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Mattress textiles could be used to make EV batteries

August 1st, 2023

In a three-year study at the National Institute for Materials Advancement at Pittsburg State University (PSU) in Kansas, researchers led by Ram Gupta, Ph.D., developed a process that transforms mattress textiles into conductive carbon materials used to make the anodes and cathodes in lithium-sulfur rechargeable batteries. These next-generation electric vehicle (EV) lithium-sulfur batteries have two […]

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The role of fabric, shade in reducing embodied carbon

August 1st, 2023

Using the Adaptive Reuse strategy, FTL Design Engineering Studio retrofitted an unused baseball stadium in Bridgeport, Conn., to reduce embodied carbon with an all-fabric roof and signature entry marquee. The ROI was a tenfold increase in tickets sold vs. the original baseball team. Photo: Carl B. Vernlund Photography By now it is standard baseline that […]

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Is it the end of polyester (as we know it)?

July 1st, 2023

Bottle wars may not end well for fiber producers. Photo: © Evgeniy Salov, Dreamstime.com Where would we be without polyester? Fibers created from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are ubiquitous in our apparel, home furnishings, automotive, filtration and personal care industries. In 2021, they represented 57.57% of the global fiber market, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool […]

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Fire-resistant cotton through breeding, not chemicals

May 1st, 2023

During a standard 45-degree incline flammability test, regular cotton (seen in the top row) burned instantly when exposed to an open flame. In the same test, the fire-resistant cotton (seen in the bottom row) self-extinguished when exposed to an open flame. Each image is five seconds apart. The top series was fully consumed by flame […]

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Ocean plastic gill nets turning into shoes

May 1st, 2023

When shoe brand adidas made its first running shoe from upcycled plastic waste in 2015, it was just the beginning of its partnership with the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans. The collaboration has worked to intercept plastic waste on beaches and coastal communities before it reaches the ocean, turning the waste into adidas x […]

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Shed Less fleece creates less microplastic in the laundry

May 1st, 2023

Polartec®, a Milliken & Co. brand, announced Polartec Shed Less Fleece, a new milestone in its effort to reduce textile fiber fragment shedding. Shed Less is a process that combines yarn construction, knitting, chemistry and manufacturing to reduce home laundry fiber fragment shedding by an average of 85%.  The Shed Less process works by engineering […]

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Sympatex wins Ecosport Award for best concept in “Eco Design Textiles and Footwear”

February 19th, 2016

Sympatex was awarded the Ecosport Award in the category “Eco Design Textiles and Footwear.” The award goes to products with the biggest effort of reducing their ecological footprint. Sympatex won with its portfolio of 100 percent recycled and recyclable functional laminates. The award was launched by the “French Ministry of Sports and Ecology,” the “Ministry […]

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Stretching colorful options

April 1st, 2015

Here is a winning formula for wide-format print shops: Produce vibrant, high-quality graphics quickly and easily on a variety of materials and in a more environmentally friendly manner. What’s the catch? There doesn’t appear to be one, which is why latex printing is increasingly becoming the choice for many commercial and industrial printing applications. The […]

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