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 only about a month total in the water before being discarded. KRICT president Young-Kuk Lee says, “This technology marks a pivotal step toward the commercialization of biodegradable engineering plastics and will significantly contribute to solving the global marine plastic pollution crisis.”

The Ark Nova, a mobile inflatable amphitheater created in response to the 2011 natural disasters in Tohoku, was installed for the first time outside of Japan at the Lucerne Festival Sept. 4–14 in Switzerland.

Much work in the textile industry is happening regarding removing PFAS and formaldehyde from finishes to create greener alternatives.

Naturalmat, based in the U.K., offers sustainably made mattresses and bed linens, utilizing materials such as coconut fibers and recycled denim.

In the interactive textiles feature in December 2023’s Specialty Fabrics Review, an expert postulated that controls one day could be incorporated directly into a vehicle’s fabric surfaces. That might be a step closer with a prototype tensioned textile touch lamp that took a year of multidisciplinary collaboration and research among three organizations in Germany. The project was called “Soft Interfaces” by the collaborators.

A Finnish research project called Telavalue concluded that recycling could bring parts of the textile production chain back to Europe as big business.

World Rally Championship race cars have incorporated Kevlar® EXO™ in their new crash-resistant fuel bladders, lowering the component’s weight by about 20%.

Researchers at Rice University have created an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered soft robotic arm made from a new light-responsive elastomer. The research could lead to new ways to control implantable biomedical devices or manufacturing equipment for handling delicate objects.

One avenue of materials research involves biodegradable substrates. These materials have enzymes or bacteria as a part of their makeup so that when the products reach their end of life, they do not become part of the global textile waste problem. The GROWinK project is similar, although the ink, rather than the fiber, is the carrier.

As our industry has evolved over the past century-plus, so has the magazine you’re reading now. And if you’re reading this online, the web and digital-only publications are definitely part of it. What began in November 1915 with the first publication of The National Tent & Awning Manufacturers Reviewsteadily became more inclusive of a wider range of products as new materials, finishing treatments and niche products were invented over the ensuing decades.