Bio-based textile treatment made from crab shells

Tidal Vision, based in Bellingham, Wash., is intent on creating a positive and systemic environmental impact by advancing chitosan chemistry solutions as a replacement for toxic synthetic chemicals. Its textile treatment Tidal-Tex^™ is a natural, clean, water-based chitosan solution, ready to use for curing, spraying, dipping and compositing with other materials to provide antimicrobial and fire-retardant properties to textiles. An abundant resource found in crab shells and other shellfish, chitosan is the only biopolymer that naturally occurs with a positive (cationic) electrostatic charge, which gives chitosan bacteriostatic properties, making it naturally capable of inhibiting the growth or reproduction of bacteria. The company recently announced a new partnership with Leigh Fibers, a manufacturer of engineered fibers headquartered in Wellford, S.C., where the partnership has opened a new production facility. Photo: Tidal Vision.