DuPont Industrial Biosciences (DuPont) has announced a collaboration with Unifi to create high-performance, renewably sourced garment insulation, offering leading apparel brands a new sustainable choice for cold-weather products.

This partnership brings together two leaders in the materials segment, combining DuPont Sorona polymer and Unifi Repreve to produce cold-weather apparel insulation that is soft and durable, with excellent shape retention.

“The combination of Sorona and Repreve provides brands the opportunity to use a high-performance, durable insulation that dries quickly and keeps its shape even after washing,” said Michael Saltzberg, global business director for Biomaterials at DuPont. “The new insulation’s unique warmth and durability will bring customers streamlined outerwear, made from eco-friendly materials, while maintaining maximum warmth and breathability.”

Sustainable materials option

DuPont Sorona is made from 37% renewable plant-based ingredients, using 30% less energy with 63% fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to Nylon 6. The exceptional softness, inherent stain resistance and durability of Sorona offers customers in a wide range of industries a more sustainable, high-performance materials option, the company reports.

Repreve is a high-quality fibre containing recycled materials, including plastic water bottles. Unifi’s proprietary process turns plastic bottles into certified fibre, which is then used in thousands of different fabrics and products available globally.

“This collaboration will give customers the freedom to choose a new type of garment insulation – one that is better for the environment without compromising performance,” said Ning Hongjun, president, Unifi Asia Pacific. “With our expertise in recycled polyester staple fibre and DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ industry-leading Sorona, we look forward to seeing this breakthrough technology be widely adopted by leading brands.”

Heritage and innovation

Unifi has a 45-year heritage as a textile solution provider. The company continues to build on its success by expanding its offering of branded recycled performance fibres that provide functional benefits, added comfort and aesthetic advantages. Unifi spent more than three years developing Repreve with quality and performance as the primary goal – and recycled as the added benefit.

DuPont has a deep history in the textiles market, with inventions that include fibres such as nylon, Lycra, Kevlar and rayon. More recently, in addition to Sorona, DuPont’s biomaterials group has focused its innovations on creating other high-performing, sustainably sourced materials.

www.dupont.com

www.unifi.com