To understand wicking, breathability, and really anything related to thermal regulation in clothing, we first need to understand how our bodies regulate temperature. Humans are homeothermic …
DWR Coating
Durable water repellent, or DWR, refers to a coating applied to a fabric that makes it water-resistant, or hydrophobic. Gore-Tex is an example of this type of coating. The purpose of a water repellent …
Abrasion Resistance
Abrasion refers to the mechanical process of moving one material along the surface of another, potentially resulting in degradation. Abrasion resistance therefore refers to the ability of a material …
Performance Fabrics
Textiles are one of the most fascinating and expansive families of materials in the arena of designed products. Though their conformity properties are unmatched by other material families—whether it …
Monomaterial
One critical consideration of designing for recyclability is the selection and organization of materials within a product. Since, at the end of a product’s life, materials need to be sorted …
Designed for Recycling
When a product, material, or substrate is sent to a recycling facility, it must be categorized accordingly so that it can be properly recycled. Recycling methods vary from metals to plastics, from …
De-inking
De-inking refers to the process by which ink is removed from a core waste material to produce de-inked virgin material. In addition to the well-established processes (such as “flotation de-inking", …
Upcycling
Upcycling refers to the creation of new material value from waste through reuse, regeneration, recycling, and/or repurposing. Therefore, “upcycling” has become a popular industry term to market …
Mechanical, Chemical, and Enzymatic Recycling
Historically, there have been two dominant methods for recycling plastic waste, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling refers to the process by which waste material is …
Continue about Mechanical, Chemical, and Enzymatic Recycling →
Post-Industrial vs. Post-Consumer Recycled
Recall that “recycling” refers to the conversion of waste into new materials and products. This recycled material, or converted waste, is typically categorized into post-consumer recycled content and …
Food Loss vs. Food Waste
In this series, Jennifer Gumpert, our VP of Business Development and Operations, walks us through material terms and concepts that are used frequently, but not always understood. This week: food loss …
3D Food Printing
In this series, Jennifer Gumpert, our VP of Business Development and Operations, walks us through material terms and concepts that are used frequently, but not always understood. This week: 3D food …
