EU pauses countermeasures on U.S. tariffs for 90 days

April 17th, 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 […]

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Applications open for ATA Board of Directors positions

April 17th, 2025

The Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) Board of Directors is seeking volunteer applicants to fill three open positions. The ATA Board of Directors represents ATA's members and works with the ATA leadership staff, providing guidance on association decisions and activities. Open positions 1st Vice Chairman (2-year term) This individual will be the "Chairman-elect" and will automatically […]

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Circulose, Tangshan Sanyou Chemical Fiber announce partnership

April 17th, 2025

Image: Circulose Circulose has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Tangshan Sanyou Chemical Fiber to commercialize and scale the production of ReVisco™ fibers, made with CIRCULOSE® pulp. "We are thrilled to establish a strong strategic partnership with Tangshan Sanyou," says Jonatan Janmark, CEO of Circulose. "This represents a crucial step forward in our global expansion […]

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SK Capital Partners acquires PPT Group

April 16th, 2025

Image: SK Capital Funds advised by SK Capital Partners LP, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, ingredients and life sciences sectors, completed the acquisition of Physical Properties Testers (PTT) Group from Battery Ventures. PPT Group, headquartered in Halifax, U.K., is a physical property test and measurement solutions provider. PPT specializes in the design, production […]

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Chemicals and functionality in textiles

April 14th, 2025

Swiss research facility Empa has developed a plasma system that atomizes environmentally friendly siloxanes into a cloud that can coat textile fibers with nanometer precision. Fibers coated this way can then be processed into water-repellent textiles of all kinds. Photo: Empa. The ongoing tariff uncertainty will certainly impact the global textiles and apparel market.  Although a […]

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New plastic dissolves in salt water

April 14th, 2025

Scientists at the Japanese research and development agency RIKEN have unveiled a new type of plastic that’s stable in everyday use but dissolves quickly in saltwater, leaving behind only safe compounds, and no microplastics. The benefit of plastics is that they’re made with strong covalent bonds that hold their molecules together, meaning they take a […]

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Elastic Inks for textile-integrated electronics

April 14th, 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 […]

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Hohenstein acquires shares in GTS

April 14th, 2025

German testing and research laboratory Hohenstein has acquired shares in Global Textile Scheme GmbH (GTS). The GTS initiative aims to create an international standard for handling structured product data in the textile and apparel industry. Hohenstein will support GTS in coordinating and automating data exchange along the supply chain. As an internationally recognized knowledge partner, […]

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Smart prosthetic hand knows how hard to grasp 

April 14th, 2025

The new hybrid robotic hand blends soft and rigid parts with touch-sensitive technology, allowing for precise and flexible object handling. Photo: Sriramana Sankar/Johns Hopkins University. 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 […]

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Lorenza Sartorelli becomes new CHT Group COO

April 14th, 2025

(From left) Lorenza Sartorelli, Ph.D., Christian Rink, Ph.D., and Eva Baumann, the new CHT Group management board. Image: CHT Group The CHT Group, a specialty chemicals provider based in Tübingen, Germany, has announced the appointment of Lorenza Sartorelli, Ph.D., as its new chief operating officer (COO). With this appointment, Sartorelli completes the management board consisting […]

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