Cieba pentandra in its natural jungle environment.
In 1997 Philip Curry began researching alternate methods to PVC foam which was the standard material used to build PFD’s at that time. One of the major results of this research was the modern use of Kapok, an organic fiber that has some incredible benefits to the world of buoyancy. During a brief interview I was able to catch up with Philip between R&D sessions to discuss the use of Kapok at Astral:
Bryan Owen (BO): “Philip, What is Kapok and where is it found on this planet?”
Philip Curry (PC): “Kapok comes from the tropical rainforest tree known as Cieba pentandra found in the American Tropics and West Africa. The fruit of the cieba tree is surrounded by kapok, a fibrous material that protects the small seeds inside. On a microscopic level kapok is perfect for flotation as it is made of a waxy tube of encapsulated air. It is naturally buoyant, light, insulating, and water resistant.”
Kapok fibers at the microscopic level.
BO: “It seems that the kapok fiber is ideal for use in flotation. How did you originally come across it?”
PC: “I was researching old Coast Guard documents and came across a report that mentioned kapok. Apparently, kapok was one of the main materials used in the old ‘horse collar’ lifejackets that the US Army and Coast Guard wore during the 50’s and 60’s. The early flotation industry discontinued kapok with the advent of synthetic foams such as PVC which could be easily produced in a factory setting. I began prototyping early kapok jackets while at Lotus Designs but unfortunately the lifejacket industry was still hooked on PVC and the prototypes never reached production.”
A look inside the seed of the Cieba pentandra.
BO: “How does kapok compare with PVC foam in design?”
PC: “Originally I was seeking a better material than PVC to use from a design aspect, meaning I wanted a material that was more conforming than the flat, 2-dimensional PVC sheets. Kapok is a fill material or stuffing allowing it to better fit the natural bends and curves of the body making for a much more comfortable platform than the PVC designs of years past. Kapok is inherently buoyant and will remain so even when it is wet. To maintain its shape for stuffing kapok fiber into the PFDs we have developed a special bladder that is resistant to cold, solvents, and salt. It is also impervious to water and air and is extremely flexible, strong, and resilient.”
Astral’s Kevin Mulligan stuffs Kapok inside a bladder to use in the LDB jacket.
BO: “How does kapok compare with PVC from an environmental standpoint?”
PC: “There is really no comparison here. Basically, the only toxins released from using organic kapok are from gas emissions during transportation. To harvest kapok you simply climb the tree and pick the fruit from its branches. PVC foam is a toxic substance to produce and this puts factory workers at the greatest health risk. In addition PVC leaches toxins and plasticizers throughout its short life cycle which eventually leach into the watersheds and pollute our rivers, lakes, and oceans. On top of all this we can also use 100% of the kapok that we order. With PVC you end up with about 80% yield after cutting the foam to size. This creates a lot of waste from unused foam trimmings.”
Philip Curry demonstrates that 1 batch of kapok can yield the same as 10 rolls of foam.
BO: “So which Astral jackets are made from organic kapok?”
PC: “You can find organic kapok fill inside the front panels of the Abba, Norge, Otter, LDB, and Grunion jackets. These are among our most popular and comfortable designs to date. This goes to show that synthetic manmade materials are often inferior to what Mother Nature can produce. We took an old concept from the 50’s and found that it was a better option that what was the norm in the 90’s.”
To learn more about the uses of organic kapok visit http://www.ceiba.org/ceiba.htm
