I didn’t know Gore-TEX was ptfe. Damn, those things last forever (like BPC). Think plastic is a problem? PTFE is way worse. Those are the microplastic we are going to find in breastmilk forever.
PTFE is also used in implants specifically because it completely inert under normal conditions.
which sorts of implants? i know, for another example, some orthopedic screws are actually calcium which are made to reabsorb, which i have 3 of myself from an athletic injury repair by an NFL team surgeon (maybe relevant if the materials change for type of repair).
This is good to know. I bought knock-off goretex ski gear because I wanted a very specific style that only exists in a cheap brand (and I mean cheap, like $50 for jacket and pants). I was very surprised at its performance but I’ve only used it a few days so far, so no idea about the longevity.
Gore-TEX and other waterproof breathable (WPB) membrane fabrics are ridiculously oversold to people who don't spend much time outside. The amount of breathability they offer is ludicrously low compared to something like unzipping a jacket zipper or pit vent. If you're moving at all, a WPB jacket means that you'll be drenched from the inside due to sweat, and all that water repelled by your jacket ends up on your pant…
You shouldn’t move wearing Gore-TEX in my experience. If you stop and it’s wet you put it on while stopped. You take it off when you start moving again. If you’re moving you’re going to be wet anyway (sweat) so no point trying to stay dry from the outside.
Best application is sleeping bag covers. Worst application is boots. Makes no sense.
The term to google is "durable water repellent" (DWR). In sport shops you can buy sprays or washing liquids to treat the jackets. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durable_water_repellent Also note each jacket has a different thickness of the gore-tex layer which conditions how many hours of rain it can withstand.
dwr != gore-tex wash. DWR is the cheaper/non-permanent waterproofing solution (likely containing PTFE) to add waterproofing to an otherwise non-waterproof jacket (or to make the outer layer waterproof)
Traditional gore-tex outerwear is made of 3 layers. The middle layer is the goretex, but the other layer is some fabric treated with a DWR that needs to be maintained for the jacket to work well (or the outer layer saturates with water and prevents the middle layer from breathing).
So yes, you need to treat most goretex jackets with a DWR periodically.
PTFE is also used in implants specifically because it completely inert under normal conditions.
which sorts of implants? i know, for another example, some orthopedic screws are actually calcium which are made to reabsorb, which i have 3 of myself from an athletic injury repair by an NFL team surgeon (maybe relevant if the materials change for type of repair).
This is wrong, PTFE is a PFAS. PFAS is a family of Per or poly fluoroalkyl substances. Basically it's a group of substances that have very long ass Carbon and Flour chains.
PTFE is a polymeric plastic. They don't fit this definition by the EPA "PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment."
You could argue that the precursors to PTFE are included (but not really, since PTFE is made from a gas).
The article doesn't mention (other than a brief nod to the brand) the other massive use of PTFE, none sticks surfaces originally under the Teflon brand, most commonly found on cookware. It truly is a "magic" material. Teflon and other PTFE based none stick surfaces are now really quite controversial due to the toxic gasses they can give off of you heat them too high. And the manufacturing processes is potentially lin…
Actually, Teflon on pans and cooking. Where is quite bad. It flakes off quite easily and you just ingest it. Go with ceramic, it’s much better for you. This is just one search result, there are many This is just one search result, there are many: https://www.foxnews.com/health/non-stick-pans-could-release-...
I mean, we use PTFE as medical implants, which have undergone FDA testing. It's an incredibly inert substance. I'm thinking if it's OK to implant a piece of PFTE in your body for decades, it's probably not a big issue to ingest a flake that is eventually pooped out.