TEXTILES.ORG
‘Love Your Melon’-on wheels
March 1st, 2014
Zachary Quinn and Brian Keller, students at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., launched a class project to fight pediatric cancer called “Love Your Melon.” The “Buy one, Give one” strategy involves asking people to buy a knit hat and donate another, which are then distributed with good humor to children hospitalized with […]
Wall covering: Italy in Beverly Hills
March 1st, 2014
Oil tycoon Edward Doheny built the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills in 1927 to make a grand statement. Less than 40 years later, his elegant mansion with its formal gardens and European sensibility became a public space, purchased by the City of Beverly Hills as a public park and event destination. Interior design firm L’Esperance […]
The sporting world on GreenFields’ turf
March 1st, 2014
The Perth Hockey Stadium is where Australia’s national field hockey teams prepare for and play their most important matches, and Hockey Western Australia wanted the best artificial grass system available for the venue. Following the example of the Royal Netherlands Hockey Association and ten other Dutch hockey clubs, Hockey Western Australia selected GreenFields® TX to […]
New iQ on the firing line
March 1st, 2014
Workers in the electric utility, oil and gas, emerging energy and manufacturing lines face daily risk from flash fires, arc flash and related dangers—and often have to trade comfort for safety in their fire-resistant apparel. Bulwark® FR, Nashville, Tenn., part of VF Corp.’s portfolio of brands, makes durable, flame-resistant protective garments, and in partnership with […]
The next bright idea: light-activated curtains
March 1st, 2014
A research team led by Ali Javey, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, has created a material that moves quickly in response to light. The team layered carbon nanotubes on a plastic polycarbonate membrane. Light is absorbed into the nanotubes, which convert it to heat and transfer […]
Nonwovens in outer space
March 1st, 2014
The European Space Agency launched a satellite in December 2013 that will survey an unprecedented one percent of the 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Technical Fibre Products (TFP), Kendal, England, provided specialty nonwoven fabrics incorporated into the satellite GAIA’s solar shield, part of the multi-layer insulation that manages temperature extremes in space. TFP develops […]
‘Landing zones’ for completing TPP
March 1st, 2014
With the year-end 2013 deadline for completing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) now passed, the focus has shifted to completing the talks ahead of a visit by President Obama to Asia planned for April 2014. Although TPP negotiators are said to have identified potential compromises or “landing zones” on key outstanding issues last December, they […]
OEKO-TEX sustainability tracking tool
March 1st, 2014
Textile companies have a new option to have production plants independently evaluated and certified as using sustainable technologies and social working conditions. “STeP by OEKO-TEX®” certification helps brand providers, manufacturers and retailers select textile companies that meet their sustainability principles and requirements. Now, OEKO-TEX, Zurich, Switzerland, makes supply chain sustainability tracking even easier with a […]
Textile finishes fight viruses and bacteria
March 1st, 2014
The “cure for the common cold”—as well as other viral and bacterial infections that cause bronchitis and diarrhea—is prevention through good hand washing, covering aerosols produced during sneezes and keeping surfaces clean. The Hohenstein Institute, Bönnnigheim, Germany, has demonstrated the benefits of copper-based fabric finishes in surface wipes that absorb 91 percent of viruses and […]