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Textiles’ role in alternative energy
September 1st, 2024
Portable alternative energy success: Pvilion’s solar fabric combines shelter with power generation. Image: Pvilion According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the amount of renewable capacity added to energy systems around the world grew by 50% in 2023, reaching almost 510 gigawatts (GW), with solar/photovoltaic accounting for three-quarters of additions worldwide. The IEA forecasts that […]
Smart fabrics testing and standards under development
March 1st, 2024
A glove made on a Shima Seiki SWGN knitting machine on display at Advanced Textiles Expo 2023 in Orlando, Fla. The SWGN machine created the glove in 19 minutes at a speed of 1 meter (3.3 feet) per second, including a conductive yarn knit in the first two fingertips to allow the user to operate […]
Booming business of self-care technologies
October 1st, 2021
AlignMed® NeuroBand® technology is designed to help correct posture and improve alignment. Photo: William Fregoso. The idea of caring for our health and wellness is no longer confined to New Agers or the self-obsessed. According to “Feeling Good: The Future of the $1.5 Trillion Wellness Market,” a report by global consulting firm McKinsey & Co., […]
The circular future of specialty fabrics
July 1st, 2021
Climatex® Dualcycle™ technology combines new wool, Lenzing™ FR and recycled nylon to create a recyclable upholstery fabric. Its development was spurred by a desire to achieve circularity without compromising performance standards. Photo: Climatex AG. When it comes to sustainability, the textile industry has come a long way since it tentatively dipped its toes into the […]
Electric and solar vehicles drive the future of automotive textiles
May 1st, 2021
BMW’s future interactive car interior (2020) is designed with BYBORRE textiles featuring the i Interaction EASE cabin, which uses smart surfaces that transform into three modes of experience: exploration, entertainment and ease. Photo: BYBORRE. Marie O’Mahony and Debra Cobb contributed content to this article. Recent reports illuminate key factors that will influence the automotive textiles […]
What’s driving transportation textile trends?
April 1st, 2021
Camira Fabrics’ iconic textile pattern on the London Underground. Celebrating 200 years in transportation textiles in 2022, Camira Fabrics looks forward to contributing to a new line linking London to the West Midlands. Photo: Joe Green on Unsplash. The transportation industry is undergoing massive disruption, driven primarily by the climate change imperative: electric and hybrid […]
Technology and market demand usher in a new age in ballistics protection
January 1st, 2021
TurtleSkin Metal Flex Armor combines soft and hard armor via a mosaic of interlocking metal tiles within an aramid fabric. Photo: Warwick Mills Inc. The market for ballistic protective clothing has traditionally functioned as a small slice of the military and law enforcement protective markets. Today, however, demand for such apparel is growing at an […]
Initiatives in textile recycling
November 1st, 2020
Circular systems could monetize textile waste while helping to save the planet. by Debra Cobb The textile sustainability landscape is changing. While textile manufacturers, brands and retailers tout their use of recycled or sustainable fibers, mountains of textile waste continue to pile up in the world’s landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in […]
The pandemic is driving more sustainable PPE
November 1st, 2020
by Debra Cobb Disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) is playing a critical role in fighting COVID-19 infections. But now used masks and gloves are littering parking lots, city streets, country walks and showing up in oceans and waterways. Photo: China Global Television Network. From community masks and health workers’ kits, to hospital gowns, drapes and […]
Biopolymers: a green alternative to plastic textiles
December 1st, 2019
Bio-based materials are an increasingly desirable (and versatile) base for textiles in a variety of markets. by Debra Cobb Within global manufacturing’s quest to become more sustainable, biopolymers are becoming an increasingly important area of development. Polymers are the chains of monomers, or building blocks, that make up many materials, including textile fibers. Biopolymers—created from […]