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unspun tackles sustainability via on-demand apparel
January 1st, 2024
unspun founders Beth Esponnette, Walden Lam and Kevin Martin. Image: unspun/Ashley Batz Producing less by design means less wasted or discarded product on the back end, saving resources and time on the front. Denim in particular is also a significant player when it comes to water pollution. Technology company unspun tackles those environmental issues with […]
Seastex develops acoustic tiles made of mussel filaments
January 1st, 2024
An Acoustic Byssus Cores (ABC) tile detached from a wall. The tiles are designed to be easily removed to gain access to plumbing or electrical systems for maintenance or repairs. Image: Seastex/Yeshen Venema Founded in June 2021 by Belgian designer Sander Nevejans, Seastex has developed a method to turn mussel beard (byssus) waste into lightweight […]
Nanofilament breaks down dye in textile wastewater
January 1st, 2024
Easily removing water-soluble dyes, such as those used to dye batik fabric, from textile wastewater discharge is a challenge facing the industry. Image: © Shariff Che\’ Lah, Dreamstime.com Water pollution from textile dyeing is a perennial concern because of the caustic nature of the chemicals used. Researchers at Drexel University have found that a nanofilament […]
3D-printed seaweed polymer cleans up wastewater pollutants
January 1st, 2024
UC San Diego researchers have developed a “living material,” made of a seaweed-based polymer combined with genetically engineered bacteria, that could offer a sustainable and eco-friendly solution to clean pollutants, such as textile dye, from water. Image: UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering/David Baillot Researchers at the University of California San Diego have created […]
Textile-based device delivers haptic feedback
January 1st, 2024
Each sleeve contains six quarter- sized pouches that inflate with varying force and frequency to deliver haptic cues, such as vibrations, tapping or squeezing. Images: Rice University/Brandon Martin Devices that use haptics, or communication based on touch, usually require bulky hardware, making them inconvenient to use. Researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas, have found […]
MIT dataset helps predict biodegradable polyesters
January 1st, 2024
Each image was taken eight hours apart and shows the progress of the polymer-eating bacteria. Researchers analyzed a library of 642 polyesters and polycarbonates to predict how biodegradable they are. Image: MIT Biodegradable polymers, including those found in textiles, are a huge area of current research, in part because even some materials that are labeled […]
Flexible device could monitor muscle injuries using nanomagnets
January 1st, 2024
The magnetoelastic textile patch is made of silicone, nanomagnets and conductive yarn. Image: University of California Los Angeles Preventing overuse while muscles are still healing concerns physical therapists and athletes alike. A patch using conductive yarn and nanomagnets infused in silicone could take some of the mystery out of how a patient’s healing is progressing. […]
Runners rejoice: Nike releases self-ventilating jacket
January 1st, 2024
The Nike Run Division Aerogami Jacket uses the company’s waterproof and windproof fabric Storm-FIT ADV. Image: Nike Using the vents on most running jackets can be disruptive to runners, who must manually open and close them. The Nike Run Division Aerogami Jacket is designed to solve this problem with vents that open and close in […]
Activewear eliminates sweat with volcanic sand
January 1st, 2024
A model wearing the Level Tech Tee with embedded thermoregulating technology in the color Burgundy Heather. Image: Fourlaps Boulder, Colo.-based company 37.5® Technology has harnessed particles of volcanic minerals and activated carbon from coconuts to create thermoregulating fabrics used in athleisure wear. Clothing brands such as Janji and Fourlaps have incorporated this technology into their […]
Roy Chism on making the most of opportunity, ATA membership
January 1st, 2024
New ATA board chairman Roy Chism shares his experience with—and plans for—recognizing and making the most of opportunity. Photography by Jacob Tyler Dunn © Mark Skalny Photography In 2021, Roy Chism retired as owner and operator of The Chism Co. Inc., the canvas and metal fabrication shop his father founded 70 years prior in San […]