In May 2012, Twitchell celebrates 90 years in business. Since 1922, Twitchell has been a leader in quality yarns and fabrics across a variety of industries. The company has grown into a multi-national manufacturer of some of the world’s most innovative fibers, textiles and coatings. Its commitment to its customers hasn’t changed over the years; Jeff Register, CEO and president, says customer service will always be an important part of Twitchell.

“Our customers are a large part of what has kept Twitchell alive for ninety years, and we are forever grateful. Twitchell will continue to make customer service a priority for the next ninety years,” said Register.

Twitchell celebrated its 90th birthday internally with an employee cookout May 3. A representative from Congresswoman Roby’s office presented a Congressional Record, a proclamation was read from Mayor Schmitz, and a resolution was made by Matt Parker to declare May 3 “Twitchell Day.” “Making it to ninety years has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with our employees,” said Register. “We wanted to take the time to recognize and thank our employees, and make sure they remember how important they are to Twitchell.”

Source: Twitchell Corporation

Under the patronage of the Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the recently concluded Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2012 brought together leading figures from the fashion and textile industry who pursue a common vision of eco-friendly and sustainable business. Once again a huge success, the event—with an impressive roster of speakers and the presence of designers from 27 different countries—drew an enthusiastic crowd representing more than a thousand companies worldwide.

Prominent economists and politicians joined officers from world-class firms to take an active part in seminars on exploring innovative ways for the global high-end textile and fashion industry to tackle today’s environmental challenges. The summit focused particular attention on how to involve and engage end users in sustainable consumption.

Organized by the Danish Fashion Institute for Nordic Fashion Association (NFA, which also includes Helsinki Design Week, Icelandic Fashion Council, Oslo Fashion Week and the Swedish Fashion Council) this year’s event benefited equally from valuable cooperation on the part of C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy), an international forum set in motion by Giusy Bettoni to promote the development of green products and business plans in the fashion and design sphere.

The Copenhagen Fashion Summit, where Italian delegates played an important role, culminated on May 3 with a runway show competition featuring fifteen Scandinavian brands. The contestants sent down the catwalk a series of eco-glam creations in 100 percent Italian textiles and materials made available by C.L.A.S.S. To the winner—Danish fashion designer Susanne Rützou—went two prestigious awards: the White Award, from the eponymous tradeshow that (every season during Milan Fashion Week) exhibits high glam Italian and international brands; and the Newlife™ Honorable Mention, from Newlife, the Miroglio Group’s technological textile platform. Both White and Newlife are C.L.A.S.S. partners.

The Fashion Summit has also become a special stage set for the elegant display of couture marking the partnership between the Green Carpet Challenge and Giusy Bettoni of C.L.A.S.S. While the former is the project spearheaded by Livia Firth and British journalist Lucy Siegle to get stars to grace the world’s most spectacular red carpets in nature-friendly gowns, Giusy Bettoni makes every effort to provide top fashion designers with the necessary environmentally ethical materials. On the arm of her husband, Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth, Livia stole the show at the Golden Globe and Academy Awards ceremonies in her stunning Giorgio Armani and Valentino creations made from eco-friendly fabrics.

Source: C.L.A.S.S.

Export.gov presents webinars on the intricacies of NAFTA. A basic overview of NAFTA is the purpose of the webinar on May 16, titled Basic Guide to Exporting: Taking Advantage of NAFTA.

More webinars in the near future include:

Roles and responsibilities of the importer, customs broker and freight forwarder
June 13, 2012; 2–3 p.m. EDT
Cost: $25
Registration
Learn how the importer, customs broker and freight forwarder can efficiently and effectively facilitate the export of your products to Mexico and Canada. Understand the benefits, rules and regulations of NAFTA. You will be able to ask questions and get answers from the speakers. For more information, please contact Linda Abbruzzese.

