Companies that make Material Science Interesting!

Material science has always been at the heart of human progress. From the Stone Age through the Bronze and Iron Ages, to the modern era of plastics, alloys, and composites, every great leap in civilization has been tied to our ability to create, adapt, and refine materials. In the 21st century, as we face climate change, waste crises, and resource scarcity, material science has evolved into one of the most important fields driving sustainability. With the innovations of those who have come before us paving the way for us to move forward, we can take a deep look at history to help us contextualize and visualize what is possible for the future!

A Historical Perspective: From Fire to Photons

In its earliest form, material science was simply experimentation with natural resources—stone tools, clay pottery, bronze weapons, and so on. However, by the 20th century, the idea behind material science had matured into a sophisticated discipline, unlocking materials like semiconductors and composites. These breakthroughs not only enabled microchips and airplanes but also opened the door to renewable energy.

Long before modern laboratories, ancient cultures were already experimenting with materials in ways that foreshadowed today’s breakthroughs. One of the most fascinating examples is the Baghdad Battery, a set of clay jars discovered in modern-day Iraq and dating back more than 2,000 years. Each jar contained a copper cylinder surrounded by an iron rod, with traces of acidic liquids like vinegar or wine.

When assembled, these jars could generate a small electrical current—effectively making them some of the world’s first known batteries. While historians debate their purpose, theories range from electroplating precious metals onto jewelry, to religious or medicinal uses where the subtle “spark” might have been viewed as mystical.

This early blending of earth materials (clay and sand), metals (copper and iron), and natural electrolytes shows that material science is not just modern—it is deeply rooted in humanity’s long-standing curiosity about nature’s properties. In a way, these ancient batteries remind us that sustainability today isn’t just about high technology—it’s about rediscovering the resourcefulness and creativity our ancestors practiced thousands of years ago.

Today, we have combined this knowledge and past advancements to give us some incredible things that make our modern lives possible.

Take solar panels as an example: the photovoltaic effect was discovered in 1839, but it wasn’t until the late 20th century that material scientists refined silicon wafers into efficient solar cells. Today, even more advanced materials such as perovskites, thin films, and quantum dots are pushing efficiency higher while reducing production costs. What was once a niche experiment is now a cornerstone of the global energy transition—an innovation that pays back both economically and ecologically. On a social level, these advancements and technologies create opportunity.

Shells contain materials that are hard to reproduce, but have high demand for luxury products. - Photo by Pixabay

Sustainable Fashion and Beyond: From Cocoons to Coconut Husks

Beyond energy, material science has quietly revolutionized fashion, textiles, and other industries. Companies are experimenting with bio-based materials that reduce waste and dependence on petroleum-based synthetics. For example:

• Piñatex: derived from pineapple leaf fibers, this material mimics leather while being fully plant-based and biodegradable.

  
  

• Coconut husks & banana peels: Companies like Coco Hitech create alternative uses and income from agricultural byproducts that once went to waste. These kinds of companies use materials like coconut husks to create flexible, durable fibers for leather alternatives. In fact, agricultural byproducts like these have vast use cases like these identified below:

  
  

  • Insulation & Building Materials: Coconut husk fibers, also known as coir, are naturally lightweight, rot-resistant, and fire-retardant. Processed into mats or boards, they make excellent thermal and acoustic insulation for eco-friendly construction. They can also be combined with natural resins to form biodegradable particle boards and panels.

  • Packaging Alternatives: Both banana peels and coconut husks can be pulped into biodegradable films or molded packaging, replacing single-use plastics. This has significant potential in the food industry, where compostable packaging is in high demand.

  • Water Filtration: Activated carbon made from coconut husks is already widely used in water purification systems. Banana peels also contain compounds that can bind heavy metals, making them promising low-cost filters for contaminated water in developing regions.

  • Biofuels & Energy: Dried banana peels and coconut shells can be processed into biochar, briquettes, or bio-oil, offering renewable energy sources for heating and electricity generation. Coir dust, a fine powder left after fiber extraction, can also be compressed and burned cleanly as biomass fuel.

