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 […]
Advanced Textiles Expo Exhibitor Product Preview
August 1st, 2023
Your first look at the new products and value-added services waiting for you on the show floor at Advanced Textiles Expo 2023 in Orlando, Fla., Nov 1–3. Celebrate textile innovation at Advanced Textiles Expo, where hundreds of exhibitors will bring you the latest products and information from the entire supply chain, from fibers and fabrics […]
Getting new products manufactured and into the marketplace
August 1st, 2023
Air Force Research Laboratory scientists have discovered a unique stretchable conductor that uses a polymerized liquid metal network. Photo: Second Bay Studios This year’s Smart Fabric Summit was again organized by the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) and the Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, N.C., and took place in […]
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 […]
Scott Neville: Prioritize trust to join legacy companies
July 1st, 2023
Fifteen years ago, Scott Neville was a newcomer to the shade industry. In partnership with his father, Ron, he has since acquired three renowned awning companies with more than 300 years of combined industry leadership. And he’s just getting started. An avid challenge-seeker, Neville joined the industry in 2008 in Springfield, Mo. He and his […]
PFAS regulations prompt innovation
July 1st, 2023
Shown here is a water-resistant fabric, one of many offered in the new Milliken Outdoor Fabrics line of non-PFAS DWR performance fabrics designed to stand up to every weather element. Photo: Milliken & Co. As the momentum to eliminate per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) picks up speed, growing numbers of product manufacturers and suppliers […]
Researchers test heat-reactiveness of fabric
June 1st, 2023
The different patterns created for the materials testing. Photos: Aalto Research into reactive textiles goes on around the world. At Aalto University in Finland, researchers have developed textiles that change shape when they heat up, thanks to weaving in liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). The work was done in collaboration with the University of Cambridge in […]
Fair-trade products + blockchain = transparency
June 1st, 2023
London College of Fashion/University of the Arts London students (from left): Sophia Lin, Isha Arora, Faegheh K Band and Jiarui Shi with the “Sandra” Clapping Bag. Photo: LCF/UAL Supply-chain transparency, meet blockchain. Students at the London College of Fashion (LCF) have used the technology to follow the production of fair-trade textile products and create irrefutable […]
Process patented to adhere aerogel to nonwovens
June 1st, 2023
Made of up to 99.8 percent air, aerogel is the lightest solid in the world. Photo: Outlast Technologies GmbH Outlast Technologies GmbH in Munich, Germany, has patented the procedure to adhere aerogel to nonwovens, enabling materials as thin as 1–3 mm to be well insulated and still soft and flexible. The treated fabrics, sold under […]
Sock could evaluate fall risk
June 1st, 2023
Ph.D. candidate Zahra Rahemtulla with the over-sock that can predict near falls and potentially help health care providers assess a wearer’s fall risk. The motion sensor is encapsulated in resin and yarn so the sock can be washed like regular laundry. Photo: Nottingham School of Art and Design Researchers at the Nottingham School of Art […]