The Importance of the HS Number, Preference Criteria, NAFTA Certificate of Origin and essential documentation for exporting to Mexico
July 11, 2012; 2–3 p.m. EDT
Cost: $25
Registration
Understand how to select a Harmonized System Number / Schedule B Number, Preference Criteria as well as how to fill out a NAFTA Certificate of Origin and other documentation. Learn how to comply with the rules of NAFTA. You will be able to ask questions and get answers from the speakers. For more information, please contact Linda Abbruzzese.

Source: Export.gov

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 14, 2012

Small business owners looking for ways to develop their businesses are invited to take part in National Small Business Week’s free networking and educational forums and dialogue with leading business experts during National Small Business Week, May 20-22 in Washington, D.C.

The free forums include a town hall with SBA Administrator Karen Mills on why small businesses are good for the long-term health of any economy; a social media forum on best practices for putting new media tools to work for small businesses; and an exporting forum on how SBA can help businesses find customers abroad. The schedule also includes sessions on federal contracting, selling to large companies, and business matchmaking with major corporations and government agencies.

The town hall and forum events will be webcast live to allow business owners across the country to participate if they cannot attend in person. While registration is required to attend forums and sessions in person, the live online webcast will be available free at the National Small Business Week website.

The scheduled forums include:

• Town Hall Meeting—Small Businesses Creating an Economy Built to Last
• Exporting Forum—Taking Your Business Global
• Social Media Forum—Join the Conversation (hosts will take your questions in person and on Twitter using the hashtag #SBW2012)
• Federal Contracting Educational Sessions—Small businesses will learn how to market themselves to the federal government and go after government contracting opportunities
• How Small Businesses can win Big with Large Companies—Small businesses will learn how to work with large companies to sell their products.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 11, 2012

U.S. and E.U. textile and clothing import prices rose sharply in 2011 reflecting hikes in raw material prices, according to Issue No. 155 of Textile Outlook International from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Between March 2009 and March 2011 the average cotton price rose by 346 percent while the global price index for synthetics—acrylic, nylon, polyester and polypropylene fibres—rose by 71 percent. Since then, prices have declined, but in January 2012 they were still well above the levels seen in March 2009.

In response, suppliers of textiles and clothing to the E.U. raised their prices by an average of 9.2 percent in 2011. The effect was to almost snuff out the recovery in the market since 2009’s recession.

In 2011, the average price of U.S. textile and clothing imports rose by 12.2 percent to $1.89 per sme—its highest level since 2001.

E.U. imports rose marginally in volume terms, but there was a significant reversal in the U.S. as imports fell in volume by 3.2 percent after growing by 19.0 percent in the previous year.

The average price of E.U. textile and clothing exports also rose significantly during the year, up by as much as 13.7 percent.

Interest in substitute fibres was already apparent in U.S. imports in 2011. The increase in the average import price was stronger in the case of cotton apparel than in apparel made from other fibres. Imports of cotton apparel fell by 10.2 percent as buyers were put off by higher prices. By contrast, imports of man-made fibre apparel rose by 14.9 percent.

One of the major topics of conversation at recent European yarn fairs was the high cost of raw materials, particularly cotton and wool. Indeed, spinners and fabric manufacturers were finding it difficult to give forward prices for their products because of the volatility of cotton prices, and this resulted in an increase in interest in linen and viscose.

As spinners await news of the 2011/12 cotton crop, the future of the raw cotton market remains uncertain. Price volatility may be something the fibre, textile and clothing industry will live with for the foreseeable future.

Textile Outlook International is published six times a year by Textiles Intelligence. Each issue provides an independent and worldwide perspective on the global fibre, textile and apparel industries.

Source: Textiles Intelligence

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 10, 2012

In early January, OEKO-TEX® proposed criteria and limit values for tests on harmful substances in the textile industry. The test requirements are now part of OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and were implemented on April 1, 2012. The test requirements consider all Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Candidate List relevant for textile production including the 20 chemicals added on December 19, 2011. Every OEKO-TEX certificate issued will also confirm that the certified item group complies with the provisions of Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation relating to restricted substances such as azo-dyes or nickel.

