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3M, DOE reduce N95 costs
February 1st, 2023
Cutting the cost of N95 mask-making The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has collaborated with multinational tech company 3M to develop a technique to reduce the amount of energy required for melt-blowing the materials needed in N95 masks and other applications. The melt-blowing process is also used for other products like furnace […]
Bio-tech dyes
February 1st, 2023
A technician blends bacterial strains that will create a dye. Photos: Colorifix Biological samples are grown in the laboratory and then fermented on a large scale in tanks. Fabric dyeing is one of the more polluting industrial processes, using many toxic chemicals and more than 1.3 trillion gallons of water annually. Colorifix, based in Norwich, […]
Revolutionizing cotton
February 1st, 2023
Fibre52™ combines the comfort of cotton with the best strength and moisture-management properties of synthetic fibers. Photo: Fibre52 Houston, Texas-based Fibre52™ says it has developed a patent-pending technology to revolutionize the way cotton is prepared and dyed. According to the company, the process substantially minimizes the use of water and energy and eliminates harsh chemicals, […]
SmartHEAL monitors wounds
February 1st, 2023
The SmartHEAL bandage has a built-in pH monitor that tells how a wound is healing. Photo: SmartHEAL Three students from Poland have won the prestigious James Dyson Award for design for developing a smart sensor for dressings that indicates how well a patient’s wound is healing. The SmartHEAL device is a dressing that monitors the […]
TenCate, Saxion sign MoU
February 1st, 2023
A firefighter’s protective suit from TenCate. Photo: TenCate Protective Fabrics Georgia-based safety textile manufacturer TenCate Protective Fabrics has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saxion University in Enschede, Netherlands, to strengthen their partnership toward research on sustainable textiles. “As two organizations devoted to textile innovation, we’re excited at the chance to unlock this new, […]
Under Armour, NC State sign research agreement
February 1st, 2023
Under Armour’s donated equipment inside the Nonwovens Institute on NC State’s Centennial Campus. Photo: NCSU Athletic apparel brand Under Armour has signed a master research agreement at North Carolina State University in a new partnership aimed at innovation. Under Armour, based in Baltimore, Md., has opened a center on the campus through a partnership that […]
Baby shoes that dissolve in water
February 1st, 2023
Made from a water-soluble plastic called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), Woolybubs stand up to normal use, but dissolve when placed in boiling water. Photo: Woolybubs Don’t throw out used baby shoes—boil them. That’s what Woolybubs founders Jesse and Megan Milliken say parents can do with the company’s biodegradable baby shoes that dissolve in boiling water. The […]
Longer-lasting implantable batteries
February 1st, 2023
Researchers at MIT have come up with a way to improve the energy density of nonrechargeable batteries that could enable up to a 50 percent increase in useful lifetime, or a corresponding decrease in size and weight for a given amount of power or energy capacity. The new technology could also improve safety, with little […]
Leather made from flowers
February 1st, 2023
“Flaux” is a new leather-like, textile material that uses waste from commercially produced flowers as its main ingredient and dye. When Irene Purasachit was a design student at Aalto University in Finland, she began to reflect on the aftermath of wedding ceremonies in her home country of Thailand, where flowers ended up in trash piles […]
Medical boot or high fashion footwear
February 1st, 2023
MSCHF, a New York-based art collective known for out-of-the-box shoe designs, has introduced an orthopedic shoe (or boot) that resembles an ankle cast, but is designed to make long walks more comfortable. The AC-1 is more of a fashion statement designed to look like a medical boot, but given that it mimics its inspiration, it […]