Point6 Turns Up Sustainability With Plasma Clean
August 6, 2018
Merino wool is justly celebrated as a natural fiber. Sheep + Grass + Sunshine = Wool, right?
Ah, but there's a dirty secret between that merino sheep and the sock you pull on your feet - the washing process during manufacture.
Other companies use a wash process that is heavy on the chlorine, producing toxic runoff. Point6 has partnered with Naturetexx to use a GOTS, IVN, OEKO-TEX® and bluesign-approved process called Plasma clean, which uses only renewable energy and air to permanently alter the wool fibers to make merino wool fabric machine washable.
This completely different environment-centered approach makes fabric resistant to shrinking, felting and peeling, and completely removes dangerous chemicals from the merino wool treatment process. And we're the only merino sock company doing it.
THE PROCESS
A plasma field is generated by discharging a voltage between two electrodes in a special machine. Carefully prepared wool passes through the plasma field where electrons and ions in the plasma interact with the wool fibre. They alter the friction profile of the fibre surface, removing the normal felting effect of untreated wool. The wool is then spun into a thread that can be used for knitting or weaving.
WHAT IS PLASMA?
Plasma is a different state of matter, where a gas has been energized at fundamental level by the input of heat or electricity. Gas atoms are ionized within the plasma and electrons are freed up transforming the gas into a more reactive state. Plasma occurs naturally in the sun, in lighting strikes and in the aurora. Artificial plasma is harnessed in fluorescent bulbs, flat screen TVs and in industrial applications, such as applying coatings.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Wool fibres are not damaged by the treatment and retain their normal properties
- The treatment is permanent and will never wear off
- Normal strength
- Good pilling resistance
- Improved moisture absorbency