The identification and publication of additional SVHC substances within the REACH regulations will continue to be monitored closely in relation to the OEKO-TEX test criteria.

The most important new regulations of the OEKO-TEX Criteria Catalogue 2012

• Synthetic fibres on which solvents are used during the spinning process, such as elastane and polyacrylic as well as coatings and polyurethane foams will now also be tested for N-methyl-pyrrolidone and Dimethylacetamide.
• Relevant test samples such as coated items, plastic oil prints, flexible foam materials and accessories made of plastic are investigated for four new phthalates used as softening agents.
• The limit value for extractable chromium is specified for leather products in product class IV at 10 mg/kg. This exception from the usual chromium limit values for textile items corresponds to the best available technology in the market and does not conceal any toxicological risks for the intended use of such products.
• A new supplement deals with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification of items such as tents, prams, office chairs and rucksacks.

You can find more information about the new OEKO-TEX Test Criteria and about REACHCompliance from the Secretariat and from the member organisations of the International OEKO-TEX Association

Source: OEKO-TEX Association

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 9, 2012

The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a business matchmaking event allowing small businesses to discuss procurement opportunities with major corporations and federal agencies during National Small Business Week on May 22 in Washington, D.C.

The event will give small business owners from across the country an opportunity to learn about specific contracting and subcontracting opportunities by meeting face-to-face with contractors and federal agency representatives. This is part of SBA’s Procurement Day, which will also feature federal contracting panels on gaining access to federal contracting and subcontracting opportunities.

The business matchmaking sessions are open to small businesses that register for National Small Business Week. Small businesses must have a DUNS number, which can be obtained by going to the DUNS official website, and must be registered in Central Contractor Registration, the federal government’s official database of small businesses wishing to secure federal contracts.

The face-to-face matchmaking meetings will be 15 minutes, matching approximately 150 businesses and 20 buyers based on their compatibility and the buying needs of the federal agencies and corporations. Small business owners interested in participating must first register for National Small Business Week.

During the forums, small businesses will learn how to market themselves to the federal government and attain government contracting opportunities. Once small business owners register for the workshops, they will have the option of attending any of three sessions:

• Government Contracting 101: Small Business Contracting Programs
• Insights into Federal Contracting Opportunities with Federal Agency Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBUs)
• Improving your Business through Subcontracting Opportunities

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

DSM Dyneema announces accomplishments at its ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber manufacturing facility located in Greenville, S.C. DSM Dyneema’s continues its commitment to the defense, law enforcement and civilian protection sectors through life protection innovations that “lighten the load” and increase peace-of-mind protection.

Hugh Welsh, President of DSM North America, said, “We are extremely proud of the Greenville facility, which epitomizes DSM Dyneema’s leadership in materials innovation, advanced technology and performance excellence. The two recent milestones that Greenville has achieved [are] supplying Dyneema® HB80 composite for the new Enhanced Combat Helmet and opening the first full commercial scale ballistic tape facility... .”

DSM Dyneema’s HB80 unidirectional (UD) composite played a critical role in Ceradyne Inc.’s successful development of the new Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) for the United States Marine Corps and Army. Dyneema HB80 composite used in the ECH provides fragmentation performance without increasing weight and is manufactured exclusively at the Greenville plant.

The other major accomplishment is the new, large-scale facility for manufacturing Dyneema Ballistic Tape. This product gives manufacturers greater flexibility in armor design while providing cost-effective protection against high-velocity fragments. Applications include both body and vehicle armor such as spall liner, inserts and shields.

DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema is an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber. Dyneema fiber floats on water and is resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. Dyneema is used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. Dyneema is also used in bullet-resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.

Royal DSM N.V. is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. DSM delivers innovative solutions in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials.

