A Military-Grade Material created from Chicken feathers, WITH THE LOOK AND FEEL OF FINE WOOL
KERTEX is a next generation, high-strength bio-fabric. Taking its name from ‘Keratin’ and ‘Textiles,’ KERTEX is created from the fibrous Keratin protein that is among the toughest natural bio-polymers. Keratin is rugged and abundant, found in robust structures like hooves and horns of animals. We extract Keratin from waste chicken feathers and convert it to fibers to be woven into KERTEX.
While synthetic and natural fibers come with a range of limitations and drawbacks, Keratin offers a next-generation alternative. KERTEX is our step into the future of advanced fabrics.
The World of KeRTEX
Keratin Proteins
The beta-keratin (β-keratin) used in KERTEX is a member of the structural protein family, found in the scales, beaks, claws and feathers of birds, like chickens.
Natural & Synthetic Textiles
Global consumption of natural and synthetic fibers is estimated at nearly 70 million tons annually.
KERTEX Applications
KERTEX is being developed for the U.S. Army, to meet high-wear specifications for defense applications in straps, apparel, vehicle seat belts, covers, and more
News & Updates
Gallery
Claws, beaks, and feathers in birds are predominantly made of keratin, granting these appendages strength and sharpness for activities like hunting, flight, and defense.
Eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls are all considered raptors. A raptor’s talons have a hard covering of keratin that protects the bone underneath.
Polar bears have hair made from keratin, which provide insulation and UV protection properties.
Cotton is a natural plant-based fiber, but is constrained by seasonality and water resources.
Global consumption of natural and synthetic fibers is estimated at nearly 70 million tons annually, for use not just in clothing but also in carpets, vehicles, construction materials, and a host of other everyday applications.
Supported by the U.S. Army, KERTEX fabrics are being developed to meet the Army’s high-wear military specifications for defense applications such as straps, apparel, vehicle seat covers and seat belts, and much more.
KERTEX delivers cost-effective sustainability and better fabric performance in safety, fit, form, and function for textiles across a range of military applications.
The basic purpose of a loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads.
A RUGGED REVOLUTION
Global consumption of natural and synthetic fibers is estimated to be nearly 70 million tons annually, and these fibers are used in clothing, carpets, vehicles, construction materials, and various other everyday applications. However, each come with their drawbacks, such as natural fibers’ constraints in growing seasons and strength, and petroleum-based materials’ manufacturing costs.
KERTEX is a rugged, bio-based fabric that will reduce global reliance on synthetic materials while mitigating the drawbacks associated with many natural fibers.
KERTEX is made from a globally available, year-round waste product: chicken feathers. Each year, the U.S. produces more than 1.2 million metric tons of waste feathers, which contain the keratin bio-polymer foundation of KERTEX.
KERTEX is produced with advanced, AI-informed chemistry.
KERTEX ADVANTAGES
Availability
Each year, the U.S. poultry industry generates more than 1.2 million metric tons of waste chicken feathers, an ample and sustainable supply of raw material byproduct for KERTEX production.
No Seasonality
Other plant- and animal-based fibers are constrained by the seasonality of growing, harvest, and development seasons. KERTEX takes advantage of year-round raw material supply.
Made in America
Utilizing American resources and creating American jobs, to deliver a next-gen material technology to the U.S. armed forces for a wide range of ruged applications.
Our Address
828 Fort Street Mall Ste. 600, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96825