TEXTILES.ORG
Maintaining critical funding
April 1st, 2026
The advanced textile industry is affected by acts that provide federal funding, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Commerce, Justice, Science Act. The NDAA funds defense and security efforts at the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, which collaborate with industry on public-private partnerships for R&D and product development. […]
WANTED: Young and ambitious employees
January 5th, 2026
Compass Canvas hosted a portion of the students enrolled in the Spaulding Marine Center apprenticeship program. Image: Camari Henderson/Compass Canvas Business leaders continually explore new ways to recruit and retain workers. This is especially true in the textile industry in regard to drawing in younger people who may not be knowledgeable about the industry and […]
First-step dry decontamination becoming new standard
September 20th, 2025
A District of Columbia 33rd Civil Support Team member simulates decontaminating another member during a field exercise in Ponce, Puerto Rico July 20, 2025. The 33rd trained on surveying, sampling and analyzing pharmaceutical and nerve agent hazards as well as decontamination procedures and contaminated personnel recovery while incorporating federal partners and members of the D.C. […]
Textile waste to wealth
April 1st, 2025
Recovered waste from blow room (pictured) and carding areas can be recovered and turned into usable fiber for additional profit, such as comber noil, which is regularly used as recycled fiber in open-end yarn spinning to make home textiles. Image: Dreamstime.com/© Grafoo Reducing waste lessens Earth’s environmental burden and landfill problem, but it also can […]
Textiles in the defense industry
October 1st, 2024
Finnish Marines with the Nylands Brigade prepare to move out on skis after landing near Alta, Norway, during the NATO allied forces Exercise Nordic Response 24 in March. Image: NATO A synergistic relationship exists between defense agencies and the textile industry. Small-to-medium enterprises enjoy support from the defense sector through funding mechanisms such as the Small […]
AI’s potential in saving manufacturers time and money
May 1st, 2024
Smartex, an automation company in Porto, Portugal, produces AI-enabled products for textile factories, such as the Smartex CORE pictured here. Smartex CORE is designed for circular knitting machines and uses cameras and sensors to scan the fabric for irregularities and faults. It also uses light analysis to catch defects not visible to the human eye. […]
FiberTect wipe tested for “dry” chemical decontamination
March 1st, 2024
FiberTect, a nonwoven wipe invented in the lab of Texas Tech University professor Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D., for use by the military in liquid and gaseous chemical decontamination is being evaluated for dry substances as well. Images: Texas Tech University A nonwoven wipe invented in the Texas Tech University lab of professor Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D., for use […]
Textiles in protection from bioagents, chemical warfare
February 1st, 2024
A scanning electron microscope image showing a close-up of a metal-organic framework/polyethylene terephthalate fiber composite. Image: Northwestern University The medical and military industries are both in need of fabrics that offer protection against biological threats in health care environments and, for warfighters, the threat posed by chemical warfare. The challenges faced are complex; protection against […]
The challenge of innovating
January 1st, 2023
Hexoskin and Astroskin developments from Hexoskin. Photo: Marie O’Mahony Manufacturing to scale is arguably the most significant challenge facing the smart materials and wearable technology industries—and it’s not just desirable, but essential for growth and survival. Without full commercialization, the drive for new developments and research is in jeopardy. There is no shortage of interest […]
Sustainable options for functional fabrics
July 27th, 2022
There is a growing interest in bast fibers like hemp, and the woody core of hemp, which can be used as a green building material. 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 […]