UV Filters & Absorbers

UV protection agents are additives applied to or built into a fabric to reducenhow much ultraviolet light passes through it, which raises the textile's measured UPFn(Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating. For outdoor, activewear, and workwearnfabrics the workhorse is titanium dioxide, an inorganic mineral that scatters and absorbs UVnacross a broad band. Choose an inorganic blocker when wash-durable UPF is the priority,nbecause it does not rely on a chromophore that bleaches out over time.

Titanium dioxide gives broad-spectrum attenuation and survives repeated laundering, butnit carries an honest trade-off. Uncoated, photoactive grades can catalyze the veryndegradation you are trying to prevent, breaking down dyes and fibers under sunlight;nsurface-coated rutile grades are formulated to suppress that photocatalytic activity.nSpecify a coated grade for UV-attenuation finishing, and confirm it does not dull or shiftnyour target shade before scaling up.

Organic UV absorbers from the benzotriazole class are also used in polymer systems, butnone common member, UV-328, was added to the Stockholm Convention list of persistent organicnpollutants in 2023 and is restricted in the European Union. RawSource does not positionnUV-328 as a recommended textile chemistry; it is noted here only as context. Confirm thenregulatory status of any organic UV absorber for your application and jurisdiction.

• UV-attenuation finishes that raise the measured UPF rating of outdoor and activewear fabrics
• Mineral UV blockers for awnings, tents, shade structures, and technical outdoor textiles
• Shade and color stabilization of dyed fabrics under sunlight exposure
• Mass coloration / spin-dyeing of synthetic fibers, where TiO2 also acts as a delusterant

• Titanium dioxide u2014 PubChem
• Zinc oxide u2014 PubChem
• UV-328 listing u2014 Stockholm Convention POPs