TMC Ltd’s Herculan converts carpet wool into performance fabric

TMC, the New Zealand-based owner of Nuyarn spinning technology, is releasing Herculan, a wool blend with exceptional durability and sustainability for the apparel industry.

Herculan is a patented technology that was developed by modifying TMC’s proprietary Nuyarn spinning machinery to handle strong wool – the coarsest and most durable grade of wool fiber at over 38 microns – after more than three years of R&D. Historically, this wool was solely used for flooring and upholstery, and it had a poor market value. In recent years, processing, packaging, and shipping have been prohibitively expensive, so therefore discarded into landfills.

According to the International Wool Textile Organization (IWTO), coarse wool accounts for between 40 and 50 percent of global wool yield. These coarse long wool fibers are drafted around a performance filament with TMC’s unique technology, creating an exceptionally fine yarn – Herculan – that outlasts some of the industry’s leading synthetic fabrics in the Martindale abrasion tests pound for pound.

Herculan opens the door for wool to be used in high abrasion and high impact zones in apparel such as socks, footwear, gloves, pants, jackets, and many more possible applications due to its unique durability and performance benefits. Herculan provides much better performance and comfort benefits than both natural twisted wool textiles and synthetic fiber – effective moisture management and faster dry times, higher volume, aeration, elasticity, and thermal retention – in addition to its remarkable durability. It’s also non-reflective, quiet, and odor-resistant by nature.

Herculan’s yarn is made by drafting carpet wool around a performance thread without twisting or fraying, similar to Nuyarn.

TMC CEO, Andy Wynne, said that they’re tremendously delighted to be presenting Herculan. It’s the first of its kind on the market, and it satisfies consumer demands for more sustainable and durable natural fibers in their clothing while also opening up new market opportunities for performance and technical apparel businesses.

Wynne added that everyone thought they were insane when they first started working to transfer carpet wool into the textile industry because it had never been done before. But since they had a vision and were committed, their team was able to find a solution. The results speak for themselves in terms of durability, performance, and comfort. Sustainable manufacturing processes like Herculan, which take advantage of materials that are often discarded, simplify supply chains and encourage end-users to waste less by creating natural fiber garments that last longer and have performance comfort benefits, simplify supply chains and encourage end-users to waste less by making natural fiber garments that last longer and have performance comfort benefits. Herculan is a one-of-a-kind hero. They converted an underutilized and overabundant natural fiber into a durable yarn that can fulfill abrasion demands that only synthetic fibers could previously meet, all while enhancing the natural performance benefits of wool.