April 24, 2025
Ludwigshafen, Germany/Shanghai, China: BASF has announced the start-up of the world’s first commercial loopamid® plant. The production facility at the Caojing site in Shanghai, China, has an annual capacity of 500 metric tons and marks an important step in the supply of sustainable products for the textile industry. Loopamid is a recycled polyamide 6 that is …
April 24, 2025
Fibre and fabric production technologies—especially in the area of composite reinforcements—have played an as-yet largely unheralded role in the development of the U.K.’s Formula One industry, but the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) aims to change that. “With the exception of the engine, virtually every part of a Formula One racing car now starts from …
April 24, 2025
Ever since I first got involved with the textile industry, I’ve puzzled over composites. As a Specialty Fabrics Review editor, we typically covered flexible composites, but not rigid composites. It was our perception that few of our members and readers were involved in this market area. It was also easier to identify with flexible composites because they …
April 24, 2025
The ZZZN Sleep Apparel System is a voluminous puffer jacket that doubles as a cozy sleep sack, so users can doze off anywhere and anytime in comfort. But beyond its apparent comfortability, it also offers biometric data monitoring and headphones that play music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep. The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes “Yagi,” a traditional Japanese winter nightwear. …
April 24, 2025
Is there a role for textiles in today’s composites industry? The answer is not just yes, it is a resounding affirmative. In March, the composite industry’s JEC show in Paris confirmed this with a strong showing of textiles ranging from super high-strength fibers to large scale textile structures. These are used across a wide range …
April 24, 2025
Sheep Inc., a wool apparel brand, announced it has completed its £5 million Series A funding round, led by Inside Out LLC. This investment will support the company’s proprietary Connected Dot technology, which allows customers to trace every garment’s journey—from regenerative farms to the final stitch. Inside Out’s Fashion, Textiles and Home vertical is one …
April 23, 2025
The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) has announced the election of four new members to its 2025 Board of Directors. “We are excited to welcome these exceptional professionals whose insights, extensive experience, and leadership will significantly enhance INDA’s initiatives,” says Tony Fragnito, president of INDA. “Their collective expertise will further strengthen our role …
April 22, 2025
Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc. (AFFOA) announced that Nuream and Z-Polymers have been chosen to participate in the Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) 2.0 program. This initiative aims to accelerate the commercialization of advanced functional fabric products through targeted technical and manufacturing support. Launched in 2024, the PAFF program enables selected companies to …
April 21, 2025
North Carolina State University’s (NC State) Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) has received a $1.5 million investment from Milliken & Company. As a result, it has been renamed to Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation TPACC. The center is housed in the Wilson College of Textiles and focuses on advancing comfort in high-performance protective apparel. …
April 18, 2025
Jones Family of Companies, Charlotte, N.C., announced the promotion of Andrew Dailey to general manager of Jones Sustainable Packaging. Dailey has been a member of the leadership team for several years. He initially joined in 1991 as vice president of sales and marketing, leading sales at Jones Yarn for 25 years before transitioning to nonwovens. …
March 11, 2025
We are pleased to announce that Site & Stay has been selected as the official housing partner for Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, taking place Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Hotel booking is now open, offering attendees and exhibitors exclusive access to discounted rates at our official host hotels—all conveniently located …
October 17, 2024
Advanced Textiles Expo® 2024, the largest event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success Sept. 24–26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Once again held in conjunction with Sun Shading Expo North America—organized by Messe Stuttgart, founders of R + T and the world’s largest trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun shading …
August 14, 2024
The Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA) has renegotiated its General Services Contractor contract for the 2025–2027 Advanced Textiles Expo® shows. By selecting Freeman through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process, we have secured rates that significantly lower the cost burden on our exhibitors. RFP process Key achievements This successful negotiation translates directly to cost savings for …
July 6, 2021
Messe Stuttgart announced that its new U.S.-based show Sun Shading Expo North America will not be held in 2021 as a separate trade show but will instead contribute its expertise in internal and external sun shading systems at IFAI Expo 2021 in the form of expert talks, open discussions and more. IFAI Expo 2021 will still take place …
May 10, 2021
Registration is open for IFAI Expo 2021. IFAI Expo celebrates the 100th anniversary of the show this November, and you won’t want to miss it! After a long hiatus of in-person events, this year’s show is the perfect place to reconnect with your industry. Register now to get the Early Bird rate! Early Bird rates end …