Source: DSM Dyneema

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 4, 2012

Herff Jones chooses REPREVE®, made by Unifi Inc. to help make spring commencements greener. This year, students from colleges and universities can feel even better about their commencement ceremonies because they will be wearing REPREVE-based graduation gowns.

More than 140 colleges and universities have chosen Renew Graduation caps and gowns made with REPREVE. Over 240,000 graduates will walk in Renew caps and gowns, including students from the University of Houston, University of Michigan, Syracuse University, Marquette University, Johns Hopkins University and Providence College.

REPREVE is made from recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles. Each Herff Jones graduation gown made with REPREVE uses about 29 post-consumer plastic bottles, collectively using nearly seven million post-consumer plastic water bottles this year.

“Recognizing that these gowns are a onetime use product, it was very important to make them from REPREVE, helping to reduce their overall environmental impact,” says Tom Carew, vice president and general manager of the Cap and Gown Division of Herff Jones. “Following commencement, through the Renew Gown Recycling Program, graduates can donate their gowns to be recycled back into REPREVE, helping to create a closed loop recycling process.”

“In the United States less than 30 percent of all plastic bottles are recycled and it is our goal to educate people on how recycling and choosing products made with REPREVE can have a positive impact on the environment. These students are the future of this country and can start to encourage change in consumer behaviors for recycling,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO of Unifi.

REPREVE can be found throughout many products made by Ford, Polartec, Haggar, The North Face, Patagonia, AllSteel, Hon and Blue Avocado and others.

Unifi Inc. is a diversified producer and processor of multifilament polyester and nylon textured yarns and related raw materials. Unifi’s yarns and brands are found in home furnishings, apparel, legwear and sewing thread, as well as industrial, automotive, military and medical applications.

Herff Jones works closely with customers to create a climate of achievement through graduation products, class rings and jewelry, yearbooks, educational publishing and motivation and recognition tools. Founded nearly 100 years ago in Indianapolis, Indiana, Herff Jones is an employee-owned organization focused on building long-term relationships.

Source: REPREVE

SpecialtyFabricsReview.com | May 3, 2012

The American Association of Textile Colorists and Chemists’ (AATCC) Chemical Applications Interest Group is partnering with the Southern Textile Research Conference (STRC) to offer a joint conference May 20–22, 2012 in Pawley’s Island, S.C., USA.

The program will focus on sustainability, innovation and opportunity in the textile industry. Confirmed presentations and speakers include:

• Supply Chain Collaboration: The New Paradigm for Sustainable Textiles, John R. Easton, DyStar U.K. Ltd.
• Optimizing Dyeing Process with Dyebath Monitor, Bill Dixon, HueMetrix Inc.
• Digital Denim: Innovation in Garment Finishing, Carly M. Spano, Cotton Incorporated
• Improving Sustainability with a Low Liquor Finishing Process, Peter Tolksdorf, A. Monforts Textilmaschinen GmbH & Co. KG
• Insect Repellent Textiles—Technology & Commercial Applications Don A. Alexander, Anovotek, LLC
• Personal Protection Innovations, Jeffrey C. Moreland, Ansell
• Dual-Sided Fabric Finishing via Plasma, Peter J. Hauser, North Carolina State University
• Nano-optics of the Biological World (Color from Nature), Mohan Srinivasarao, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Performance Characteristics of Cotton, Brian C. Francois, Pulcra Chemicals LLC
• Inorganic Nanotechnology in Textiles, Jesse S. Jur, North Carolina State University
• Learnings and Advances in Textile-based Phase Change Materials, Mark Hartmann, Outlast Technologies Inc.
• Updates from the EU: Nano Silver Particles, Environmental Impact and Policy, Samuel B. Moore, Hohenstein Institute America Inc

For additional information and to register, please visit AATCC’s symposia website.

AATCC is a not-for-profit textile professional association, serving the textile industry since 1921. AATCC is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., U.S.A., and provides test method development, quality control materials and professional networking for members throughout the world.

