Wool is the New Cool

April 13, 2007 - Burlington WorldWide (BWW) has added wool to its cocona? fabric line utilizing TrapTek LLC's cocona activated carbon technology to offer evaporative cooling, ultraviolet (UV) protection and odor management.

Cocona, TrapTek's patented innovative technology that incorporates activated carbon derived from recycled coconut shells into fibers and yarns, has received accolades as a natural, sustainable technology that provides evaporative cooling and moisture management, and traps odors and UV rays within the activated carbon's pore structure.

Last year, BWW received exclusive rights to develop, license and market woven fabrics using cocona technology, first offering a line of man-made fiber fabrics primarily for activewear, and then adding cotton blends and entering more mainstream markets.

Just recently, it added a collection of wool-blend fabrics to its cocona line, which now includes about 20 man-made, 15 cotton and six to 10 wool styles.

According to Nelson Bebo, vice president of Burlington Labs, BWW's research and development division, BWW has been working with TrapTek for 18 months to two years, and Burlington Labs was instrumental in bringing the cocona technology into commercial yarn and fabric markets.

"TrapTek came up with some pretty interesting intellectual property, but it was just a small company and needed help in commercializing the technology," Bebo said.

The new wool fabrics, offered in a range of weights and constructions, are targeted to the military and service uniform sectors, as well as for business suits, other dress apparel and everyday wear - and even possibly "as an item in a golf collection," Bebo suggested. Some also offer a bit of stretch.

"There's been a lot of innovation lately in wool, whether it be wrinkle-free, washable, stain-repellent or whatever," Bebo said. "Everything is focusing on the technology to drive easier care, better performance. With wool, for example, take the cool suit: How do you make a wool suit more comfortable? You can take cocona yarn, blend it with wool, and get performance benefits including exceptional moisture wicking and evaporation to add comfort - plus you have the sustainability story."
Reprinted in part from www.textileworld.com

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