North Carolina State University researchers have demonstrated that a synthetic polymer can remove certain dyes from water and that the polymer can be recovered and reused. The results offer a new method for cleaning wastewater after use by textiles, cosmetics or other industries.

North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers found they could filter carbon dioxide from air and gas mixtures at promising rates using a proposed new textile-based filter that combines cotton fabric and an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase—one of nature’s tools for speeding chemical reactions.

Jenny Sabin Studios, Ithaca, N.Y., is known for using knitting technologies to create structural and architectural applications. Sabin’s “exoKnit” at Neue House in New York City is a recent example of the designer pushing knitting beyond its traditional boundaries. The exoKnit project is a community-centered, public pavilion pergola designed for an urban street experience generated from necessity due to the pandemic. The interior surface of the pergola is made of of soft, digitally knitted, responsive fibers that change color and glow in response to an integrated lighting system and changing programs. An exterior membrane of custom-designed vinyl components provides some protection from the elements during the changing seasons.

Bionic clothing brand CIONIC has collaborated with Swiss industrial designer Yves Béhar and his firm fuseproject to unveil the Neural Sleeve, designed to improve mobility. The FDA-cleared “bionic” leg wearable uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enable greater independence for those living with mobility differences, such as those that may be caused by sclerosis, stroke or cerebral palsy.

A Rice University mechanical engineer has created a hoodie jacket that can raise and lower its own hood at the push of a button without electronics. 

The Flo Mask, a new kind of reusable face mask promises to be light, comfortable and as protective as common disposable masks. Reusable face masks (elastomeric respirators) do exist; the two-chambered gas mask is most familiar—and not popular in the marketplace. But a larger surface area is needed to breathe comfortably, as air inhaled must move through a thick filter.

When it comes to providing warmth, textile products are routinely filled with unsustainable filling materials such as down feathers or polyester fibers. Master’s degree students at Helsinki’s Aalto University, have created a process that replaces those textile fillings with a natural alternative while fostering sustainable farming practices.

Japan-based Mitsui Chemicals has developed a new material that detects and responds to body temperature. Called HUMOFIT®, the material becomes flexible when heated, making it easier to deform. When cooled down, it becomes hard. The material was developed with the concept of “being close to people.” 

North Carolina colleges and universities are joining forces with a key Honduran university to educate and train thousands of students for the next generation textile workforce to meet a rising tide of nearshoring and onshoring in Honduras, Central America and the United States.

Jordan Schindler had a problem. After a dermatologist told him that pillowcases were a leading cause of his acne, he was given a topical medication and told to wash his pillowcase multiple times a week. Instead, Schindler came up with a radical solution—embed active ingredients and medications into fabrics. That idea led to his founding of Nufabrx in 2011, and its first product, the Nufabrx Pillowcase. It is a bamboo pillowcase embedded with tea tree oil and lavender that is released during sleep.