Features

Mount Vernon FR’s massive manufacturing complex in the northwest corner of Georgia, USA, has become one of the leading suppliers of flame-retardant fabrics over the past decade, recently driven by the rapid growth in North America’s energy exploration sector, reports John McCurry.

Russian correspondent Eugene Gerden explains why the government and the industry are optimistic about the prospects for domestic manufacturers of technical textiles and nonwovens.

By extruding biopolymers, Spanish researchers have successfully made polymeric optical fibres with unique geometries and biomaterials for tissue engineering. The team behind the Volfil project reveals its findings to Technical Textiles International.

Spanish researchers have been investigating how to select the best substrates, inks and deposition methods, as well as optimal designs in order to exploit the printing of sensors onto textiles. They report their preliminary findings for Technical Textiles International.

The outdoor industry is the vanguard for sustainable manufacturing practices in the textile and apparel sector, according to John McCurry who attended the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show in Denver, Colorado, USA to learn more.

The extraordinary process of alternating current (AC) electrospinning, which works without either nozzles or a collector, was demonstrated at ITMA 2019 (in Barcelona, Spain, on 20–26 June) to crowds of curious onlookers. Adrian Wilson was among them, and reports on the process.

Improvements in the technologies employed, increases in capacity, an end to the structural problems that have plagued the industry since its inception and a voracious home market all combine to indicate that China’s domestic suppliers of carbon fibre have a very bright future, reports Jason Chen.

Exhibitors of digital printing technology at the latest ITMA (which was held in Barcelona, Spain, on 20–26 June 2019) did brisk business and showed plenty of innovations, according to Adrian Wilson.

DuPont is a household name, owing at least in part to its track record of producing innovative products for the textiles industry. However, many of these developments are over half a century old. Now, fresh from its split with Dow, the company is targeting the smart textiles market with its most recent development, Intexar. Adrian Wilson reports.

Technical Textiles International’s preview of ITMA 2019 (in Barcelona, Spain, on 20–26 June) continues with the latest developments in software, and auxiliary equipment and machinery. James Bakewell picks his highlights.