When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D print patient-specific models, more acc
Fur is the hot fashion for the upcoming cold winter season. Fake fur, that is. And it’s more exotic, realistic, durable — and even profitable — than ever before thanks to advances in polymer chemistry and manufacturing processes.
Melissa Magsaysay of the Los Angeles Times reports that “stores and online sites, including high-end designer brands and mass-market retailers, are full of garments with materials that look like mink, cheetah or beaver.”
Aislinn Sarnacki for the Bangor Daily News writes that “today, the finest faux pelts are difficult to distinguish from the natural furs it imitates, save for the fact that much of it is dyed hot pink and electric blue.”
Magsaysay adds that faux fur is not just a fad that “could please fur-coveting consumers and possibly assuage a few concerns of animal rights activists.” Although faux fur is usually significantly less expensive than real fur, the faux fur business is making money. According to the Los Angeles Times:
At the wholesale level, sales of fake fur reached $250 million in the United States last year and those sales are expected to increase by 30% over the next two years, according to Pell Research, a Washington, D.C., firm that identifies new markets and trends for major companies.
“The fur trend in the U.S. is fake,” Amy Lechner, an analyst with Pell Research, told Magsaysay. “The stigma of fake fur is rapidly decreasing.”
Some tailors and consumers prefer working with and wearing synthetic fur instead of natural fur. According to the Bangor Daily News:
[Faux fur is] more durable, lightweight and highly resistant to sunlight, heat, soot, smoke, mildew and insect attacks. Faux fur can be dyed almost any shade and comes in a variety of textures. It dries quickly.
Sarnacki explains the materials science that is responsible for those textile properties:
Most recently, polymer producers found that acrylic polymers can be made even more furlike — and fire resistant — by mixing them with other polymers, creating new fabrics called modacrylics. Naturally occurring fabrics such as silk, wood and mohair are used to improve the look and feel of material, while silicone and resins are used to improve the material’s luster.
People have been attempting to imitate animal pelts for decades, Sarnacki explains. The earliest faux furs were attempted with alpaca hair, which resulted in bland colors that really didn’t resemble natural fur at all. The first “true” fake fur came in the 1930s. It was made of nylon fibers and has debuted to decorate pilot jackets and cold weather attire during the World War II before becoming trendy for civilian women’s clothing. Faux fur became very popular in the 1950s when producers made the switch to acrylic polymer.
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