Luke Haverhals wants to change the way yoga pants are made. Most performance fabrics used in sportswear, like Spandex, are made from synthetic fibers — essentially plastic. Those plastics are problematic for People and the environment. Haverhals company, Welding natural fibers, providing an alternative to synthetic fabrics.
NFW produces a performance cotton fabric called Clarius that can be used for clothing. The fabric is made from cotton that has been treated to partially break down organic matter and make it stronger and thicker. As a result, cotton fibers behave more like synthetics.
When asked if his company is a technology company or a textile company, Haverhals answered without hesitation. “We are a technology company… but our first focus is on textiles.”
Haverhals has a PhD in chemistry and began his teaching career at the Naval Academy in 2008. During that time, he worked with a team of chemists and materials scientists studying ionic liquids. , which is basically molten salt. These salts are usually liquid at room temperature and can be used as solvents to break down biomass, things like cotton and cellulose. In 2009, with funding from the Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research, the team realized a significant breakthrough in strengthening natural fibers using ionic liquids.
The team asked what might happen if they partially disrupted the natural fibers and then soldered or fused them together. The result is a cotton monofilament. While the fibers may initially be only a few centimeters long, the partially dissolved and fused fibers can be much longer. This creates a sturdier yarn that mimics the performance characteristics of synthetic fibers.
In 2016, Haverhals left the Naval Academy and founded NFW with funding from the Department of Defense and an Air Force license to manufacture yarns and fabrics using a process known as “thread welding”. The company has been granted eight patents globally and has 90 patents pending.
Haverhals and NFW have won praise from critics of plastics — and marketing campaigns that claim to have eliminated them. There are more and more concerns about microfiber Synthetic materials such as polyester shed with each turn of the washing machine. Sian Sutherland, founder of A plastic planet, a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate the use of plastic. “This isn’t just about phasing out fossil fuels in the textile industry, it’s more than that, it’s about toxins.”
NFW has attracted a number of big-name investors, including Ralph Lauren, BMW carby iVentures, and Allbirds. In July, the company said it had raised $15 million from private investors, bringing the total to $45 million. Some of that money was used to expand the plant in Peoria, Illinois, which is now working to scale production to hundreds of thousands of square feet of Clarius per month. In September, NFW announced a partnership with Patagonia to include Clarus yarn in some of the brand’s new products. Haverhals said hundreds of brands are lining up to buy the company’s textiles for their own products. He said the NFW will provide standardized products to manufacturers and work with brands hoping to develop specialized textiles.
Mirum, another product line from NFW, is a plant-based alternative to skin. It’s made of things like coconut shell, natural rubber or cork and treated or strengthened, using patented chemicals with no petrochemical additives. This distinguishes Mirum from other synthetics that rely on harsh chemical treatments to achieve the desired consistency or feel. The company introduces it as a substitute for leather in products such as car interiors and footwear. Allbirds plans to start selling shoes do with Mirum soon.
Kasper Sage, managing partner at BMW’s venture arm iVentures, says NFW is very promising because its products are high quality and sustainable, and the technology is scalable, which makes it very important to car manufacturers. “This is the only company we found… trying to solve this problem, with the potential for real success in the serious auto industry,” says Sage.
