[ad_1]
Luke Haverhals wants to to change the way yoga pants are made. Most productive fabrics used in sportswear, such as Spandex, are made of synthetic fibers – plastic, in essence. These plastics are problematic for humans and the environment. Haverhals’ company, Natural Fiber Welding, offers an alternative to synthetic fabrics.
NFW produces an efficient cotton fabric called Clarus, which can be used for clothing. The fabric is made of cotton, which is processed to partially break down the organic material and leave it stronger and denser. The result is cotton yarn that behaves more like synthetic fibers.
When asked if his company is a technology or textile company, Haverhals answered without hesitation. “We are a technology company, but our first focus is textiles.”
Haverhals holds a doctorate in chemistry and began his career teaching at the Naval Academy in 2008. While there, he worked with a team of chemists and scientists on materials that study ionic liquids, which are essentially molten salts. These salts usually remain liquid at room temperature and can be used as solvents to degrade biomass, things like cotton and cellulose. In 2009, with funding from the Air Force Research Office, the team made a significant breakthrough in strengthening natural fibers with ionic liquids.
The team asked what could happen if they partially break the natural fibers and then weld or merge them together. The result is a kind of monofilament cotton. While the original fibers may be only a few centimeters long, partially dissolved and melted fibers can be made much longer. This creates a stronger yarn that mimics the performance of synthetic fibers.
In 2016, Haverhals left the Naval Academy and founded the NFW with a grant from the Ministry of Defense and a license from the Air Force for the production of yarn and textiles, using a process that became known as “fiber welding”. The company has received eight patents worldwide and has 90 pending.
Haverhals and NFW have won praise from critics of plastics – and marketing campaigns that say they have eliminated them. There is a growing concern about synthetic plastic microfiber materials, such as polyester, with each turn of the washing machine. “I think he (Luke) is the real deal, and I think there are very few people who are the real deal,” said Sian Sutherland, founder of A Plastic Planet, a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate the use of plastics. . “This is not just about eradicating fossil fuels in the textile industry, but also about toxins.
NFW has attracted a handful of investors with big names, including Ralph Lauren, BMW iVentures and Allbirds. In July, the company said it had raised $ 15 million from private investors, bringing the total to $ 45 million. Some of that money went to expand its plant in Peoria, Illinois, where it is now working to increase production to hundreds of thousands of square feet of Clarus per month. In September, NFW announced a partnership with Patagonia to import Clarus fibers into some of the brand’s new products. Haverhals says hundreds of brands are queuing up to buy the company’s textiles for their own products. He says NFW will provide standardized products to manufacturers and work with brands that hope to develop specialized textiles.
Mirum, another NFW product line, is a plant alternative to leather. It is made from things like coconut shell, natural rubber or cork and is hardened or improved for durability using patented chemicals without petrochemical additives. This distinguishes Mirum from other synthetic products that rely on harsh chemical treatments to achieve the desired consistency or feel. The company presents it as a substitute for leather in products such as car interiors and shoes. Allbirds plans to start selling shoes made with Mirum soon.
Kasper Sage, managing partner in BMW iVentures’ venture capital division, says NFW is promising because its products are high quality and sustainable, and the technology is scalable, which is important for carmakers. “This is the only company we’ve found trying to deal with this problem that has the potential to really become a serious car industry,” Sage said.
[ad_2]
Source link