Textile Insight

synthetic leather derivatives. According to Reuther, the goals of Phase II are similar to the first, to demonstrate that synthetic leathers can meet the Army's specs, while improving the break-in properties, production sustainability and costs. e approach involves introducing key (diol) monomers into different "syn-leather" components to establish recyclability, self-healing, and degradability. Reuther says, "e synthesis of the diol monomer--UML's 'Secret Sauce'--is simple, efficient, responsive, and can be easily scaled-up industrially and produced domestically within the US market." Once synthesized, the monomer can be introduced into resin formulations of PU (typically consisting of polyols, catalysts, foaming agents, etc.) to impart sustainable properties into the material. e recyclability and degradability are fully controlled by the dynamic bond integrated into the system. Reuther explains, "is leads the PUs to be classified as a unique, emerging class of materials called 'PU-vitrimers' which can then be reprocessed aer curing, via compression molding or extrusion, to form new materials without degradation for reuse." According to Reuther, the process of creating the new materials can be easily adapted through traditional manufacturing procedures, without requiring a major investment in new equipment. He says, "One of the key benefits of our designed chemistry is that our 'vitrimers' are considered 'drop-in' monomer alternatives. ey are compatible with any (or most) PU synthesis applications, and don't require changes to existing commercial infrastructures." e new material also enables self-healing capabilities that can repair cracks and damages in the outsole material. Reuther adds, "Enabled by the dynamic bonds we introduce into the materials, the damaged areas can be repaired using heat. Similarly, the dynamic bonds can be exchanged at higher temperatures to impart flowability and reprocessing qualities, using techniques otherwise impossible for PU thermosets." Reuther says the team's short-term goal is to fully characterize the materials as prepared, and attempt a variety of different recycling procedures (i.e. compression molding, twin-screw extrusion, 3-D printing); and upcycling processes (i.e. reintegration into PU resins, re-crosslinking, 3-D printing) to demonstrate new end-of-life applications. Ultimately, the team hopes to expand the scope of the chemistry into other PU applications beyond combat boots, for new end- use products. "e true impact of our work will not be realized until we understand which PU applications our technology will impact the most, and what our client base may be," states Reuther. "Footwear and furniture represent two markets with the highest potential, due to the environmental challenges and disposal similarities of both industries." n T h rough joint strategies with American Universities, A d v a n c e d Fu n c t i o n a l Fabrics of America's (AFFOA) Fabric Discovery Centers (FDCs) serve as start-up incubation space, and provide workforce development activities necessary for the true advancement of innovative functional fabrics. "AFFOA's mission is to revitalize textiles in the U.S. through innovation," explains Sasha Stolyarov, AFFOA's CEO. "This relies heavily on a domestic end-to-end U.S. innovation ecosystem with active regional nodes. AFFOA established its FDCs to focus its mission in regions with hotbeds of advanced fiber and fabric innovations." AFFOA currently has four Fabric Discovery Centers: 1) AFFOA's Fabric Discovery Center (FDC) Headquarters, located in Cambridge, MA; 2) MIT's Defense Fabric Discovery Center (DFDC) and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), located in MIT's Lincoln Laboratory; 3) Drexel University's Center for Functional Fabrics in Philadelphia, PA; and 4) UMASS Lowell's (UML) FDC. " The FDCs provide advanced R&D for exceptional prototyping to create new manufacturing expertise and processes, along with critical engineering to support both the Department of Defense (DoD) and potential future commercial needs. Funded through partnerships among federal and state governments, along with its participating textile universities, AFFOA's FDCs create a network to connect, share, and advance textile fiber and fabric technologies, and move innovative cutting-edge capabilities forward. Th e U M L F D C s i t e i s t h e only USA location that brings together opportunities from three U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Institutes under one high-tech environment: 1) AFFOA; 2) Nextflex (a group devoted to manufacturing advancements in 'Flexible Hybrid Electronics'); and 3) ARM (Advanced Robotics Manufacturing). UML's FDC is responsible for driving research in both product- and process-developments to launch automated-manufacturing for the advanced commercialization of functional fabrics. "Lowell has a rich history of textile and technology development," notes Stolyarov, and the UMass Lowell FDC has continued to do great work to ensure this history continues through R&D, education, and workforce development." Besides impacting the USA's regional/national economies and national security, UML's FDC serves to provide the next-generation employees for wearable electronics and medical textile technologies. UML's FDC assists both academic and industry researchers by transforming product concepts into functional prototypes for other industries. n SPOTLIGHT ON AFFOA'S FABRIC DISCOVERY CENTER AT UMASS LOWELL textileinsight.com Winter 2025 ~ Textile Insight • 31

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