Source: AATCC

With a focus on the equipment used by end product manufacturers in their shops, the July issue of Specialty Fabrics Review offers an especially good opportunity for equipment manufacturers to provide potential buyers with information about their new products.

Part of this special feature issue will be devoted to new equipment, tools and accessories available on the market in the last year, or soon to be available. To submit information, go to www.ifai.com/forms/equipment, complete the form, and upload a product description and photo.

You will be asked about what is new or unique about the product, what special advantages it offers the user, and for what end products, processes or applications it is well suited.

Contact Janet Preus, editor, at jlpreus@ifai.com or +1 651 225 6979 if you would like more information. Deadline for submission to the July issue is May 18, 2012, but submissions to subsequent issues of the Review may be made at any time via the “contact us” tab.

In a former church in Pula, Croatia, a huge object with trumpet-like appendages hangs from the rafters, with each opening an inviting red-carpeted cave. The installation, “Tuft Pula,” is the latest startling creation of Numen/For Use, a Croatian-Austrian design collective working in the fields of scenography, industrial and spatial design and conceptual art. Many Numen/For Use experiential artworks use adhesive tape for temporary installations; in “Tuft Pula,” the tape generates a primary form that is self-contained and transferable.

The rough, industrial surface of carpet backing forms the exterior of “Tuft Pula,” while the interior consists of soft organic tunnels of tufted red carpet. The object, suspended on very thin steel ropes more than nine feet off the floor, rocks as people enter. “Visitors who go into the installation are so, so careful and they are always a bit scared to fall down or out of the installation,” according to a Numen/For Use interview excerpt. The combination of anxiety and comfort visitors feel in the inviting curves of carpeted tunnels is part of the experience. “After the initial caution, the user starts perceiving the functional aspect of the installation, utilizing the softness and sound isolation … as an inward facing collective sofa.”

Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater sparkled with music luminaries—including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars—during the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, but the massive white fabric stage setting blasted with LED lights held up to the glittering competition. The set design, consisting of 70-by-50-foot tensioned fabric petals covering the walls, ceiling and floor, offset huge video screens showing a feast of film and music delights. The sleek mid-century-modern-inspired staging won Moss Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., a 2011 BizBash West Event Style Award of Excellence in the Best Staging and Set Design category. It also received an IAA Award of Excellence from the Industrial Fabrics Association International in 2011.

German designer Florian Wieder specified stark white fabric for the sweeping fabric “petals,” which became a canvas for LED lights that changed for each performance and presenter. Fabric wrapped the entire frame, held in place with zippers, and required only minor adjustments after the first fit. The frame can be taken apart and reassembled, but took four days to install and required the theater to remove 2,600 seats. “What I tried to do was create a kind of three-dimensional space, where the entire space is part of the show,” said Wieder. “We use it all ... the whole ceiling, the floor, the walls. It’s really an impressive thing.”

Open-ocean, warm-water fish farming could potentially provide a future food source in countries struggling with famine or drought. At the Aquaculture America 2012 conference, NET Systems Inc., Bainbridge Isle, Wash., introduced a product that increases the likelihood that such efforts will succeed. The PREDATOR-X net, a hybrid of Dyneema® high-strength polyethylene fibers and stainless steel wire, resists tearing, cutting and penetration by sharks, one of the major threats to open-ocean aquaculture.

The PREDATOR-X was developed by NET Systems and DSM Dyneema, Stanley, N.C., using the Ultra Cross netting platform: an advanced, four-strand, braided, continuous-filament, knotless netting technique used in products for heavy-duty commercial fishing. It was field tested by the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) aquaculture cage in the Bahamas, where a full-scale farm of cobia stock is underway. The PREDATOR-X net is thinner than other anti-predator systems; increases water flow and oxygen into farming cages; reduces drag; and lowers need for maintenance, increased insurance premiums and required inspection dives. Other predators that could be thwarted by the PREDATOR-X net include crocodiles, seals, sea lions and piranhas.

