PrimaLoft

Key takeaways

PrimaLoft belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PrimaLoft to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PrimaLoft from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PrimaLoft is a brand of patented synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material that was developed for the United States Army in the 1980s. PrimaLoft is a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., the brand's parent company. PrimaLoft synthetic insulation is used in winter clothing, outerwear, gloves, sleeping bags, and footwear. It is also used as a down alternative in pillows, comforters, and mattress toppers.

History

In 1983 the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Natick, MA approached PrimaLoft's former parent company Albany International Corp., a global advanced textile and material processing company, to develop a water resistant synthetic alternative to goose down for use in military sleeping bags and clothing systems in variable environmental conditions. The U.S. Army was primarily interested in a synthetic insulation that would be comparable to goose down in weight, compressibility, and warmth, but also retain heat while in the presence of moisture. In 1985, United States Patent 4,588,635 for "synthetic down" was filed and ultimately approved in May 1986. This original non-woven insulation would eventually be renamed as PrimaLoft ONE. PrimaLoft was then established as a business subsidiary of Albany International Corp. in 1988 for commercialization. In 1989, the first commercially available PrimaLoft insulated garment was manufactured by L.L.Bean. A 1990 New York Times article titled "Outdoor Wear: Sorting Out the Choices" featured statements by Edward Howell, then L.L. Bean's director of product development, describing PrimaLoft insulation as a high-loft synthetic alternative to down with similar performance dry, but superior performance wet. Since then, PrimaLoft has gone on to become a major supplier of high performance, technical insulation for the outdoor industry. In 2007, PrimaLoft introduced a product extension of yarn. The yarn is 100% polyester or a blend of 45% polyester fibers and 55% merino wool, and is used in socks, sweaters, base layers, and accessories intended mainly for outdoor wear. In 2010, PrimaLoft was the first maker of branded insulation to be recognized for compliance with the Bluesign system for sustainable textile production. In 2015, PrimaLoft was the largest global supplier of bluesign approved insulation. On June 29, 2012, PrimaLoft, Inc. completed the acquisition of the assets of PrimaLoft® from former parent Albany International Corp. The company then became a privately held company as a result of the transaction. PrimaLoft, Inc. moved its headquarters to Latham, NY in December 2013. In October, 2017, PrimaLoft, Inc. was acquired by an investor group led by private equity firm Victor Capital Partners, in partnership with Allstate's private equity group.

Thermal performance Wool has traditionally been regarded as a good material to use for cold, wet weather due to its ability to provide insulation when wet. In cold and dry areas, down provides warmth and comfort but it becomes a liability when it gets wet. The design goal of PrimaLoft was to create a fabric that would offer the same level of insulation effectiveness as down, even when wet. The original patent filed for PrimaLoft insulation, known as "Synthetic Down" and filed in May 1986, describes a particular mix of synthetic microfibers and macrofibers that compares favorably to down. It was proven to provide an equally efficient thermal barrier, be of equivalent density, possess similar compressional properties, have improved wetting and drying characteristics, and have superior loft retention when wet. However, down still has a better weight to warmth performance when dry.

Unlike down, synthetic insulation like PrimaLoft is able to retain 96% of its insulating capability when wet by maintaining its loft, and therefore is used in clothing and equipment intended to be used in cold, wet conditions, such as jackets, parkas, gloves, sleeping bags and footwear. The warmth of clothing is influenced by the type of synthetic insulation used and its thickness, with thicker insulation trapping more heat.

Products PrimaLoft first introduced a product containing post-consumer recycled content in 2007, meant for footwear applications. In 2016, PrimaLoft introduced a synthetic insulation product for apparel containing 55% post-consumer recycled content. This application was first used by Patagonia in their Nano Puff line of products. In 2018, PrimaLoft announced three insulation products made from 100% post-consumer recycled content and a synthetic insulation made from biodegradable fibers.

Yarn Products made of PrimaLoft Yarn are available in 100% polyester or a blend of 45% polyester and 55% merino wool, both of which provide high levels of thermal comfort and moisture management for the end user. PrimaLoft was introduced into new yarn product segments as follows:

2006: Socks by L.L. Bean 2010: Sweaters by ExOfficio 2011: Base Layer by Adidas Outdoor

Certifications Third party testing and certification of Primaloft includes:

Thermal performance validations at Hohenstein Institute in Bonnigheim, Germany Thermal performance testing at Kansas State University’s textile and apparel research institutions ISO 11092 certification for thermal wet/dry performance Oeko-tex standard 100 environmental evaluation standard bluesign certification for environmental impact Global Recycled Standard for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices and chemical restrictions. ASTM D5511 testing for biodegradable fiber technology

Care Garments made with synthetic insulation like PrimaLoft are generally machine washable in cool to warm water with a mild detergent. Garments can be tumble dried at low temperatures. Using bleach and fabric softener should be avoided. Specific care instructions vary per garment.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PrimaLoft

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PrimaLoft claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PrimaLoft before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PrimaLoft ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PrimaLoft

In research: PrimaLoft appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PrimaLoft in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PrimaLoft is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Brand name materials, Insulators, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PrimaLoft outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study PrimaLoft in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PrimaLoft means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PrimaLoft out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PrimaLoft in simple terms?

PrimaLoft is a brand of patented synthetic microfiber thermal insulation material that was developed for the United States Army in the 1980s. PrimaLoft is a registered trademark of PrimaLoft, Inc., the brand's parent company.

Why does PrimaLoft matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PrimaLoft?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PrimaLoft.