Tidal Vision
(Source: Tidal Vision)
Tidal-Tex is a product line of water-based textile treatment solutions that are formulated with a non-toxic, abundant, and biodegradable biopolymer called chitosan. To make switching convenient, it is customized to be a “drop-in” product that is usable in textile manufacturers’ existing infrastructure. Tidal Vision, Bellingham, WA/USA, sources, extracts, and processes chitosan from crab and shrimp shells, byproducts of the seafood industry that would otherwise be discarded.
Vertically integrated chitosan solution manufacturer Tidal Vision has formed a new partnership with Leigh Fibers, Wellford, SC/USA, an international manufacturer of engineered fiber solutions. Both companies produce sustainable solutions by upcycling byproducts that would otherwise end up in landfills, and through vertical integration provide high performance products out of what was previously considered waste.
The opening of Tidal Vision’s new 24,000 sq. ft (2,200 m²) facility within Leigh Fiber’s 1,000,000 sq. ft (92,900 m²) headquarters delivers Tidal-Tex chitosan solutions at a lower cost than the traditionally used synthetic chemical textile treatments.
Tidal-Tex can be applied to textiles through a simple dip, spray or coating application where curing is as easy as drying, or removing the water, and leaving behind the desired performance benefits. Tidal Vision formulates different variations of the product to provide biostatic, fire retardant, or anti-odor properties to textiles.