MILK SILK: Anke Domaske displays the eco-friendly, casein-based QMilk, which uses no toxic chemicals and requires 80 percent less water, less heat, and less time to produce than older milk-based fabrics.QMILK.eu
When German microbiology grad student Anke Domaske’s stepfather underwent chemotherapy to treat his cancer, he, like many patients, developed sensitive skin. Seeing him suffer, Domaske set out to find a softer, nonallergenic fiber from which to spin cloth for him. In 2009, she found YouTube videos describing how casein, a milk protein, has been used to make textiles since the 1930s. Producing fiber from casein required copious amounts of water, high heat, and formaldehyde, however. In her kitchen, Domaske started tinkering with the formula to make it more eco-friendly. The result was QMilk, a casein-based fabric that she describes as “a fiber you could eat.” Producing QMilk uses no toxic chemicals; it also takes 80 percent less water, less heat, and less time than making ...
