Quantum Light Brings Quantum Dot Pigments to Denim
Color denim is entering a new realm.
Bangladeshi denim manufacturer NZ Denim , a division of NZ Tex Group, will introduce red denim fabric made with Quantum Light's proprietary Quantum Red pigment at Kingpins New York this week.
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Compared to conventional pigments that reflect light, Quantum Light's pigments absorb and emit light with extraordinary color purity and optical intensity. The advance materials company develops photonic pigments based on quantum dot technology. Quantum dots are crystalline semiconductor particles roughly 60 million times smaller than a tennis ball, typically featuring a core-shell structure. Their unique optical properties enable pigment manufacturers to manipulate light and color for applications across plastics, coatings, textiles and other design-driven products.
For denim, the result is a red unlike anything achievable with traditional textile pigments. The color, which is applied as a coating , is purer and more vibrant.
Quantum Light developed the Quantum Red denim with NZ Denim. Olga Alexopoulou, CEO of Quantum Light, said Najam Saqib, the chief of research and development of NZ Tex Group, reached out after learning about the inventions. Though samples were held up due to a fire at the Dhaka Airport last year, the partners were eventually able to move forward and execute Quantum Red as a coating.
"NZ Tex Group has a rare advantage which is a full fledged R&D laboratory pointed for innovation. Our advanced nanotechnology was in good hands and the results have turned a denim fabric into an active photonic platform," Alexopoulou told SJ DEnim.
The fabric is a comfort construction made with 98 percent cotton and 2 percent spandex. The development is ready to scale and can be applied to alternative fabric constructions. Alexopoulou said the crocking and lightfastness results are within industry requirements. The partners are in the process of applying further wash developments.
This is Quantum Light's first collaboration with a textile maker. The company's first product, a 3D printing filament, launched in April and sold out.
"There are more applications coming out as we continue to explore how advanced color engineering can be applied into real-world materials, colors, pigments and design applications," Alexopoulou said.
Earlier this month, Quantum Light announced the company raised an additional $1.1 million pre-seed extension, bringing its total funding to $2.1 million. The new capital will help accelerates the development, sampling, testing and validation of the quantum pigment technology across real-world materials and product applications.
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