Performance
Faytex Corporation has been a leading supplier of moisture management footwear fabrics for decades. Our long-term success is due to the fact that we not only understand how to design and produce technical fabrics, but we also understand the specific requirements of linings for footwear from running shoes to dress shoes to boots.
These capabilities are combined to create functional and comfortable fabrics specific to these different types of footwear via control of fabric thickness, fabric weight, air permeability, 3D structure, and yarn composition. Dri-Lex® fabrics have excellent diffusion characteristics and fabric durability in addition to outstanding aesthetics.