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Tensioned textile lamp could lead to smart fabrics in cars
December 2nd, 2025
This interactive lamp works without having a control screen. The user just touches the raised knitted areas to control brightness and color of light. The base contains all the electronic parts, including controls keeping the liquid metal embedded in the fabric at the correct temperature for responsiveness. Image: WINT Design Lab/Michelle Mantel In the interactive […]
Telavalue finds textile waste is a billion-dollar business
December 2nd, 2025
Knitted fabrics using yarn made of mechanically opened cotton fibers from postconsumer denim. Image: VTT/Susanna Raiskio A Finnish research project called Telavalue concluded that recycling could bring parts of the textile production chain back to Europe as big business. “In Europe alone, around 10 billion kilograms [11 million U.S. tons] of textile waste are discarded annually. […]
Naturalmat mattresses made with recycled denim
December 2nd, 2025
A sleeping mat from the Naturalmat x Cotton Lives On™ collection, with a piece of the interior filling used to make it, made from recycled cotton. Image: Naturalmat Naturalmat, based in the U.K., offers sustainably made mattresses and bed linens, utilizing materials such as coconut fibers and recycled denim. Founded in 1999, the company initially […]
Water-repellent textile finish research uses cottonseed oil
December 2nd, 2025
Untreated cotton fabric absorbs water droplets (top), and cotton fabric treated with a form of cottonseed oil repels water (bottom). Image: American Chemical Society/Richard Venditti Much work in the textile industry is happening regarding removing PFAS and formaldehyde from finishes to create greener alternatives. North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers have created a polymer […]
Biodegradable fiber could mean less fishing-net waste
December 2nd, 2025
Researchers at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have developed a high-performance polyester-amide (PEA) fiber that decomposes by more than 92% in one year under marine conditions and is also compostable and recyclable. The scientists envision gill nets made of the material, which fishermen typically use just a few times. The nets spend […]
Kevlar reduces weight in race car parts
December 2nd, 2025
Kevlar® EXO™ fiber has been incorporated into new crash-resistant fuel bladders for World Rally Championship cars. Image: DuPont/One Magnify World Rally Championship race cars have incorporated Kevlar® EXO™ in their new crash-resistant fuel bladders, lowering the component’s weight by about 20%. DuPont and Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL) had success with a similar collaboration for Formula […]
Highlights from Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 in Indianapolis
December 2nd, 2025
Advanced Textiles Expo this year returned to the Midwest for the first time in more than a decade, coming back to a region with thousands of fabricators. That resulted in a lot of first-time attendees at the show as new faces filled the expo hall show floor at the Indiana Convention Center. This year’s Advanced […]
Death, taxes and canvas repairs
December 2nd, 2025
Oyster Creek Canvas tries to schedule most of its repairs for the winter months because these projects are less weather-dependent. Image: Oyster Creek Canvas Death and taxes may be certain, but for those who own boats, so is canvas damage. For many marine fabricators, the industry is becoming increasingly complex due to computerized patterning software, […]
When loyalty hurts a family business more
December 2nd, 2025
Image: Dreamstime.com/© Viacheslav Iacobchuk “I can’t fire them—they’re family” can be a dangerous phrase in a family business. This deep-seated loyalty can create complications in the business if loyalty over performance is prioritized. Among the many excuses for not parting ways with family are: “It’s not a good time”; “This will end my relationship with them”; […]
Advancements in automotive textiles
December 2nd, 2025
A typical application of face-structured, needlepunched nonwovens is as the lining of an automobile trunk, where weight reduction over tufted solutions is desired. Shops doing auto upholstery are a key customer for DVC. Image: DVC Textiles for the automotive market are an exacting product segment but also one full of opportunity, whether producing materials for […]