TEXTILES.ORG
Robot weaves a carbon-fiber pavilion
June 10th, 2016
A new, biologically inspired, carbon-fiber pavilion in the courtyard of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum was woven by … a robot. The installation was designed by architect Achim Menges with collaborators Moritz Dörstelmann, Jan Knippers and Thomas Auer. According to a report on the online design and technology website Gizmodo, the structure comprises 40 hexagonal […]
Corsair Innovations wins head-health grant
June 10th, 2016
Corsair Innovations, a Plymouth, Mass.,-based company working with both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and the American Flock Association, recently announced it was a recipient of $250,000 in phase three of the Head Health Challenge. The challenge is a five-year program developed in 2014 by the National Football League, Under Armour, GE and the National […]
Sciessent awarded ECO PASSPORT for textile chemicals
June 10th, 2016
The International OEKO-TEX® Association has awarded its ECO PASSPORT certification to Wakefield, Mass.-based Sciessent for its sustainable antimicrobial textile chemicals. Sciessent is the first U.S. company to receive the new certification for its LAVA XL™ self-regenerating odor-control technology. The company was a participant in the six-month pilot test of the new ECO PASSPORT program. The […]
Testing…testing…
June 10th, 2016
This month our featured articles are about standards and testing to those standards. This is a big topic. No, it’s huge. There are so many ways to approach this—and so many individual performance requirements—that we could easily have dozens of articles, each one covering a different requirement. I’ve chosen instead to take a broad approach, […]
Streamlining standards for textiles
June 10th, 2016
Improving textile product performance and safety requires collaboration. The process of revising standards can provoke some lively discussions and detailed decisions. The standards (some enforceable and some voluntary) guide material and product manufacturers through the complex world of creating safe and functional products. Hundreds of standards affect the specialty textiles industry, and keeping up with […]
Teijin unveils high-visibility aramid fabric
June 9th, 2016
Tokyo-based high-performance-fiber developer Teijin Limited has introduced a new aramid fiber fabric, featuring extra-vivid coloring and resistance to fading, suited for use in high-visibility protective apparel. The new aramid fabric is fully compliant with ISO 20471:2013, the international standard for high-visibility clothing that enables others to see the wearer in a variety of lighting conditions. […]
Environmental emissions tool for textiles launched
June 8th, 2016
French testing and certification specialists Bureau Veritas has launched BVE3, an IT platform to support its chemical discharge monitoring business. BVE3, Bureau Veritas' Environmental Emission Evaluator, supports supply-chain partners in reducing the environmental impacts through a mechanism to understand factories' daily and weekly discharge potentials, as opposed to one-time screening of materials, chemicals and discharge. […]
Scientists develop a filter remove viruses from water
June 7th, 2016
Scientists at Uppasala University, Sweden, in collaboration with German virologists have developed cellulose nanofiber sheets to remove viruses from water. Nanocellulose filter paper termed “mille-feuille filter” because they have a layered structure resembling the French pastry mille-feuille, will be able to remove even small-sized viruses. The new structured nanocellulose sheets are affordable filters that not […]
WACKER offers hydrophilic softener for textile finishing
June 6th, 2016
Munich-based chemical company WACKER has launched a hydrophilic fabric softener for factory textile finishing. The new product, WETSOFT® NE 750, both improves the softness of textiles and retains the ability to absorb water. This is particularly important for towels and materials that need to remain absorbent after finishing. The company says the silicone fluid formulation […]
Honduras eyes lead as textile exporter in the Americas
June 3rd, 2016
According to a report from the Honduran president’s office in Tegucigalpa, the country is poised to become the leading player in the textiles industry in the Americas. The Central American country says it currently follows only Mexico as the region’s largest exporter of textiles in the Americas. Noting cooperation between the Honduran government and the […]