November 16, 2020
In a session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, “Smart Textiles Standardization, Active Illumination,” Dr. Jan Beringer, senior scientific expert Hohenstein Group, explained the new standard for active illumination that will soon be implemented in European Union countries. Organizations worked together to develop the standards. It is notable, he said that both textile and electronics industries …
November 13, 2020
The U.S. textile industry has stepped up to meet the demand for face masks, medical gowns, wipes and other products necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, but it needs policy changes from Washington so that the U.S. is not caught off-guard again in a future crisis, according to association leaders speaking at Industrial Fabrics Association …
November 12, 2020
Dr. Bryran Ormond, assistant professor, Wilson College of Textiles, NC State explained respiratory protection in an “Ask an Expert” session with Jing Liang, Medical PPE Consulting LLC. Dr. Ormand has typically worked in the area of chemical and biological protective equipment, but with the onslaught of the pandemic, began to focus on respiratory protection generally, …
November 11, 2020
All surgical gowns are not created equal, and a Nov. 11 presentation at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 helped sort out the differences. The finer points of surgical gowns were discussed by Dr. Martin King, a professor at the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, and Jing Liang, president of Medical PPE Consulting LLC. …
November 11, 2020
How do you create a channel from research to application? How do you create a pathway toward understanding complex human problems across supply chains and market sectors? STEM—a curriculum based on teaching science, technology, engineering and math—has branched out from basic chemistry and biology and physics classes, into collaborative efforts, including textiles, according to Stephanie …
April 24, 2025
Is there a role for textiles in today’s composites industry? The answer is not just yes, it is a resounding affirmative. In March, the composite industry’s JEC show in Paris confirmed this with a strong showing of textiles ranging from super high-strength fibers to large scale textile structures. These are used across a wide range …
April 14, 2025
The ongoing tariff uncertainty will certainly impact the global textiles and apparel market. Although a needed commodity, textiles are dependent on discretionary spending, which depends on the economy. GDP growth plays a critical role in the consumption of textiles and apparels and, therefore, the growth and market size of the global textiles and apparel sectors. Textile …
March 24, 2025
Energy has become a key issue in the development of e-textiles for applications ranging from wearables to transport. LOPEC 2025, held in Munich in February, elected to highlight the end-user perspective this year across conference papers, poster presentations and the Innovation Showcase, with new technologies sharing the stage with energy efficient designs, so that every …
March 10, 2025
We are in the middle of a historic leap in textile technology. Whether it’s the development of new yarns and coatings, or the integration of electronics into existing textiles, the future of wearable technology is rapidly evolving—and the future is bright. It seems like every week brings another breakthrough from R&D firms and universities, unveiling …
February 24, 2025
In 2003 after 13 years of global collaboration, the Human Genome Project was successfully completed, providing a comprehensive blueprint of human genetic information. This has given impetus to a rapidly expanding level of research in disease diagnosis, such as cancer, personalized medical treatments, the understanding of genetic disorders, genetic engineering therapies, and applications in tissue …
February 10, 2025
Biomedical textiles are a highly specialized, relatively small segment of the global textile industry. Even among the more advanced textile technologies, the path to commercializing medical textiles, generally, and biomedical textiles, in particular, is unusually challenging, facing stringent industry standards and government regulations that can take years to meet. According to Allied Market Research, the global …
January 27, 2025
December 12, 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report titled “Textile Waste: Federal Entities Should Collaborate on Reduction and Recycling Efforts.” The report also offers practical solutions to address the problem, centering on a collaborative approach. Not that it will be easy, but it is, says the report, very important. Advanced Textiles Source has talked …
January 13, 2025
According to the United Nations’ Environment Programme, cities globally are expected to produce 2.2 billion tons of waste each year by 2025. Given the economic, environmental and health impacts of waste, it is important for the textile industry to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste. For example, in a spinning mill, recyclable and reusable textile …
December 16, 2024
Research and development (R&D) have a direct impact on economies worldwide. In the case of textiles, including agriculture related to textiles, it provides job opportunities to millions, including an unskilled workforce. Within the textile industry, advanced textiles and chemicals sectors place relatively more emphasis on research. The nature of the industry, size and flexibility, pressure …
December 9, 2024
In the midst of noteworthy innovations in healthcare textiles over this past year, comes the news that the Taliban has now forbidden women to train in midwifery in Afghanistan, where the number of mothers who die in childbirth is amongst the highest in the world. Midwifery was also the last form of education open to …
