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  1. Issues
  2. December 2011

December 2011

Aerogel insulation for fabrics

1 December 2011
Three USA-based companies, Birdair of Amherst, New York, Cabot Corp of Billerica, Massachusetts, and Geiger Engineers of Suffern, New York, have jointly developed an architectural fabric that they cla
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Tanatex extends its range of finishing chemicals

1 December 2011
Tanatex Chemicals of Ede, The Netherlands, has developed a number of additives for textiles processors, including two for technical applications.
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Fibre-like glass has potential in healing diabetic wounds

1 December 2011
A glass fibre material that could help diabetics who suffer from hard-to-heal open wounds has been developed at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T).
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Absorbent article provides an uncomfortable sensation on wetness

1 December 2011
A disposable absorbent article featuring refastenable side seams and a wetness sensation member has been developed by Procter & Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
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Oerlikon Textile to move headquarters to China

1 December 2011
One of the world's largest builders of textile machinery, Oerlikon Textile, which specializes in technology for making fibres, yarns, tyre cords and nonwovens, is to restructure its business and move
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Phase-change materials in bedding help give a better night's sleep

1 December 2011
A German company is imaging in real time the evolution of temperature and humidity between a human body and an object, specifically a duvet, including layers that cannot be detected by an infrared or
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Quasi-continuous web formation process for medical textiles

1 December 2011
A quasi-continuous web formation process for the production of innovative medical textiles used in tissue engineering was demonstrated at the ITMA textile machinery exhibition held in Barcelona, Spain
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Airbags take to the mountains

1 December 2011
Skiers, snowboarders and those taking outings in the mountains can now protect themselves from avalanches with the Ride Removable Airbag System (RAS) airbag available from Mammut of Seon, Switzerland.
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Australia's Defence Forces extend trial for TenCate fabric

1 December 2011
Trials of combat uniforms by Australia's Defence Forces are to continue with an additional 10 000 uniforms to be supplied by Crye Precision of Brooklyn, New York, USA.
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Covidien launches non-absorbable, uni-directional knotless suture

1 December 2011
Healthcare products provider Covidien of Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA, has launched what is described as the world's first non-absorbable, uni-directional barbed suture, part of its family of V-Loc w
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Nano-pigments for microfibres

1 December 2011
Nano-pigments that allow microfibres to be coloured prior to their extrusion are now being mass-produced in China.
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Kimberly-Clark issues tampon recall

1 December 2011
Kimberly-Clark of Neenah, Wisconsin, USA, has recalled a limited number of its Kotex Natural Balance Security unscented tampons (regular absorbency) in the USA.
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Honey-based medical dressing

1 December 2011
Moist wound dressings that incorporate honey are disclosed in re-issued US Patent RE42,755 by Api-Med Medical Honey, now part of New Zealand-based Comvita.
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Carbon fibre plant to be established in Tatarstan, Russia

1 December 2011
A company called Alabuga-fiber LLC plans to build a plant for the production of carbon fibre in Tatarstan, a republic of Russia.
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Improved fenestrated extremity surgical drape

1 December 2011
A way of forming a fenestrated extremity surgical drape is featured in US Patent 7 997 277 by Allegiance Healthcare, a subsidiary of Dublin, Ohio, USA-based Cardinal Health.
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Flame-retardant viscose

1 December 2011
A flame-retardant (FR) viscose fibre called Verdi was revealed by Kelheim Fibres of Germany at the recent Man-made Fibers Congress held in Dornbirn, Austria, 14-16 September 2011.
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Ahlstrom to close Bishopville plant and shed jobs at several others

1 December 2011
The manufacture of speciality glass-fibre reinforcements for the construction and energy industries at Ahlstrom's plant in Bishopville, South Carolina, USA, is to finish after the company from Helsink
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High-strength suture with coating and coloured trace

1 December 2011
A high-strength, abrasion-resistant surgical suture material with improved handling and knot tie-down characteristics has been developed by Arthrex.
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Zinc oxide additive makes cellulose antimicrobial

1 December 2011
The Hohenstein Institute of Bonnigheim, Germany, has adapted its environmentally friendly cellulose-forming technology called Alceru in order to produce antimicrobial fibres.
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Compound absorbent article with improved body contact

1 December 2011
Disposable absorbent articles with pads for providing improved contact with the perineal regions of the body have been developed by Kimberly-Clark.
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Process for the formation of conductive polyaniline

1 December 2011
Scientists at Ohio State University in Columbus, USA, have won a US Patent (8 038 907) for their process for forming aligned nanofibres of polyaniline.
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New cleanroom facility for Chemviron Carbon Cloth Division

1 December 2011
UK-based Chemviron Carbon Cloth Division has opened a new state-of-the-art 120-m2 cleanroom as part of its multimillion-pound investment programme to increase production capacity.
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New process applies C6-based fluorochemicals to nonwoven fabrics

1 December 2011
USA-based commission finisher TSG Finishing has developed a new process to apply C6-based fluorochemicals to nonwoven medical fabrics used in disposable surgical gowns, drapes and instrument wraps.
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Kinetic Concepts completes merger with Apax consortium

