Material World: On Makes Midsoles from Captured Carbon, and CovationBio Launches Stretch Sorona Fiber Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas that are reshaping the materials sector.
It covers the latest developments in how fashion is designed, engineered, and scaled—from emerging biomaterials and next-generation leathers to engineered fibers and sustainable alternatives
On On Holding AG is introducing a midsole made of captured carbon emissions. The brand’s CleanCloud midsole swaps the typical fossil fuel inputs for ethylene made from captured carbon. More from WWD Infinium’s eNaphtha is made from captured carbon dioxide and hydrogen, creating a renewable alternative to the crude oil-based petroleum naptha.
The eNaptha is then used by Borouge International as an input to create the pellets for the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) midsole. On noted that the midsole is identical in performance to a conventional EVA foam, with the same molecular weight, polymer chain length and melting point between the two. “Infinium was founded on the belief that carbon isn’t simply a waste product—it’s a valuable feedstock,” said Robert Schuetzle, CEO of Infinium. “Seeing captured carbon transformed into a product worn by people around the world demonstrates what’s possible when sustainable chemistry scales through existing industrial infrastructure.” A life cycle assessment on the foam conducted by CarbonMinds and evaluated by TÜV indicates an 80 percent carbon emissions savings compared to conventional manufacturing. The CleanCloud technology is rolling out in On’s Cloud X 5 sneaker, which debuted July 16.