Artificial intelligence in textile patterns and sizing

September 1, 2024  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

A lot of uncertainty surrounds artificial intelligence (AI). What are its limitations? How many human jobs will it replace? Can it be trusted with our private information and security? Will it eventually outsmart us and take over the world? The answers to those questions are still unknown, but one t…
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Mining the opportunity

July 1, 2024  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

Whether aboveground or below, excavating minerals, precious gems or coal, all mining operations face similar challenges: mitigating impact to the land while the mine is active, restoring it when mining is no longer occurring and keeping workers as safe as possible both short-and long-term.
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Sleep apnea textiles balance comfort and technology

May 1, 2024  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

Approximately 39 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and nearly 936 million adults around the world are estimated to have mild to severe OSA. When left untreated, sleep apnea can result in severe health complications. And while innovative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)…
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Textiles and PFAS: Managing the legal risks

March 1, 2024  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of several thousand fluorinated organic compounds. Because of their unique physical and chemical properties, PFAS have been widely used in everything from consumer products such as textiles to industrial applications such as firefighting foams.
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Marine fabricators’ shade innovations

November 1, 2023  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

Changing consumer trends, evolving boat designs, and fabric and materials advancements are giving marine fabricators ample opportunity to exercise their creative muscles. Interestingly, the pandemic’s supply shortages also forced some fabricators to juice up their innovation with excellent results…
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Allergen-reducing textiles

August 31, 2023  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

The COVID pandemic was hard on everyone, but for allergy sufferers, it meant having to announce, “It’s allergies, not COVID!” after every sniffle, cough or sneeze as strangers glared and moved well beyond the required 6-foot distance. Fortunately, those days have passed, but the number of peop…
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Reducing microplastics: Research and what we can do now

July 1, 2023  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

When synthetic textiles and clothing are washed—at both the industrial and the personal level—they shed small plastic particles known as microfibers that make their way into our ecosystem. Microfibers make up more than a third of the type of pollution in our oceans called microplastics, as estim…
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Exciting innovations in textile research at U.S. schools

May 1, 2023  |  Industry in Focus, Markets

New textile products and processes are constantly being developed to meet the needs of the textile industry and other related industries, including aerospace, medicine, robotics, defense and more. Where do these new products and techniques originate?
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