Flocus
id card
Non-wovens are 50-80% kapok + 50-20% of some other fiber, while yarns stand at 20-40% kapok + with the other fiber making up the rest
composition
Cellulose
building blocks
Organic
material origin
Non-woven, Woven, Yarn
shape
9 – actual system proven in operational environment
TRL
Flocus is a textile material five times lighter than cotton, derived directly from - and gifted by - the lovely kapok trees. It's a natural, gentle, non-food alternative product requiring very little processing, whilst offering unique textures and maximum sustainability.
"New responsible fibre for the fashion industry."
Properties
First of all, it's soft. Flocus has very short fibres which allow it to reflect that way - and the fiber itself is 70% hollow, adding to the following:
Higher durability than cotton.
Great sweat management.
Bouncey - your Flocus-filled teddy bear won't deflate after a wash, and in fact - it'll only come out even more vigorous.
Natural wax layer (if removed, dyes are an open option, but the water absorption would increase - though still stay at 50% compared to cotton)
Kills 99% of bacteria, antimite.
Can blend with other fibers, for example organic cotton, wool, recycled polyester..!
Cyclability
100% recyclable. 100% biodegradable.
When raw it degrades in the soil spontaneously turning into a natural fertilizer. The fact that kapok has such a positive impact makes it the ideal product not to be recycled, because the process to recycle it will consume much more energy in the end rather than the simple use of a new fiber.
Did you know that for every Kilo of kapok fiber the kapok tree absorbs about 5.09/kg of carbon?!
APPLICATIONS
Fiber and non-woven stuffing, textiles and yarn, hygiene, construction, automotive, oil absorption, packaging, medicals, composites/pressed materials - just to name a few.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Lining
Insulation
Cushioning
Footbed
Knit
Production process
The "cotton tree" grows in Indonesia, where it's of the best quality because of the specific rain climate.
Flocus buys the fruit from the farmers and then processes it in their own facility in Indonesia. In the production process there are no pesticides nor fertilizers involved.
Manufacturing facts
Even though the kapok harvest happens only once per year, their supplies never run short - they are, after all, the first ones who took notice of all the magic properties of this particular "fruit"!.
production time
Facility in Indonesia.
"We invite the supply chain to work with us so that, together, we can facilitate closed loop manufacturing at best, or circularity at least, of products made using FLOCUS™ materials."
the factory
Behind the screen
Flocus, a range of kapok textile materials.
products
Jeroen Muijsers and Sara Cicognani
founders
2016
Enschede, Netherlands
time & place
Designer Andrea Ramos - Printed Flocus fabrics / Designer Huong Nguyen - Fashion exhibition at the Fashion for Good museum in Amsterdam / Tearfil x Flocus
partnerships
CERTIFICATIONS
"Kapok fibre is organic by default, and therefore requires no certification. However, its supply chain partners include spinners, weavers and other organizations which blend kapok with other fibres - and their processes operate under globally recognized certifications such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Global Recycle Standard (GRS)."