Composting plastic quickly

July 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Most compostable plastics, made primarily of the polyester known as polylactic acid (PLA), end up in landfills and last about as long as any other plastic. But University of California, Berkeley, scientists have invented a way to make them break down more easily within a few weeks, using just heat a…
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ThermoPlume insulates with synthetic, recycled material

July 1, 2021  |  Swatches

New York-based advanced materials technology company PrimaLoft® Inc. has launched a new version of its down-alternative insulation first introduced in 2017. The new ThermoPlume® synthetic fill is made entirely of post-consumer recycled materials but delivers thermal performance that’s comparable…
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Temporary tote is made from fruit peelings

July 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Berlin, Germany-based design students Lobke Beckfeld and Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten have developed a handbag or tote that dissolves in water, will biodegrade or can be recycled. The Sonnet155 is made from two post-industrial waste materials: fruit skins left over from juice production and short cellu…
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From shelters to suits, Taiyo Kogyo meets pandemic needs

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Efforts to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue worldwide, with companies developing all kinds of innovative medical protective products to fight COVID-19.
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Swiss scientists explore the benefits of robotically ‘knitted’ roads

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are investigating how roads could be more easily reinforced and then recycled after use, using robotics and string.
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Bring Back the Trades scholarship program supports a new generation

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Even in times of higher unemployment, specialty fabrics businesses can struggle to find skilled workers. Steve Turner, owner of Turner Upholstery, an automobile upholsterer based in Rye, N.H., has faced that struggle, and in 2018 he decided to do something about it.
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Mask mandates reduced COVID-19 in about two-thirds of U.S. states

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

An analysis from Texas Tech University’s Department of Environmental Toxicology has affirmed the benefits of mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Portable solar ‘clouds’ designed for remote locations

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

An architecture and planning studio based in the U.K. has proposed an “ephemeral station” that could provide remote communities and other locations with energy, water and shelter. The project by OF. Studio, designed for the state of Nevada, takes its inspiration from the banyan tree and hot air …
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Pressure-sensing cap for a better fitting helmet

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

Helmets are designed to protect athletes in many sports from head injuries, but a helmet that doesn’t fit properly could leave the athlete vulnerable to traumatic brain injury. To mitigate this danger, researchers at Western Michigan University have developed a pressure-sensing cap, worn under the…
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Engineers make a self-cooling fabric from polyethylene

June 1, 2021  |  Swatches

In considering materials that could become the fabrics of the future, helping humans adapt to climate change, scientists have largely dismissed one widely available option: polyethylene. This thin and lightweight material, commonly used in plastic grocery bags, could keep a person cooler than most t…
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