  • Automotive & Industrial Uses: Research is underway to integrate banana fibers into automotive composites, making car parts lighter and more fuel-efficient. Coconut fibers have also been tested as reinforcements in concrete and natural rubber tires, improving durability while reducing reliance on synthetics.

    
    

• Oeko-Tex: a certification system that sets rigorous safety and sustainability standards for textiles, ensuring fabrics are free from harmful substances and environmentally responsible. These fabrics are durable and are able to withstand strains that many normal synthetic fabrics can't. As such, these sustainable materials and textiles aren't a step back, but are innovative, forward-thinking, and improve the industry across all of the standard Key Performance Indicators that are usually cited by textile manufacturers. By developing these kinds of textiles and incorporating them into luxury and retail fashion, sustainable changes in the fashion industry become more realistic every day!

  
  

• Superlativa: known for pushing the boundaries of luxury material design, they have pioneered the use of mother of pearl as a base for textiles and accessories. By pulverizing nacre (the iridescent substance inside shells) and bonding it with natural fibers, they create shimmering fabrics and accessories that feel futuristic yet deeply tied to nature. Their process could one day extend beyond fashion into industries like automotive or luxury interiors, skis and snowboards, architecture, or even consumer electronics, where sustainable yet striking materials are in demand.

  
  

This is where sustainability meets storytelling: instead of depleting new resources, material science redirects waste into wealth. Agricultural residues become handbags, shoes, or watch straps. Marine byproducts become high-fashion fabrics.

The Economics of Material Science and Sustainability

What makes these innovations even more powerful is their economic logic. Sustainable materials are not just ethical—they’re profitable:

• Lower Costs, Higher Returns: Farmers can sell what was once considered waste, while brands reduce dependence on expensive, petroleum-based imports.

  
  

• Circular Economy Models: By designing materials to be reused, recycled, or composted, companies save on disposal fees and unlock secondary revenue streams.

  
  

• Market Advantage: Surveys consistently show that Gen Z and Millennials are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. For fashion brands, that translates directly into higher margins and long-term loyalty. Rebranding and implementing sustainability and environmental awareness doesn't mean losing customers, but instead often leads to gaining notoriety.

  
  

• Job Creation: Processing agricultural waste into fibers creates new industries in rural areas, supporting smallholder farmers and stabilizing local economies. even on a small-scale level in the luxury marketplace, there are brands like REDxRB that create one-of-a-kind pieces made from some of these materials which serve to promote the sustainability cycle and underline the utility of these products.

  
  

In this way, material science becomes more than an environmental solution—it becomes an engine of economic growth rooted in sustainability.

Social Dimensions: Health, Equity, and Culture

The social value of sustainable materials and the innovations they create is just as significant:

• Health & Safety: Standards like Oeko-Tex protect workers from toxic dyes and finishes while ensuring consumers avoid harmful exposures. Safer materials mean fewer long-term health costs. Many traditional textiles have significant issues with pollution, micro-plastics, toxic manufacturing processes, and unsustainable supply chains, but with sustainable business structures being highly valued and developed intentionally, economies that focus on promoting these businesses often grow significantly faster than those which cling to outdated methods.

  
  

• Equity & Inclusion: Sustainable materials democratize access to eco-friendly fashion and products by lowering costs over time and preventing green solutions from being luxury-only. Regardless of what politicians think and say to enflame the emotionally driven opinions of others, the real data shows that DEI is beneficial and stimulates growth and expansion of economies faster than limiting DEI does. It may become a political talking point to try and cling to cultural identity, but DEI isn't actually about taking away. It is about adding and providing opportunities to learn and develop in a more holistic and thorough atmosphere composed of perspectives that we benefit from considering. After all - Sustainability is really about the awareness and consideration of the perspectives of others.

  
  

• Cultural Preservation: Many of these materials revive traditional craft practices. Banana fiber weaving, for example, has roots in South Asia and East Africa—creating opportunities for cultural storytelling alongside economic development. Oyster and other shellfish farming methods are culturally inherited and have deep-rooted history across the planet. By reviving the economic value of these industries through innovative products, these methods and lifestyles can be preserved.

