PalmProof – PFAS-Free Water Repellent for Textiles

The textile industry rapidly transitioned to PFAS-free durable water repellent (DWR) technologies as regulatory expectations tightened and brands demanded responsible chemistry. Many challenges continue to make this transition anything but smooth and simple. The primary issues surrounding this transition are caused by PFAS-based chemistry because of the excellent waterproof performance that it provided to fabric without impacting the breathability. Most, if not all, PFAS-Free chemistry is safer, inferior in performance and durability, much more expensive, and often impacts the breathability of a fabric. These issues have caused many headaches for brands, retailers, textile mills, and chemical manufacturers. Progress in technology improvement has been a slow, and often painful, process. At AGS, we worked closely with several partners in the development and launch of PalmProof.

PalmProof is a family of DWRs that are designed to help mills and brands move beyond fluorinated finishes while maintaining practical performance that is expected by the consumer. By combining bio-based chemistry with advanced surface engineering, PalmProof creates a hydrophobic barrier that repels water while preserving comfort, breathability, and fabric integrity.

It is engineered around a palm-derived fatty acid technology that lowers surface energy on textile fibers and prevents water penetration without creating stiffness or negatively impacting the fabric’s hand feel. PalmProof products are applicable by padding and exhaust, allowing for seamless integration into existing production methods. It is designed for fabrics that contain cotton, polyester, nylon, and blends. This approach enables partners to adopt our cost-optimized solution without disrupting their established workflows.

The key benefits of PalmProof include:

• PFAS-Free: Provides durable water repellency without fluorinated chemistry, supporting evolving regulatory and brand sustainability requirements.
• Plant-Based: Built on responsibly sourced palm-derived raw materials that align with renewable and lower-impact sourcing strategies.
• Durable Performance: Maintains fabric breathability, softness, and natural hand feel while delivering reliable water resistance.
• Process Compatibility: Integrates easily into standard textile finishing workflows, including padding and exhaust applications across multiple fiber types.
• Lower Dosage Application: Engineered to maintain repellency performance through repeated wear and laundering cycles.
• Balanced Sustainability and Performance: Combines functional durability with modern environmental expectations, offering a practical alternative to legacy DWR technologies.

As fluorine-free innovation advances, the industry is redefining, and slowly returning, to the performance standards that are expected by industries and consumers. Brands now can select from solutions that combine renewable feedstocks, reliable performance, and long-term durability without compromising wearer comfort. PalmProof reflects AGS’s commitment to delivering innovative, consumer-centric technologies that support both sustainability goals and real-world performance.

Learn more about AGS, our products, and our commitment to materials science excellence. Here.

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