Polartec, the premium provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialisation of spider silk, plan to jointly introduce fabrics made from spider silk. Initially developed for specialised military applications, these first-of-their-kind materials made from recombinant spider silk will eventually service the global market for high performance textiles and apparel.
Kraig possesses the exclusive right to use patented spider silk gene sequences in silkworms, which is the first way to mass produce these fibers cost effectively and responsibly. These fully renewable, biodegradable and biocompatible ‘super fibers’ are thin, lightweight, flexible, resilient, extraordinarily strong, and display strength-to-weight ratios more comparable to aramid fibers than other current performance fibers. In apparel applications, the possibilities of recombinant spider silks are particularly exciting, realiaing unprecedented combinations of physical properties such as luxurious feel and breathable comfort with top durability.
In joint development since 2016, Polartec and Kraig are applying the performance characteristics of spider silk into yarns for military-grade textiles. This project combines two of Polartec’s most important innovation missions: providing best-in-class textiles to our Nation’s military personnel, and its investment in a fully biodegradable product line.
