Commercializing new technologies: The FiberTect® experience

February 10, 2015  |  Features

“Applied research deserves Nobel prizes,” proclaimed the editorial of Nature Materials in January 2010. Although, the Nobels are known to be rewarded only to basic discoveries, there are plenty of examples to showcase rewarding research of applied nature—for example, the 2014 award in Physics …
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The expanding layers of the flexible composites market

January 26, 2015  |  Features

The world of composites covers a range of materials and applications. Flexible composites have long been manufactured to perform specific functions in generally demanding environments. Their tremendous strength-to-weight ratio and design flexibility make them ideal in structural components for the t…
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The State of the U.S. and Canadian fabric industry

January 12, 2015  |  Features

The U.S. outpaces an otherwise uneven worldwide economic recovery in 2014. It was a recovery year, to be sure, but an uneven global rebound kept the lid on the world economy. After a slow first quarter, economic activity in the U.S. picked up in 2014, with improved consumer spending due to lower une…
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Flexible composites = Innovative structures

January 12, 2015  |  Features

New materials for architectural applications include impressive advanced flexible composites. Buildings are supposed to stand up strong and—believe it or not—be both flexible and durable. Despite impressions to the contrary, even buildings made of steel and concrete must be flexible to resist cr…
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Fabric solar house competes at Versailles

January 12, 2015  |  Features

This summer, one of the most lavish residences in the world was home to some of the most unique and sustainable dwellings imaginable when the Palace of Versailles hosted the 2014 Solar Decathlon Europe, a showcase of 20 solar-powered homes built by college students from around the globe. Among the e…
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Sustainable fabric finishing: the modern-day “Philosopher’s Stone”

December 22, 2014  |  Features

Before knowledge of elements, atoms, nanotechnology and environmental issues, alchemists sought to convert base metal to gold and silver. They believed this transmutation would happen through the magical use of a “Philosopher’s Stone.” Significantly, this ability would also transform the h…
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The sustainability challenge

December 8, 2014  |  Features

Although people are generally in favor of “green” products and practices, it’s not a simple yes or no issue. One concern regarding sustainability is that the word lacks a shared definition. To one manufacturer sustainability may mean creating a biodegradable product, while to another it’s pr…
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Nanowebs go green

December 8, 2014  |  Features

“Green” electrospun nanowebs maintain breathability after heat crosslinking. That was the message Seshadri Ramkumar delivered while standing in for Uday Turaga’s presentation at Advanced Textiles Expo in October 2014. As part of an education program featuring functional and nano technologies f…
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PPE manufacturers in high gear to help in the fight against Ebola

November 24, 2014  |  Features

Ebola virus disease, or Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a potentially fatal disease that was first identified in 1976. Since then, outbreaks have happened every couple of years, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, none of these outbreaks has been as serious as the current epidemic in West Africa. Un…
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Combatting counterfeiters

November 24, 2014  |  Features

No supply chain is safe from counterfeit activity. “To the counterfeiter there is no risk; they can keep doing it all day long,” MeiLin Wan of Applied DNA Sciences, Stony Brook, N.Y., said in her presentation at Advanced Textiles Expo in October. “But what happens to your product? The quality …
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