Features

A combination of the general downturn in the US economy and deep cuts to the defence budget has hit many companies hard. John W. McCurry describes how SSM Industries’ diverse approach has helped buffer the company from the worst effects.

From its origins, Norafin has remained a pioneer of both technology and product innovation, traits that have survived changes of ownership and fluctuations in external economic conditions. Nick Butler examines what drives such dynamism.

SeaCell is a fibre that is kind to the skin, offers functionality (such as antimicrobial properties) and is made from natural materials using a closed-loop process that is environmentally friendly, according to Pooja  Anade and Kishorkumar Parbat.

The applications for nonwovens in electric-powered vehicles differ substantially from their uses in conventional cars, but low weight, low energy consumption and high fuel efficiency are the common goals, according to Adrian Wilson.

The use of strong, lightweight carbon fibres could enable carmakers to reduce the fuel consumption and environmental impact of their vehicles, but currently such materials are prohibitively expensive. Innovations in production and conversion will be vital if carbon fibres are ever to be used in mass-production applications, says James Bakewell.

Italian developers are building a machine for the atmospheric plasma treatment of wool and aim to begin commercial trials in 2014. Nick Butler reports on what could be a major step towards full-scale industrial exploitation of this technology.

Friederike von Fragstein is the Project Manager in the Surface Technology Department at Freudenberg R&D Services, Weinheim, Germany. Here she describes her work on the application of plasma surface technology.

Saving resources is important for the textile industry and one possible solution is the use of plasma modification of surfaces, an established technology for other materials, but still in its infancy for textiles. Dirk Hegemann of EMPA discusses the potential.

The development of plasma processing technology to protect electronics from water damage could lead to the first truly wearable electronics, according to P2i’s Communications Executive, Natasha Verniquet.

Discussion at the Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Textile Chemists and Colourists (8–10 May 2013) focused on adding functionality to textiles and reducing the industry’s impact on the environment. Ian Holme reports for Technical Textiles International from Budapest, Hungary.