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The Shockwaves of Featherless Down Jackets! What Future Fashion Is Depicted within Sumitomo Metal Mining's "SOLAMENT®"

2024.10.02

Have we ever seen such a shocking garment in the fashion industry? A down jacket that claims to be one but uses absolutely no down, yet possesses remarkable heating and insulating properties, all designed with a colorless aesthetic. It resembles clothing that has come from the future.

The secret behind this captivating design lies in "SOLAMENT®," developed by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd..

To delve into the mystery of this fascinating item, we spoke with Yoshisuke Ishibashi, the project leader of "SOLAMENT®" in the Functional Materials Division of the company.

PROFILE

Keisuke Ishibashi

Project Leader, SOLAMENT® Project, Planning & Development Department, Functional Materials Division, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

Born in 1991. He has experience in overseas sales for waste power generation plants, new business development for factory automation equipment, and launching digital marketing projects. Since October 2022, he has been engaged in the planning and development of functional materials. Currently, he leads initiatives from brand project launch to dissemination strategies for the SOLAMENT® project.

What is "SOLAMENT®" Utilizing Near-Infrared Light?

First, please tell us about your business.

Our company started in 1590 with the copper smelting business. Subsequently, in 1691, we shifted our model to combine smelting and resource business during the opening of the Besshi Copper Mine in Ehime Prefecture.

Basically, we extract minerals from mines and refine them in factories to make them easier to process. In this process, we have developed technologies to produce finer metal powders. This technology is currently applied to nickel-based cathode materials and nanoparticles for inks that are essential for electric vehicles and hybrid cars.

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