DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Thindown by NIPI have announced a collaboration to create a new category of blended down insulated fabric.
The partnership will combine DuPont Sorona fibres and Thindown to enhance the warmth, comfort and design flexibility of insulation. Thindown is a down fabric, which offers the coveted benefits of a versatile material.
As the company looks to elevate its performance attributes and sustainable ingredients, it has partnered with DuPont Industrial Biosciences’ using its Sorona fibre – a high-performance fibre made from renewable plant-based ingredients.
The two brands are exploring new developments to seamlessly combine the softness, drape and stretch recovery of Sorona fibres and down, utilising the proprietary process from Thindown. The blend of Sorona fibres and Thindown is designed to eliminate several drawbacks associated with the use of traditional down filling.
The combination can reduce cold spots with a single sheet of fabric versus quilted sections, delivering greater warmth and breathability, while simultaneously adding drape and stretch for greater movement, according to DuPont. Additionally, with the use of bio-based Sorona fibres, the collaboration yields a more sustainable insulated material option versus traditional down, which comes from animal plumage, or nylon, which requires 40% more energy to produce.
