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OEKO-TEX® offers no-fee certification for face masks
April 20th, 2020
With immediate effect, the OEKO-TEX® Association will waive the license fee for STANDARD 100 certification of mouth and nose masks. With the current demand and expert recommendations to wear mouth and nose coverings in public, OEKO-TEX® wants to support continued safety of the population. "We need to stay together in this extraordinary situation: now and […]
AATCC offers free test methods to aid in the pandemic response
April 16th, 2020
AATCC is has made available Test Method TM42 Test Method for Water Resistance: Impact Penetration and TM127 Test Method for Water Resistance: Hydrostatic Pressure. These methods are offered at no cost in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and are available as a download from the organization’s website: https://www.aatcc.org/testing/methods/. These methods are often referenced in product development requirements for protective medical […]
Algae used to make new biopolymer
April 13th, 2020
In 2019 the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture registered algae as an agricultural commodity, making it a tradeable material and industry feedstock. That action may mean that more manufacturers will use the commodity to create textile technologies. Algix LLC is a clean technology company that produces sustainable products using aquaculture and water remediation.According to a recent report in Sportstextiles.com, the company […]
Unifi customers join industry efforts in COVID-19 fight
April 13th, 2020
Unifi supplies yarns and fibers to more than 100 companies that are producing masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment needed by first responders, medical staff and military personnel, a recent news release from the company says. “We have customers actively engaged in the fight against COVID-19,” said Tom Caudle, president and chief operating officer […]
Uncertainty
April 13th, 2020
by Janet Preus If there is one thing that we all have in common today, it must be this: uncertainty. We can figure out how to recover from a terrorist attack, economic crises and international conflicts. But a pandemic like COVID-19 is unlike any foe we’ve ever faced. We’ve learned a lot in the weeks […]
C6 ban expected in the EU
April 13th, 2020
The use of fluorocarbon-based C6 water repellents in textiles and other consumer goods in Europe may be coming to an end this year. According to an Ecotextile News article, Germany has submitted proposed new rules to restrict perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) coming onto the market. A consultation period is in effect until Sept. 25, 2020. Appeals to the proposed new […]
Wearable device camouflages body heat
April 13th, 2020
https://youtu.be/qSbMlNrE5hk Researchers at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) have developed a wearable technology that can hide its wearer from heat-detecting sensors such as night vision goggles, even when the ambient temperature changes—a feat that current state of the art technology cannot match. The technology can adapt to temperature changes in just […]
Sustainability and value
April 13th, 2020
The textile industry turns to biomaterials and biomimetics for green alternatives. by Glenna B. Musante Textile and outdoor gear communities are looking for ways to limit the use of petroleum products. To achieve this goal, apparel and gear brands, as well as ingredient manufacturers within the textile industry supply chain, are beginning to replace or augment […]
The urgent call for PPE
April 9th, 2020
Manufacturers new to PPE face challenges in supply chains and specs. by Janet Preus The rapid spread of the coronavirus was accompanied by an urgent call for personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly face masks. There were plenty of manufacturers who wanted to join the effort to provide PPE, but they had never made these products […]
Battelle deploys decontamination system for reusing N95 masks
April 8th, 2020
Science and technology research organization Battelle has received an emergency go-ahead from the FDA to deploy its decontamination system for personal protective equipment (PPE), allowing healthcare workers to clean and reuse N95 respirator masks. The system is currently operating at Battelle’s Ohio facility—capable of processing up to 80,000 masks per machine, per day, within what looks […]