Page 75 - TEXtalks July-August 2021
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 Recycling of                                  Datacolor adds

 disposable face                               temperature control


 masks for                                     features for color tests

 sustainable future  Datacolor® announced new close-tolerance benchtop spectrophotometers designed for high efficiency and


             confidence in color formulation and quality control. Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions,
             provides software, instruments, and services to ensure accurate materials, products, and images. The world’s
 The Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, SABIC, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) today announced their collabo-  leading brands, manufacturers, and creative professionals have used Datacolor’s innovative solutions to
 ration as part of an innovative pilot project on the circular economy, demonstrating the possibilities of   achieve the right color for more than 50 years consistently.
 returning disposable face masks to the recycling cycle. The billions of uses of disposable face masks to
 protect against the coronavirus poses significant risks to the environment, primarily when the masks are   Datacolor Spectro 1000 is a standard accurate close-tolerance color measurement instrument. Datacolor
 used in public, e.g., B. in parks, at open-air events, or on beaches, are thoughtlessly thrown away.   Spectro 1000V is an ideal machine for measuring unusual sample sizes or types and operations requiring high
             throughput. Datacolor Spectro 1000X has an aperture upward-facing instrument, ideal for liquid, paste, powder,
 In addition to the challenge of finding a sustainable solution for such large quantities of indispensable   and granular samples. Datacolor Spectro 1050 is a flexible measurement in either reflectance
 hygiene articles, the mere disposal of the used masks in landfills or incineration plants means a loss of   or transmittance mode.
 valuable raw material with which new materials can be manufactured.
             The economic Spectro 700V vertical configuration enables customers to measure a greater variety of samples.
 As part of the pilot project, P&G collected used face masks from employees and visitors at its produc-  The Spectro 1000X, with its upward-facing aperture, is ideal for liquid, paste, powder, and granular samples. In
 tion and research sites in Germany. Even if these masks were always disposed of properly, there was   addition, both models allow users to enjoy greater confidence in their color measurements thanks to their ability
 still a lack of recycling them efficiently. In order to show alternative approaches, specially provided   to capture the temperature of samples measured. This is an essential new quality control feature for those who
 collection containers were set up, and the old collected masks were sent to Fraunhofer for further   work with materials within specific temperature ranges to assure accurate color measurement.
 processing in a unique research pyrolysis facility.


                                                                       Alchemy-X shoes
 MIT Media Lab has                                                     made from 90 %



 developed a new                                                       recycled


 knitted keyboard                                                      materials





 Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a knitted musical keyboard.
 Seizing on the observation that most of the world’s keyboards up until this point have been somewhat rigid, the   Alchemy-X, a new collection of Vienna-based   The material is then colored with ecological dyes and
 KnittedKeyboard II seeks to spark a paradigm shift in expectations through an interactive, textile-based musical   footwear startup Effekt Footwear, is made from 90   finished by hand in a family-owned workshop in
 device with the familiar layout of piano keys. Furthermore, the unfamiliar nature of, well, being a piece   percent recycled materials. The recycled materials   Portugal. The sole comprises at least 70 % rubber
 of musical knitwear.   include ocean plastic and waste from the fashion   waste that was destined to end up in a landfill. A
            industry. According to the brand, each pair of trainers is   small percentage of it is made from new rubber to
 A knitted keyboard is, of course, kind of gimmicky. However, that is no bad thing. It is the kind of eye-catching   made with an average of 775 grams of recycled textile   ensure the soles are durable and long-lasting.
 experimentation that can yield interesting results. In this case, it opens up new ways to play discrete notes,   waste, reclaimed rubber, and recovered ocean plastic.   Organic cotton in the stitching, embroidery, and
 effects, and modulations. It is not the first unusual tech-meets-musical instrument project we have seen come   woven tag is the only other new material used. With
 out of MIT, but it is certainly up there with the most interesting.  Textile scraps, offcuts, and other scrap materials from   Alchemy-X, which is available via a Kickstarter, Effekt
            the Portuguese textile industry are recovered before   Footwear aims to help clean up the planet by
 The project reportedly started out intending to be wearable, foldable keyboard for the late American jazz   being sent to landfills. Materials such as cotton are   upcycling waste into raw material, allowing customers
 musician Lyle Mays to use for composing on the road. The keyboard has been developed using conductive   then broken down and spun back into new yarn for   to create a positive impact and reduce their carbon
 inks, piezoelectric materials, and a knitted polyester as a base.   the trainers.   footprint.

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