Safer on the job

October 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

A safe, clean and pollution-free workplace is important in offering a quality of life for a labor force, which also enhances worker productivity. But there can be multiple risk factors in a work environment, including mechanical or electrical hazards, extreme heat or cold, toxic chemicals, noise and…
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Defining “textiles”

August 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

When is a material a textile? When is a textile a fabric? The unprecedented scope of new materials in development—by academia, government-funded technology groups and start-ups—is challenging traditional concepts of fabric formation. How this will impact the larger industry is a useful question …
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Sustainable options for functional fabrics

July 27, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

A recent report from the Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns about hazards caused by a projected global warming of 1.5 degrees C in the next two decades. The report emphasizes the importance of proper urban planning, infrastructure development, healthy living ecos…
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A look back at 2022 Smart Fabrics Summit

June 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

IFAI’s Smart Fabric Summit returned to an in-person event with a new location at North Carolina State University (NC State), its producing partner. This choice allowed for adding another day of activities that included student demonstrations and tours of the Zeis Textiles Extension complex and the…
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E-fibers and yarns have haptics and security applications

May 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Electronic or e-yarns are a natural development within e-textiles as the sector strives toward greater miniaturization, flexibility and a more seamless integration of electronics and textiles. What has started to emerge in a relatively short time is the added value and novelty that it can bring to b…
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Incremental or disruptive?

April 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Addressing the challenges of COVID-19 has underscored the importance of having faith in the ability of science and technology to make our lives better. While the textile industry has been an integral component of the manufacturing sector before COVID-19, people generally would not have realized that…
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New Year, new reasons to know your supply chain

March 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) which will significantly raise the stakes for any company importing from or doing business with China. Most significantly, once the statute fully comes into effect in 2022, importers of a wide range …
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Environmentally speaking

February 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

We are standing at an inflection point in world history. We can create an environment that raises the standard of living around the world,” President Joseph Biden said in his speech at COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. “This is a moral imperative, and it is also an econom…
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Providing your own power

January 1, 2022  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Power and efficiency are important drivers in energy harvesting technology for e-textiles, but there is much more to consider. Bulk, weight, flexibility, sustainability, ease of integration and scalability are also among the important factors. The complex requirements for energy harvesting e-textile…
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Textiles that support energy conservation fill a growing need.

November 1, 2021  |  Advanced Textiles, Markets

Although many people are not aware of it, textile materials are important components of the energy and sustainability equation. Not long ago, the public, generally, knew little about the textile materials in products such as layered fabric face masks. That all changed as the entire world turned to w…
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