Rediscovering natural fibers’ technical prowess, Part I

June 8, 2026  |  Features

When it comes to technical textiles, fossil-fuel based fibers have proven themselves with performance, price and popularity, but there are signs that natural fibers are once again finding a seat at the table. Sustainable wool, cotton and bast fibers offer under-appreciated assets that can be exploit…
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Today’s advanced textiles global landscape

May 26, 2026  |  Features

One might be tempted to question why we in America should care about the technical textiles sector beyond U.S. borders. The U.S., along with the EU, take the lead in industrial, nonwovens and functional materials—sectors that grow at least on par with the GDP growth rate in developed economies. In…
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Smart textile sensing technology for large-scale use

May 12, 2026  |  Features

In the early years of development, smart textiles (or e-textiles) were commonly referred to as “smart materials and systems.” In the 1990s early adopters (such as civil engineers) saw attendant technologies as necessary in order to deliver the performance needed, such as structural health monito…
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What’s next in medical textiles?

April 27, 2026  |  Features

The medical, defense, and protective textiles (MDP) are market segments within advanced textiles which show promise even when stressful situations, such as war and natural calamities, dominate our attention. It is ironic that during challenging times prices of commodity products are in high demand, …
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Biomedical textiles’ success stories

April 13, 2026  |  Features

There are a number of reasons why the success of biomedical textiles in recent years is worth noting. First, it’s a demanding market niche fraught with standards and regulations that take time—and time is money. The investment needed to even start in this market is considerable. It’s also high…
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The system-level imperative

March 23, 2026  |  Features

Rapid advances in high‑performance fibers and the growing need for multi‑hazard protection are reshaping the protective textiles market, yet the real test of these innovations lies in the field. A compelling case in point is new research on how ballistic protection interacts with firefighter tur…
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Are protective textiles the future?

March 9, 2026  |  Features

It appears that the time has come for protective textiles—a market that can also expect a strong future in the functional textiles industry. As the protective textiles sector is an important segment of the technical textiles industry overall, there is ample evidence supporting this assertion is av…
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Photovoltaics for the future

February 23, 2026  |  Features

Editor’s note: The word “uncertainty” has been used more often in the last year than I can ever remember. There’s uncertainty regarding international trade, funding for new research, the current administration’s support—or lack thereof—for alternative energy, and many other areas that …
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