Arapaha
Arapaha is born out of the frustration that consumption of beautiful products so far has a negative impact on our planet. By combining deep insights in bio-based materials, design and molecular recycling the organisation dramatically and fundamentally changes the impact of consumption without compromising design and beauty. The design company focusses on developing and manufacturing durable goods used in and around the house for interior, sports and clothing. The “Identity 560” desk lamp is one of the first products to be launched.
The design of the Identity 560 desk lamp is based on two main materials: polylactic acid and glass. Polylactic acid (PLA) it is seen as one of the most promising alternatives to plastics made from oil. It is bio-based, safe enough to be used as food packaging, can be processed like existing thermoplastics into colored or transparent material and currently it is manufactured from renewable resources such as maize and sugarcane. In the future the industry will also consider other crops such as sweet sorghum and even bio-waste with high sugar or starch content. The interesting thing is, that PLA molecules comes in two versions: the PLLA and PDLA varieties. Also known as left & right versions. By combining both types of molecules, several types of material performances such as tailored strength and heat resistance can be obtained.
Arapaha products have a GWP impact of only 10 % vs synthetic polymer based products
Arapaha prefers action, not words.
For the “Identity 560” desk lamp a self-reinforced PLA composite is used. This means, that the composite contains 50% low temperature melting fibers and 50 % high melting temperature fibers. This means that the matrix material and the structural material are based on the same raw material. The fibers are braided into a tube which can be processed into a product the same way as composites used in the production of for example tennis rackets.
USP “Identity 560”
- Circular design (reuse, refurbish and full recycling of bio-based parts and glass are guaranteed);
- Fast growing advanced bio-composites;
- Local production with local identity;
- Traceability of bio-materials to facilitate the return logistics;
- New aesthetics for the interior market.
The Identity 560 project is the starting point for a large collection of products. The Identity collection will be completed with three other lamps: a table lamp, a standing lamp and a ceiling light.
The material and technology applied in this project will also be applied in sporting goods such as paddles, kayaks and surfboards. This project is the starting point of a new way to design and develop products in which not only environmentally friendly materials are used. Identity 560 is the first fully recyclable product in which it is possible to go back to the initial molecules and use the recovered material for a new generation of products without losing any material performance.
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