TEXTILES.ORG
Americhem names trio to global nonwovens team
April 20th, 2016
Americhem Inc., provider of color and additive solutions for synthetic fibers, has added three members to its worldwide nonwovens team. Kam Lui, who has more than 20 years of technical experience in polymer processing, will serve as development specialist for nonwovens at the company’s Dalton, Ga., plant. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from […]
ITECH to offer new programs in plastics, textiles
April 19th, 2016
French engineering school ITECH is introducing two new majors as part of its European Master program. The program will offer majors in Plastic Materials and Textile Materials beginning in September 2016; the school also has a major in Formulation Chemistry, which is currently in its second year. “Having been interested since the launch of this […]
Teijin to boost production of Technora para-aramid fiber
April 18th, 2016
Teijin Ltd. has announced it will expand Technora para-aramid fiber production by 10 percent through increasing capacity in Teijin’s Matsuyama Factory. Construction begins in June at a cost of 1.5 billion Japanese yen ($13.2 million), with operation slated to begin from October 2017. Teijin and the group’s core aramid-fibers business, Teijin Aramid B.V., will jointly […]
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products and BioAmber partner in launch
April 15th, 2016
Renewable-food and industrial ingredients developer DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products and sustainable-chemical maker BioAmber will launch a co-sponsored polyol sampling program in April in an effort to accelerate the speed to market for bio-based solutions. Based respectively in Loudon, Tenn., and Montreal, Quebec, the companies’ efforts hope to address environmentally friendly bio-based solutions for […]
Fabric cuts off cellphone access
April 14th, 2016
If the kids’ cell-phone usage is driving parents crazy, there’s something that might replace new underwear and socks for Christmas. Focus: Life Gear, a project by Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga and commissioned by Trident gum, is a fashion collection that uses radio-frequency-shielding fabric to cut off almost all electromagnetic waves to a cellphone when it’s […]
Smart Fabrics Summit draws key industry participants
April 12th, 2016
Government and industry players gathered in Washington D.C. on April 11 to discuss the “nascent smart fabrics market,” as described by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, who moderated the final session at the one-day event. “This room is buzzing with energy,” said David Lauren, executive vice president of global marketing and communications for Ralph Lauren […]
Built-in virtual reality for wearables is possible
April 8th, 2016
Adaptive virtual reality (VR) hardware by technology designers Artefact Group includes a hood and shoulder cloak with a computer and battery built into them. Called “Shadow,” the project is a series of wearables designed for gamers for an immersive virtual reality experience that includes interacting with others, primarily in virtual space. Going beyond just sight, […]
What’s in a Name? A New Look at Smart Textiles
April 8th, 2016
The market for smart textiles is expanding at an exponential rate, with predictions of its potential value ranging from USD$1.59bn to $4.72bn by 2020. As coined in 2009, the term “smart textiles” is defined as textiles that can sense and react to environmental conditions or stimuli from mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical or magnetic sources. In […]
Best timing of a news release ever
April 8th, 2016
By now, I would suppose that all you have to say to those in the textile industry is “$317 million” and they’ll know what you’re talking about. Last Friday the U.S. Dept. of Defense and MIT announced a consortium including academia, industry and government established to research and manufacture advanced materials, particularly with applications for […]
Plastic-eating bacteria could fuel recycling revolution
April 8th, 2016
Researchers at Japan’s Kyoto University have discovered a plastic-eating bacteria that could have a major impact on recycling efforts around the world. Similar research by San Francisco-based Ambercycle Inc. has been rewarded with a 250,000-euro ($283,000) Global Change Award funded by the H&M Conscious Foundation, an arm of Stockholm, Sweden-based clothing retailer H&M. According to […]