  
  

• Trust & Transparency: Certifications and traceability tools empower consumers to make informed choices, strengthening the social contract between brands and their buyers. Lifecycle assessments and even newer technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrencies have the potential to integrate transparency into the sustainability industry in more seamless ways. This transparency often takes very little effort but can increase the value added by a brand immensely.

  
  

For brands, these social dimensions are as valuable as the materials themselves—they build credibility, loyalty, and long-term cultural resonance.

Theories That Guide Innovation

Material science doesn’t exist in isolation—it sits within larger frameworks that companies are adopting to guide their strategies:

• Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit): Material innovations prove that business can balance all three.

  
  

• Circular Economy & Industrial Symbiosis: Coconut husks that would otherwise rot become leather-like textiles. Wind turbine blades designed for disassembly can feed into construction or transport industries. Waste is no longer waste—it’s raw material.

  
  

• Systems Thinking: By linking fashion, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing, material science highlights the interdependence of industries. Superlativa’s mother-of-pearl textiles could shape not only fashion but also design in electronics and luxury automotive sectors.

  
  

• Just Transition Framework: As petrochemical-based industries shrink, workers can shift into jobs in bio-based manufacturing, ensuring that the green transition is equitable.

  
  

Wool vs. Synthetics: Rediscovering Nature’s Genius

One of the overlooked truths in sustainability is that sometimes the best materials are the oldest. Wool, for example, is naturally breathable, insulating, water-resistant, and biodegradable. Unlike polyester or nylon, which shed microplastics and rely on fossil fuels, wool decomposes naturally, returning nutrients to the soil. Material science studies these intrinsic properties and often works to replicate them synthetically—but the rediscovery of natural performance fibers is equally critical.

By comparing natural vs. synthetic performance, material scientists are finding hybrid solutions: wool blended with biodegradable polymers for stretch, or cotton coated with bio-based hydrophobic films for weatherproofing. This marriage of tradition and technology creates materials that are high-performing and eco-friendly.

Manufacturing and Energy: The Larger Loop

Fashion and textiles are just one application. The lessons learned from sustainable materials are influencing other industries. In manufacturing, researchers are designing composites that rival traditional plastics and metals but biodegrade at end-of-life. In renewable energy, engineers are tackling the problem of wind turbine blades—massive composite structures that are notoriously difficult to recycle. While they have had success in repurposing these materials by cutting them into pieces, there are more effective ways to manufacture them in the first place that makes them much more sustainable and maintains their longevity.

Recent advances include:

• Thermoplastic resins that allow blades to be melted down and reshaped, rather than landfilled.

  
  

• Bio-based resins made from plant oils or algae, reducing dependence on petrochemicals.

  
  

• Design for disassembly, where blades are engineered from the start to be dismantled, repurposed, or recycled.
  

• Wood! - Some turbine blades are made using almost entirely repurposed wood with a combination of techniques to make them environmentally conscious.

  
  

These approaches not only reduce waste but also create economic returns by recapturing valuable materials for reuse. Just as fashion has turned pineapple leaves into profit, wind energy is finding ways to turn decommissioned turbines into raw material for new industries.

The Future: Closing the Loop with Material Innovation

The story of material science is a story of creativity in the face of necessity. From ancient stone tools to high-efficiency solar panels, from wool sweaters to coconut-based leather jackets, materials have always shaped what is possible. Today, they are shaping a more sustainable future.

By rethinking waste, rediscovering natural fibers, and re-engineering industrial composites, material science is closing the loop between design, use, and reuse. Fashion houses like Superlativa and certification bodies like Oeko-Tex show how style and science can align with sustainability. Renewable energy engineers designing recyclable wind turbine blades prove the same in infrastructure.

If history tells us anything, it is that material science doesn’t just adapt to culture—it defines it. And as sustainability becomes the defining challenge of our age, material science will remain at the forefront, turning the building blocks of yesterday into the sustainable systems of tomorrow.