Materials tech has come a long way. Think kevlar, lycra and foam- all complex textile materials that are integrated into everyday items.
The dynamic field of textile science encompasses fibers, dyes and production methods.
The next generation of textile product innovation lies in phase change textiles. These contain materials that react immediately with changes in the environment such as temperature.
Whilst these features are commonplace in activewear products nowadays, one company is developing their proprietary textile for another industry.
Performance chemicals provider, Alexium (ASX: AJX) creates phase change thermal management and flame retardant materials. Their products are developed for and used across workwear, bedding products and now, military gear.
The Company has just launched a commercial product specifically for defence called Eclipsys. The textile is a thermal management material that removes heat from the wearer. Body armor is known to increase the thermal stress of the wearer which can hinder performance.
Alexium has linked up with Premier Body Armor in the US to manufacture body armor systems with Eclipsys material.
Body armor is a seriously lucrative industry, with an addressable market of over USD $25 million per year.
One of Alexium’s twenty five patent applications is for Eclipsys technology which allows for a reduction in thermal burden of the wearer by drawing heat away twice as fast as a standard body armor vest.
The textile’s main point of difference to other similar materials is that it can be integrated into body armor design with negligible design changes and weight addition.
CEO of Premier Body Armor, Frank Stewart said: “Our field trials have been overwhelmingly positive with many law enforcement individuals stating that the technology not only provided a cooler environment, but also provided enhanced recovery time and diminished fatigue levels. We are excited to bring a technology to market with our customer base that has been sought for a long time.”
The products will be formally launched on Premier Body Armor’s website in the coming weeks and will leverage their strong online presence to drive sales.
Samantha Freidin is a business journalist at Emerald Financial whilst also completing a Masters of Marketing and Digital Communications at Monash University.
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