NeoCon 2013: Biobased Xorel high-performance textile earns Innovation Award

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by Brianna Crandall — July 8, 2013—Biobased Xorel from Carnegie Fabrics is billed as the world’s first biobased high-performance interior textile, offering the same beauty and performance the renowned Xorel brand has delivered for wall and upholstery use for more than 30 years. Biobased Xorel was introduced at the NeoCon 2013 contract furnishings show in Chicago in June, winning an Innovation Award in the Wall Treatments category in the Best of NeoCon Competition.

Seven years in development, this breakthrough technology enables Carnegie Fabrics to offer a true plant-based product with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. While the U.S. government only requires 25 percent biobased content to carry a biobased label, Biobased Xorel contains a remarkable bio content of between 60 and 85 percent, and has been completely vetted through third-party certifications, says Carnegie Fabrics.

Of interest to facilities managers, the Xorel brand has reportedly proven its inherent strength, durability and ease of cleaning through decades of installations around the globe, whether in offices, hotels, healthcare or other creative settings. According to the company, Xorel is highly durable; can be aggressively cleaned on the wall; is colorfast and impervious to many stains; is antibacterial, not supporting the growth of bacteria; and offers a seven-year performance warranty.

The first launch of Biobased Xorel offers six designs in 91 colorways. Three classic Xorel patterns, Strie, Nexus and Dash, are now offered in fresh new color lines and only plant-based content.

Biobased Xorel can also achieve points in multiple categories under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Commercial Interiors. The product’s raw material is rapidly renewable sugar cane, and a byproduct of sugar cane production creates significant bio-electricity, says the company. The textile’s weaving production is reportedly run under 100 percent renewable energy, and the company’s Responsible Return Program ensures that the product will be recycled or used for energy production at the end of its useful life.