ADN

Whatever Happened To... Hypercolor?








This week's installment of Whatever Happened To... uncovers the truth behind the rise and fall of that color-changing clothing phenomenon: Hypercolor!


Pink for girls and blue for boys went out the window in the late '80s when Generra introduced the transexual of t-shirts, Hypercolor, to the world.

As I'm sure you all remember, Hypercolor t-shirts were one color when cool and changed to a different color in warmer areas of your body. Who didn't love leaving a handprint on the back of the Hypercolor-clad kid in front of you in middle school?

While this thermochromic fashion phenomenon lasted into the early '90s, it vanished as quickly as it appeared. So whatever happened to Hypercolor? Where did it go and why?

As with so many great inventions, Hypercolor's downfall came when it tried do too much, too quickly. The beloved t-shirts were a huge success not only in America, but worldwide. Unfortunately, Generra got the bright idea to try releasing other Hypercolor garments in non-US markets. In Japan this was a great success: Hypercolor pants, socks, hats and headbands were very popular. The fatal mistake came when they attempted Hypercolor underwear.

The microencapsulated, thermochromic dye used in Hypercolor garments wasn't able to withstand the constant, elevated temperatures of the average Japanese teenager's crotch. When the 1-dodecanol solvent broke down the myristylammonium oleate salt for an extended period of time, the microcapsules would dissolve under prolonged exposure to the released 1,2,3-benzotriazole. The dye (crystal violet lactone) was then directly exposed to the skin. The result? Blue balls...literally.

Over 400 men were left with permanently Smurfy scrotums and over 220 women were guaranteed that the carpet would never again match the curtains.

The class action suit against Generra forced them out of business. The company was bought by the conglomerate Public Clothing Company in 1993 and all production of Hypercolor merchandise was halted.

Strangely enough, the US government experimented with Hypercolor for several years after it's discontinuation. They wanted to adapt the dye to make uniforms for prisoners and detainees that would help investigators and corrections officers know if a prisoner was lying. Unfortunately, since orange Hypercolor garments turn yellow when they're warm, detainees in Hypercolor prison-orange jumpsuits walked around looking as if they'd pissed themselves. A lawsuit was filed claiming this was abusively humiliating to prisoners, and the program was cancelled.

The US government currently owns the patent for Hypercolor, but there is no information available as to whether or not they plan to use the technology for any future projects.

Damn, I must have been too poor to even imagine having something like this, lol...Anybody remember these..?

Hypercolour clothing?

I've never ever heard of it in my entire life.

Hypercolor was a brand of clothing, mainly T-shirts and shorts, that changed color with heat. They were manufactured by Generra (now a division of Public Clothing Company) and marketed in the United States as Generra Hypercolor or Generra Hypergrafix and outside the US as Global Hypercolor. They contained a thermochromic (temperature sensitive) pigment made by Matsui Shikiso Chemical of Japan, that changed between two colors¢¢¬¢‚¬Å“one when cold, one when warm. The shirts were produced with several color change choices from the late 1980s until the early 1990s, and were predominantly tie-dye in pattern. Unfortunately the effect could easily be permanently damaged, particularly when the clothing was placed in a hotter than recommended wash.

Principle
Color Varieties Cold Hot
BLUE YELLOW
BLUE WHITE
GREEN YELLOW
PURPLE PINK
GREY WHITE
ORANGE YELLOW
MUSTARD PINK

Principle

The color change of Hypercolor shirts is based on combination of two colors: the color of the dyed fabric, which remained constant, and the color of the thermochromic dye. The dye is enclosed in microcapsules, tiny (few micrometers in diameter) drops of liquid sealed in a transparent shell, bound to the fibers of the fabric. The liquid is a leuco form of a dye (in this case crystal violet lactone), a weak acid (1,2,3-benzotriazole), and a quaternary ammonium salt of a fatty acid (myristylammonium oleate) dissolved in a solvent (1-dodecanol). At low temperatures, the weak acid forms a colored complex with the leuco dye, interrupting the lactone ring. At high temperatures, above 24-27 ‚°C, the solvent melts and the salt dissociates, reversibly reacts with the weak acid and increases the pH. The pH change leads to closing of the lactone ring of the dye, which then regains its colorless (leuco) form.

Therefore at the low temperature the color of the shirt is the combination of the color of the microcapsules with the color of the dyed fabric, while at higher temperatures the capsules become colorless and the color of the fabric prevails.

Hypercolor T-Shirt

(Created prior to 1993)

Question: A student of mine is conducting an experiment on Hypercolor T-
shirt. He is investigating the parameters under which the t-shirt will not
change the colors. He is also trying to investigate the optimum conditions
under which it works. Any help in obtaining research materials and ideas will
be appreciated about hypercolor or the dye.
------------------------------------------------
Can you define the problem to me a little more clearly so that I
can understand the question? First off, what is a "Hypercolor T-shirt?" My
wife, who has a chemistry background, dyes fabrics as a hobby and is pretty
familiar with dye chemistry. She might be able to help; however, neither of
us understand what you mean by "Hypercolor."
Topper
=========================================================
"Hypercolor" T-shirts are a current clothing fad. They are
clothes that are dyed with a chemical that when touched by heat, turn a
different color. They can be found at most major department stores.
Basically, you might have an orange T-shirt, and when touched with a warm
hand, a purple hand print would be seen on the shirt. This is "Hypercolor".
=========================================================
Ah, I see. This is probably similar to the many toys on the
market now which change color when submerged in hot or cold water, or to the
drinking mugs which change color when hot or cold liquid is poured into them.
Is this the general idea? Well, unfortunately, although I have seen these
toys and so forth, I must confess that I do not know exactly how they work.
One guess is that there is some sort of chelated transition-metal complex, or
some other compound, which can be readily (and reversibly) oxidized and
reduced. For example,under relatively mild conditions one can move Vanadium
from the -1 up to the +5 oxidation state! And there are color changes
associated with each change in oxidation state....perhaps thermalized
electrons are excited by warming the shirt, and these raise the color-changing
compound to a higher-energy oxidation state, which relaxes over some long time
scale as the system cools down....but this is all UTTER GUESSWORK! What is
needed is some worthy student to do some experiments and find out what is
REALLY going on...also, you might consider writing a letter to the
manufacturer of the t-shirt.

