Milkweed’s natural properties inspire new insulation material
A Canadian developer of plant-based textiles, Vegeto, has brought to market a new insulation material that it says will perform well in products such as jackets, gloves and sleeping bags.
Conceived and produced in Canada, the new material is a non-woven laminated textile insulation made from a mix of milkweed and kapok fibres, and a biopolymer derived from corn starch.
Independent tests carried out by Canadian research body CTT Group analysed the thermal properties of the insulation material at weights ranging from 100 to 250 grammes per square-metre. These tests calculated thermal insulation of the samples at CLO values ranging from 2.5 to 4.5.
At the time of the launch, Vegeto general manager, Ghyslain Bouchard, said the tubular form of milkweed fibre makes it “excellent thermal insulation material”. The hollow part of the fibre stores air and maintains temperature and this natural characteristic inspired the company to create the new product.
“I’ve always said that milkweed was the fibre of the future,” Mr Bouchard said. “We persevered. We built the machinery we needed to process the fibre. We always believed in this project, and the high-performance product we have on hand now proves that it was all worthwhile.”