April 17, 2025
The European Union (EU) has paused its countermeasures on U.S. trade tariffs for 90 days to allow time for EU and U.S. negotiations. The pause was first announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen April 9, and went into effect April 14. The decision was made in response to the U.S. delaying tariffs on imports …
April 10, 2025
President Donald Trump has announced further changes to the April 2 executive order imposing multiple country-specific tariffs. The president has suspended most tariffs for 90 days, with country-specific tariffs (detailed in Annex I) now effective July 9, 2025. Countries included in Annex I are currently subject to 10% ad valorem rates, with exemptions listed in …
April 9, 2025
Country-specific tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in an April 2 executive order are now in effect. The president declared a national emergency in the executive order as a result of “large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits,” which included a reciprocal tariff policy. Tariffs on imports from various countries were determined by rates …
April 7, 2025
As part of its engagement with the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) Japan will host a group tour of the event May 16. Participants will visit key pavilions, receive guided explanations from industry experts involved in their construction, and exchange insights during a networking reception. International participants are welcome to …
April 1, 2025
President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 27 imposing a 25% tariff on automobile imports to the U.S., beginning April 3. Currently, the tariff will only apply to automobiles, but a process for including automobile parts is being developed. Automobiles covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement qualify for “preferential tariff treatment,” where they can …
March 26, 2025
The European Commission has announced a two-week delay in reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods, which are now set to go into effect in mid-April. The commission announced these tariffs in response to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by the U.S. that began March 12. The commission initially planned to introduce tariffs …
March 23, 2025
According to the latest study from BCC Research, “Technical Textiles: Global Markets,” the technical textiles market is expected to grow from $213.8 billion in 2024 to $284 billion by the end of 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% during the forecast period of 2024–2029. Technical textiles are engineered to provide characteristics such as high strength, chemical …
March 13, 2025
Twenty-five percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the U.S. began March 12. In response, Canada has imposed reciprocal tariffs on various U.S. products, including a 25% tariff on steel imports. The country has also increased taxes on tools, computers and servers, sports equipment, display monitors, and cast-iron products.
March 6, 2025
President Donald Trump announced March 6 that he would pause the 25% tariffs on U.S. imports from Mexico and Canada covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) until April 2. The president initially announced a delay in Mexico tariffs in a social media post after a conversation with President Claudia Sheinbaum March 6. Later that …
March 5, 2025
Imports from Canada and Mexico to U.S. automakers were given a one-month exemption to new tariffs on goods from these two countries, which began March 4. This decision by President Donald Trump comes after a March 5 conversation with three leading U.S. auto manufacturers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The administration indicated this would be …
April 24, 2025
The ZZZN Sleep Apparel System is a voluminous puffer jacket that doubles as a cozy sleep sack, so users can doze off anywhere and anytime in comfort. But beyond its apparent comfortability, it also offers biometric data monitoring and headphones that play music with frequency bands to help people fall asleep. The ZZZN puffer jacket for sleep modernizes “Yagi,” a traditional Japanese winter nightwear. …
February 24, 2025
Pavels Hedström has introduced the Gaia Communication System, a vest and a pair of gloves with sensors so that users feel the health of plants, insects, soil and air. Unveiled under his design practice Inxects, the Swedish architect has installed multiple haptic sensors around the vest and gloves, each of which correspond to a natural object. The …
December 9, 2024
Japanese designer Hiroto Ikebe recently showcased a leather alternative he developed using rewoven silk cocoon waste. His exhibition COCOON ANATOMY, shown during DESIGNART Tokyo 2024, displayed clothing that was designed to demonstrate that silk materials typically discarded or not used for mass production can be repurposed into fabrics and materials with multiple uses. The leather alternative comes from raw silk, …
September 18, 2024
Carolina De Lara’s project, Bacterial Brickbats, explores the interaction between bacterial cellulose and knit textiles to challenge traditional, human-centered design in fashion and textiles. The project negotiates human/non-human liaisons by proposing a study where sharing agency between designer and bacterial cellulose produces a material library illustrating differing needs, creative or biological, resulting in an expressive …
August 12, 2024
A new materials technique has blended the usefulness of knitting needles and yarn with cutting-edge technology to create the equipment and process to make a solid-knit object of almost any kind. Yuichi Hirose first dreamed up this technique when he was a student at Keio University in Tokyo. There, working on digital fabrication methods in …