The main lobby of the new W Hoboken Hotel and Residences in Hoboken, N.J., sends a modern and sophisticated message to hotel guests with a floor-to-ceiling metal mesh façade framing the welcome desk. Flexible stainless steel metal fabric panels (in the Shade pattern) from Cambridge Architectural, Cambridge, Md., wrap the entire lobby wall and reflect cool purple-colored light back to visitors seeking accommodations, nightlife or a chic resting spot between business meetings.

The metal fabric system features a new attachment method, allowing metal fabric panels up to 60 feet to be installed in tension, but much closer to the wall, using the unique Micro-Eclipse attachment system. Custom-cut apertures receive the metal fabric ends in tubing integrated into a bracket and structural support design, with tube sizes appropriate to emphasize or conceal the attachment, as the design dictates. Stainless steel mesh is extremely durable, reduces maintenance and is 100 percent recyclable, making it a recommended choice for architects seeking LEED credits for sustainable design.

Charlie Keese, owner of Mister Sew-N-Sew Custom Canvas, Ballston Lake, N.Y., received a commission from a not-for-profit organization to make a dust cover for a fire truck—a fire truck with a past as well as a future. MacBoston Truck’s mission, “to keep the memory alive of all firefighters who have died in the line of duty,” involves using the Albany, N.Y., nonprofit’s oldest fire truck as a caisson for firefighter funeral and memorial services. The 1936 American Lafrance is the oldest fire truck of several owned by MacBoston Truck, and is therefore the most difficult to repair or replace.

Keese had attended a Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) vendor show a few years earlier and learned about Softouch™ fabric, manufactured by MarChem CFI, New Haven, Mo., a laminated polyester fabric with a nonwoven, non-abrasive backer. “I immediately thought [Softouch] … would be perfect for this job, because it had an exterior surface that was easy to clean and an interior with a soft flock finish,” says Keese. The final cover protects the finish on the antique vehicle between uses, ensuring that when the truck is used for educational events, parades and memorials, observers are moved to remembrance and respect for the risks taken by firefighters in their communities.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis met with Los Angeles apparel and textile executives to urge them to take advantage of the various free-trade agreements negotiated by the U.S. government. “Our mission in life is to grow exports that support new jobs,” says Marantis. The Trans-Pacific Partnership creates a huge opportunity for U.S. apparel exporters, according to Marantis, even though it has a yarn-forward provision. Industry leaders appreciated the visit, but other experts expressed concern about the Administration’s optimistic outlook. “The U.S. government needs to find some way to grant visas to the hundreds of illegal apparel sewing workers who populate many of the sewing contractors in town,” said Joe Rodriguez, executive director of the Garment Contractors Association of Southern California.

The European Commission and the U.S. have settled a long-standing dispute concerning a practice called ‘zeroing’ that the U.S. uses to calculate duty rates for products that are dumped on the market at below-market prices. Zeroing is a calculation method that led to higher duties for EU exporters, despite the method being found inconsistent by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in a series of dispute settlement cases. “This understanding solves this long-standing dispute,” says EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. “It will bring immediate relief to EU exporters who will no longer have to pay excessive anti-dumping duties … We have now re-established a level playing field for our companies.” The change in policy could save EU exporters approximately $15 million per year.

When a vehicle crash triggers an airbag, the chemical reaction that inflates the bag blows out waste particles and gases. Autoliv Inc., Stockholm, Sweden, has found a better way to inflate airbags. Autoliv’s new inflator uses hydrogen and oxygen with inert gas to inflate the airbag, which produces water vapor when it deploys, a much better environmental outcome. The mixing of hydrogen and oxygen takes place in the airbag’s textile cushion, rather than in a traditional airbag’s steel vessel. The new inflator weighs approximately 20 percent less than its counterpart, reducing resource use and energy consumption. If the company increases hydrogen/oxygen airbags to a quarter of its total production, Autoliv could save an estimated 1,000 tons of steel each year. As for vehicle passengers, the lighter weight could save them an estimated two million gallons of fuel over the lifetime of the car.

