Advanced Textiles – Page 7 – Specialty Fabrics Review

Where’s the rayon?

Rayon has historically been a key component in carbon fiber, but for many years no rayon has been made in the U.S. due to EPA regulations. The last rayon plant in the U.S. closed its doors in 2000. Today, major carbon fiber producers make their own key carbon fiber precursor—polyacrylonitrile, a member of the acrylic resin family.

Keeping it cool in space

August 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Specialized textiles play an important role in thermal control for an evolving aerospace marketplace. Where there are flights, space missions and satellites, there are advanced textiles. For composites used in aircraft engines, multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets for launch support and satellites,…

Not too hot, not too cold

August 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Feature, Markets

New textiles and applications that control temperature provide comfort and safety in extreme conditions. When obstacles for achieving a goal are temperature related, there’s a good chance that textiles are a part of the solution. Just ask Erik Weihenmayer, who has scaled the Seven Summits (the hig…

A fashion statement in 4-D

July 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets, Projects

Nothing to wear? What if you could digitally print a dress, put it on and go? That possibility is not so far-fetched with a process created by Nervous System, an innovative design studio that describes itself as working at the intersection of science, art and technology. The company’s Kinematics D…

Healthy prospects

July 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Nonwoven PLA could thrive in the health care market. PLA, or polylactic acid, is a relatively recent innovation, but it is already the most commonly used bioplastic today. It’s a polyester, but with a key difference: instead of being made from petrochemicals, it’s plant-sourced. The process, dev…

Narrow fabrics industrial evolution

July 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Feature, Markets

Narrow fabrics are matching the high-performance needs of safety, medical and military markets with their own technological advances. Say “narrow fabric” and the average consumer may think of ribbon and zippers. The markets for narrow fabric manufacturers go far beyond those products, and with o…

Smaller, “smarter” and versatile

July 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Multidimensional narrow fabrics offer new ways to develop structures in medical and biomedical applications. A narrow fabric is loosely defined as being any non-elastic woven textile having a width of 12 inches or less and a woven selvage on each side. Narrow fabrics found use early on as hat bands,…

Understanding the textile supply chain

June 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

AATCC conference focuses on sustainability and innovations. By Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D. The historic city of Savannah, Ga., hosted a gathering of more than 200 people who participated in deliberations on the latest developments in consumer trends, textile chemicals, fiber and material innovations. T…

Wearables dispute

June 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

“Smart Shirt” patent infringement claim names well-known brands. In January 2015, Sarvint Technologies Inc., Atlanta, Ga., filed complaints for patent infringement in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against a number of leading brands, including Adidas North America, Ralp…

Rethinking cotton in nonwovens

May 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles, Markets

Sustainability concerns and better processes are making the use of cotton in nonwovens more attractive. By Paul Sawhney, D.Sc. The words “cotton” and “advanced textiles” have not, typically, been used in the same breath. There are some good reasons for that, including the price tag. But new …

Path to success

April 1, 2015 | Advanced Textiles

FiberTect® illustrates a successful strategy for commercializing a new technology. “Applied research deserves Nobel prizes,” proclaimed the editorial of Nature Materials in January 2010...

Category: Advanced Textiles