June 24, 2024
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2024 Phase II awardee Ethan Schaler has proposed the first lunar railway system to provide reliable, autonomous and efficient payload transport on the Moon. The Flexible Levitation on a Track (FLOAT) system is a durable, long-life robotic transport system—a function that will be critical to the daily operations of a …
April 22, 2024
Artist and designer Kim Mesches has unveiled his “Collection 5,” featuring garments made of a color-changing resin with a technology activated by heat. The material is a mix of thermochromic dyes, pigments and other ingredients, which are then mixed with hardened resin to create the garments. For example, on sunny days the garments change themselves …
April 8, 2024
Following the successful development of functional invisibility shields in 2022, U.K.-based Invisibility Shield Co. has launched its second-generation invisibility shields on Kickstarter. Among the products is the “Megashield,” which the company claims is the largest one ever created. According to a report on designboom.com, more than four years ago the company focused on refining optical …
March 25, 2024
In recent years, materials scientists and engineers have introduced increasingly sophisticated materials for robotic and prosthetic applications, including a range of electronic skins, or e-skins, designed to sense the surrounding environment and artificially reproduce the sense of touch. As explained on techxplore.com, researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing recently introduced a new dual-modal tactile e-skin that could …
February 26, 2024
An interactive installation that combined textile arts, smart materials and engineering and received a 2023 Black Rock City Honorarium at the 2023 Burning Man. Set against the vast and surreal backdrop of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, Burning Man is an annual gathering that transforms the flat, barren expanse into a vibrant playground for artistic …
April 14, 2025
Electrically conductive prints on textiles are the basis for functional textiles with electronic functions, or “smart textiles.” Conductive inks and binders must be well matched to ensure permanent conductivity even under external mechanical influences, such as stretching, pressure and bending. German research institute DITF is working on new ink formulations that meet these requirements. Textiles …
April 14, 2025
Johns Hopkins University engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds. The system’s hybrid design is a first for robotic hands, which have typically been too rigid or …
March 24, 2025
Touch-sensitive clothing capable of controlling devices via touchscreen-like finger taps and swipes on the fabric is impressive, but a touchless finger-gesture-detecting fabric has now been developed that offers a new functionality. The experimental textile is being developed by scientists from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf research lab in Germany and the Free …
March 24, 2025
British biomedical startup Unhindr, an Imperial College London spinoff company, is developing an adaptive lining for the sockets of prosthetic limbs that responds to how the body’s soft tissue naturally shrinks and swells during the day. Because a prosthetic limb that fits in the morning may not fit the same way late in the afternoon, the …
March 10, 2025
eVent® Fabrics, Leawood, Kansas, a provider of waterproof, breathable and windproof fabric laminates, introduces its newest high-performance laminate, stormburstLT. An ultralight and ultra-breathable product, it’s designed for extreme applications: stormST for outdoor and lifestyle applications; and windstormST for breathable windproof and softshell applications. This completes eVent’s collection of laminates, providing brand partners with custom solutions …
March 10, 2025
A smart pajama top has been created to help detect sleep disorders and provide an alternative to visiting a sleep clinic. The garment, developed by Professor Luigi Occhipinti and colleagues at the University of Cambridge, U.K., is integrated with a series of graphene strain sensors that sense subtle vibrations in the neck muscles, even when …
February 24, 2025
In collaboration with the German technology group Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX. The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the …
February 10, 2025
Brooklyn, N.Y.-based LOOMIA, provider of electronic textiles and flexible electronics, and the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), have introduced the Gentoo Heater, which has been engineered to perform in ultra-cold environments. According to AFFOA, a non-profit Manufacturing USA Institute driving fabric-based innovation in the U.S., the next-generation heater is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)-based resistive heater that …
February 10, 2025
Vollebak has released the Shielding Suit, a wearable technology made with pure silver that blocks radio waves so no one can track, hack, or call the users. The silver-added suit, which shares the same electromagnetic shielding technology that NASA has used for its Mars Rover, blocks electromagnetic radiation and shields users from infrared cameras. Comprised of a jacket and pants, the suit deflects …
January 13, 2025
The latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, highlights the AstroRad vest, a pioneering wearable technology designed to safeguard astronauts from harmful solar radiation during deep-space missions. Developed through a collaboration between StemRad and Lockheed Martin, the vest has undergone extensive testing through the ISS National Lab, leading …
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