Hypercolor helmets





In their ongoing quest to burn the retinas of anyone who watches them, the Oregon Ducks have unveiled the newest part of their continually changing look: helmets that change color depending on the angle from which they are seen. I'm glad no one's told them about Hypercolor t-shirts.

The Ducks aren't sure yet if they'll wear them for their bowl game. They'd like to, but they've only received helmets for about half the team. I guess Nike's running low on color-changing crazy motherfucker paint.

The plan appears to be the wear the new helmets along with their bright yellow jerseys and bright yellow pants when they take on BYU. I thought you should know now, so you'd have time to run to your optometrist before the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl on December 21st.

Within two years, I predict Oregon will be taking the field in uniforms that make them invisible.

man...i had so many Hypercolor shirts in Jr. High it wasnt even funny...

they kinda sucked though because your armpits were always a different color...glad i never wore the pants...lol

ive always wondered where they went!!

great read Buff...thanks!

Anytime.

I had a few shirts myself, but I don't remember seeing any hypercolor pants. I do remember Parachute Pants, does that count?

Styles of the 1980's

Hair Department:

Asymmetrical Haircut
Bizarre Hair Colors, Neon's
Banana Clips
Bleached Blonde Hair, all but the tips
Boy's Style Hair Cut(short crew cut on top, and long in the back)
Braided Hair
Bon Jovi Curls
Colored Mousse
Crimped Hair
Feathered Hair
Mousse /Mega Gel
"Poodle" Perms
Princess Di Haircut
Rat Tail
Spiked Hair
Sun-In

Make-Up Department:

Blue Eye Shadow
Colored Mascara(blue, purple, green)
Excessive Makeup
Frosted Lipstick
Lee Press on Nails
Lip Smackers(Dr Pepper was my fave)
Roll-On Lip Gloss

Shoe Department:

Bow Shoes
Camp Beverly Hills Sneakers
Candies
Checkerboard Vans
Elf Boots(that I always tucked my jeans into)
Espadrilles
Granny Boots
Jazz Shoes
Keds
LA Gear
Nike Sneakers
Loafers with no socks
Peter Pan Boots
Sebago's with no socks
Tretorn Sneakers (also w/ no socks, my fave)
Clothing Department:

Top half:

Banana Republic
Bennetton
Big Sweaters, belted with a v-style belt on the outside
BoyToy/MaDonna Style
Button-Down Oxford Shirts(especially in pink)
Button-Down Shirt with Long Tail
Cardigan Sweaters with a Untucked Shirt Underneath
Coca-Cola Clothing
ESPIRIT
Frankie Goes To Hollywood "RELAX" T-shirt
Frilly Shirts
Gotcha Shirts
Hooded Sweat Jackets
HyperColor Shirts
IOU Shirts
Izods
Laced Crop Tops with Black Bras
Long, Long Shirts
Loose Crop-Tops
Ocean Pacific
Off the Shoulder Shirts
Panama Jack
Paisley Shirts
"PROPERTY OF" T-shirts
Polo
Ron Jon Surf Shop Shirts
Rude Dog
Shirts with Collars Turned Up
Shirts with Sleeves Ripped Off
Swatch Clothing
Sweater Vests
Sweatshirts with Logos
T-shirts Tied at One Side
Tank Tops

Bottom Half:

Acid Washed
Body Glove
Bubble Skirts
Cargo Pants
Chic Jeans
ClamDiggers
Corduroy Pants
Gitano Jeans
French-Rolled Pants
Gasoline Jeans
Gloria Vanderbilt
Guess Jeans
High Waters
Jams
Jeans with Stirrups or
Zipper's at the Bottom of the Legs
Jordache
LA Gear
Levi's
Leather Pants!
Leggings
Loose Jeans Safety Pinned at the Bottom
Palmetto
Parachute Pants
Plaid Bermuda Shorts
Pleated Jeans
Ripped Jeans
Rolling Up Pant Cuffs So They Were Tight Around the Ankles
Military Fatigue Pants
Miniskirts
Sassoon
Stirrup Pants
Stone Washed Jeans
Two Tone Denim Pants
Vision Street Wear

Accessory Department:

Bangle Bracelets
Berets
Big Earrings
Buttons/Pins(Duran Duran)
Caps with the Short Bill Flipped Up in Front
Chain Belts
Charm Necklaces
Cinch Belts
Clear Plastic Purses
Colorful Belts
Denim Jackets with Lots of Pins
Dress Socks with Pumps
Thinking Earrings on Guys Looked Cool
Fingerless Gloves
Friendship Bracelets & Pins
Glacier Sunglasses
Hanging Belts
Leather Bracelets with Spikes
Legwarmers
Mirrored Sunglasses
Neon/Fluorescent Accessories
Oakley Sunglasses
Painter's Caps
Plastic Bracelets
Pop Swatches
Rubber Bracelets
Satin Jackets
Sex Wax (surfboard wax)
Skinny Belts
Slap Bracelets
Slouch Socks
Suspenders
Swatch's (the more the better)
Sweat Bands
Twist A Beads



I bet this brings back memories to the older folks on the board.lol

liiiiiiiiiiii