1 December 2011
Medical technology company Kinetic Concepts (KCI) of San Antonio, Texas, USA, has announced the completion of its acquisition by an affiliate of a consortium comprised of investment funds advised by A
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Canadian military opts for TenCate flame-resistant fabrics

1 December 2011
TenCate Protective Fabrics of Union City, Georgia, USA, has won two contracts to supply flame-resistant (FR) fabrics to Canada's military forces.
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Bioresorbable electrospun fibres for medical scaffolds

1 December 2011
Regenerative medicine company Neotherix has just taken part in a UK Trade and Investment Health and Ageing Mission to the US, making presentations at conferences in Boston and San Fransisco.
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Pockets of air for building protection

1 December 2011
Sometimes called 'frozen smoke', aerogel is the lightest and best insulating solid in the world.
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Microfibrillated bacteria cellulose to replace glass displays

1 December 2011
Composite materials employing microfibrillated fibres of bacteria cellulose as a substitute for glass plate substrates for displays such as liquid crystal or organic light-emitting diode are the subje
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Nature shows the way for self-healing membranes

1 December 2011
Self-repairing layers of porous material could ensure that the membranes of inflatable objects are not only water and airtight but also that they can plug up any holes on their own - at least temporar
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New process for conductive polyaniline nanofibres

1 December 2011
Scientists at the Ohio State University have secured US patent 8,038,907 for their process for forming aligned nanofibres of polyaniline.
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Simple solution for wet or steamed up windows

1 December 2011
As part of a joint project by the Hohenstein Institute and Gebruder Jaeger GmbH in Wuppertal, a new window strip has been developed which absorbs and stores condensation.
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Eden starts up nano-carbon/hydrogen pyrolysis reactor

1 December 2011
Eden Energy reports the production of the first carbon nanotubes at its nano-carbon/hydrogen pyrolysis project in Denver, Colorado, USA.
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Strong results for Zelrix transdermal migraine patch

1 December 2011
NuPathe, based in Conshohocken, Philadelphia, has announced positive top-line results from NP101-009, its second 12-month, repeat use safety trial for its Zelrix migraine patch.
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PV textiles on show at ITMA

1 December 2011
At September's ITMA textile machinery exhibition, held in Barcelona, Spain, the work of the international Dephotex project was showcased, with products featured including car dashboards, pillows and j
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US commercialisation for the Sensium

1 December 2011
The UK's Toumaz has established a joint venture with California Capital Equity to expand the commercialisation and distribution of the Sensium digital plaster.
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UHMWPE tape compares to carbon fibre

1 December 2011
Teijin Aramid has opened a new plant in Emmen, The Netherlands, for the production of Endumax - the world's strongest tape.
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Swiss Technology Award for iLoad

1 December 2011
iLoad, the latest development from Schoeller Textil AG, has received the Swiss Technology Award in the 'Maturity Stage' category at the Innovation Forum, held recently at the Novartis Campus in Basel.
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Zetasizer Nano attracts users at Georgia Tech

1 December 2011
Particle characterization using the Zetasizer Nano is one of an arsenal of research methods available for use at the Nanotechnology Research Centre (NRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the
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Nano-pigments for pre-coloured microfibres

1 December 2011
Nano-pigments which allow microfibres to be coloured prior to their extrusion, for savings in raw materials and improved spinning, are now being mass produced in China.
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Scientists warn of detected harm to algae

1 December 2011
If and how nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) affect aquatic ecosystems are questions still unanswered.
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Cotton base for nano-transistors

1 December 2011
An international team of scientists has developed transistors from natural cotton fibres, gold nanoparticles and polymers.
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New materials from nanocellulose

1 December 2011
Empa researchers in Switzerland have developed a manufacturing process for nanocellulose powder as a raw material for creating polymer composites.
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Cleaning up the Gulf

1 December 2011
The ultrasonic bonding technology of Sonobond was central in the production of many of the nonwoven oil-absorbing booms successfully used to clean up the 2010 Gulf oil spill.
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Range of Coretech protective materials

1 December 2011
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has announced the launch of its Coretech barrier membrane technology platform, which enables the engineering of versatile and lightweight chemical and biological-prot
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Decade of textiles and electronics R&D

1 December 2011
Mass production in textile integration and the encapsulation of electronic components will provide robust and flexible solutions in many segments, according to Andreas Ropert of Interactive Wear AG, b
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New cellulose options at Dornbirn

1 December 2011
Among new cellulosic fibre variants promoted at the recent Dornbirn Manmade Fibre Conference in Austria was Verdi, the new flame retardant from Kelheim Fibres.
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Done deal for DSM

1 December 2011
DSM Dyneema has completed the purchase of IP rights related to the manufacture of light weight air cargo pallet nets made with Dyneema, from Hoffman ACE, based in Friedberg, Germany.
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Twaron in black

1 December 2011
Teijin Aramid has started the production of Twaron Black - the first all-black aramid fibre.
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Boeing to invest $1 million a year in carbon fibre recycling project

1 December 2011
Boeing of Seattle, Washington, USA, plans to invest $1 million a year in a collaborative project with the University of Nottingham in the UK to recycle carbon fibre.
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