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Cloth from bark offers renewable alternatives
September 10th, 2013
BARKTEX® by Bark Cloth Ltd. is a contemporary take on traditional bark cloth, which is produced from the Ugandan Figus tree. Once the bark is stripped form the tree, new bark grows in its place, making it a truly sustainable product. BARKTEX can be treated with bright colors to create a unique material that resembles […]
New meaning for “carpetbag”
September 10th, 2013
A young New Zealand designer found inspiration for an innovative product in an industry that has deep historical roots in his country: sheep farming. In researching the wool value chain, Daniel Mclaughlin identified high volumes of post-industrial and post-consumer waste as a space for potential innovation, extending the applicability and longevity of woolen product before it […]
Kraig Biocraft Labs close to prototyping Monster Silk™
September 10th, 2013
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc., developer of advanced spider silk-based fibers, announces that its pilot production program has successfully produced a sufficient quantity of Monster Silk™ cocoons to allow it to make its first textile prototypes. The cocoons still need to be reeled and processed into yarn before the first prototype and sample textiles can be […]
The polymer approach
September 10th, 2013
Polymer-based technologies offer new opportunities for microbial control on textiles. by Robert A. Monticello, Ph.D. Ever since microorganisms were recognized as a major cause of problems on textiles people have struggled against them in an effort to provide clean, pleasant and odor-free textile products that can be kept close to the skin. An array of […]
Protection from an unseen foe
September 10th, 2013
Because the inherent makeup of textile structures provides an attractive environment for microorganisms, antimicrobial technologies are an important consideration for many textile applications. We live in a world of microbes: most are helpful; some are harmful. Microbes, in fact, outnumber all other species, yet only 3 percent are harmful and only a tiny fraction have […]
Copper coins and moldy bread
September 10th, 2013
The use of what we now call antimicrobials has been around for centuries, although our understanding and ability to make use of the technology is dramatically more sophisticated than the ancient Greek’s (and other cultures’) method of applying moldy bread to a wound. The gods, rather than disease-killing chemicals, were likely credited with this treatment’s […]
CORDURA® expands durable fabrics line
September 10th, 2013
INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand has expanded its durable line of fabrics in its head-to-toe product portfolio with CORDURA Lite Plus and CORDURA Air Flow Technology (AFT) fabrics, which debuted this summer. Lite Plus fabrics offer improved filament density and lower denier per filament for a more supple fabric hand, tighter packing in weaving with less space […]
Hearing enhancement in a hat
September 10th, 2013
For people who have conductive hearing loss, a hearing aid may be the only solution. But high-tech company Max Virtual LLC, based in Greensboro, N.C. and Shenzhen, China, offers another option. The Cynaps Enhance hat is a self-contained hearing device that amplifies and directs sound to the inner ear through bone conduction (vibration), and requires […]
September 2013
September 10th, 2013
KYMIRA Sportswear Not every observer buys into the claims of this sportswear company. It uses a new, but quite credible technology. What do you think? New nanomaterial increases yield of solar cells Researchers have optimized the nanostructures so that a solar cell provides more electricity and loses less energy in the form of heat. Paper-thin […]
Company creates microbial “textile”
September 10th, 2013
London-based BioCouture has chosen to develop a unique niche in the advanced textiles marketplace. The company grows sustainable materials from renewable or waste resources, transforming microbes into haute couture. Their unique, low-impact fermentation process creates a biodegradable material that can be used to create a variety of home products, garments and fashion accessories. According to […]