Corn-husk fiber may be the next big thing in sustainable textiles, if two research scientists at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have their way. Professors Michael James and Yiqi Yang have developed “Husker fiber” into a prototype sweater, but require millions of dollars in capital to develop hundreds of pounds of the fiber for manufacturers to test and apply to specific products. James and Yang want to construct a bio-fibers development lab to produce large quantities of Husker, and have received $500,000 from the Nebraska Research Initiative and nibbles of interest from Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance and NUtech Ventures. “If you look at any industry, somebody had the idea and didn’t proceed with it and somebody else came along and grabbed it,” says James, who is certain the new fiber will succeed in the marketplace. Read more about Husker fiber at The Daily Nebraskan.

Garments made of fabric embedded with technologies such as flexible circuitry, antennas and power sources will revolutionize life in the 21st century—once methods to manufacture those wearable products can be harnessed. An agreement between Genevieve Dion, director of Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Philadelphia, Pa., and Shima Seiki USA Inc., Monroe Township, N.J., a knit production machinery and support company, may bring mass production closer to reality. The company’s $1 million investment in the Shima Seiki Haute Technology Laboratory at Drexel will allow Dion and an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the colleges of Engineering, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems to develop smart textile applications and methods of production. Whether the wearable technologies deliver messages, power computers or track patients’ vital signs, the challenge continues to be to find practical processes to bring them to life.

According to the latest issue of Performance Apparel Markets by Textiles Intelligence, Wilmslow, U.K., smart textiles and wearable technology are poised for rapid growth, if key issues with power sources and laundering can be resolved. Internet-savvy younger users want connectivity, speed and multiple-function communication options. The aging population will benefit from wearable technology that monitors heart rate, temperature, respiration or activity levels. According to the report, 70 percent of mobile phone and most new laptops have Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which will enable many new sensor-based devices (including those integrated into garments) to connect to the Internet. It is estimated that as many as 300 million sensor-based devices will be on the market by 2016.

A new report by Visiongain, a London-based provider of industry and business intelligence, indicates that military body armor and personal protective gear will be a $1.07 billion market in 2012, despite defense budget cuts planned by many nations, including the U.S. “An underlying desire and responsibility to provide the best protection to military personnel will spur demand for new and advanced equipment.” The report, “The Military Body Armour and Personal Protective Gear Market 2012-2022,” contains tables, charts and figures that quantify and forecast market trends; reports on three submarkets and 12 leading national military body armor and protective gear markets; and profiles of 20 leading companies in the market.

Concerns over global climate change and a rise in energy prices are likely to create opportunities in nanotechnology discoveries in the energy sector. Royal DSM N.V., Heerlen, The Netherlands, has invested in NanoHoldings LLC, Rowayton, Conn., a company that specializes in nanoenergy breakthroughs and research. DSM Venturing is focused on teaming up at early stages with innovators in materials science; NanoHoldings finds, supports and commercializes breakthrough materials science discoveries in partnership with universities and leading scientists. Nanomaterials with mechanical, electrical and thermal properties that may have many applications promise to become a part of the energy future.

Needlepunch nonwoven fabrics are a popular choice for applications as varied as furniture construction and oil spill containment. Thrace-LINQ Inc., Summerville, S.C., has supplied woven and nonwoven geosynthetic technical fabrics, but is now expanding into new markets, including industrial, automotive, building materials, absorbency, furniture and bedding. The company’s advanced fiber processing capabilities allow it to use a range of polymers, such as polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene and polymer and color blends. The company offers custom solutions and can design and efficiently manufacture needlepunch fabrics in both large and small volumes for clients working on new applications.