News

Italian spunmelt manufacturer Union Industries has purchased a Reicofil production line to make nonwovens for speciality hygiene applications.

EconCore of Leuven, Belgium, has licensed its technology for the continuous production of honeycomb sandwich materials to what it describes as “a leading textile manufacturer in North America.” 

Clarcor, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, has acquired Fiberio, the manufacturer of technology for nanofibre nonwoven filter media.

A researcher at Deakin University claims to have improved the methods for the design and synthesis of carbon fibre precursor polymers.

Seattle-based start-up company Sewbo says that it has achieved the long-sought goal of automated sewing, by using an industrial robot to sew together a T-shirt.

European polypropylene (PP) staple fibre supplier Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) has announced a €30-million investment to extend production capacity at its Meraklon plant in Terni, Italy, and

Huntsman Advanced Materials has revealed some of its initial results from its work incorporating graphene into its Araldite epoxy resins. 

A polyethylene (PE)-based fabric that could become the basis for garments which keep people cool in hot climates without the need for air conditioning has been developed by researchers at Stanford

Teijin Ltd is to acquire North American automotive composites supplier Continental Structural Plastics Holdings (CSP) Corp for US$825 million. 

BASF has announced that it will be reducing its European production capacity for caprolactam by 100 kt – to 400 kt – over the next 18 months. 

Imagine IM of Rosebery, New South Wales, Australia, has completed the first independent field trials of its imgne X3 conductive geotextiles enhanced with graphene in Melbourne, Victoria.

Disposable diapers comprising breathable elements made of low-cost nonwoven webs with improved barrier properties are disclosed by Procter & Gamble.

A compression garment (11) that provides relief from perspiration has been developed by Covidien of Mansfield, Massachusetts, USA.

A novel monofilament suture that offers improved knot security and flexibility is disclosed in US Patent 9 393 343 by Samyang Biopharmaceuticals.

Japan’s Oji Holdings has reportedly entered Myanmar’s disposable diaper market, joining such competitors as Unicharm and Kimberly-Clark, according to Nikkei Asian Review (3 September 2016)

Polish researchers from the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants (IWNIRZ) in Poznan, the Faculty of Material Technologies and Textile Design at the Lodz University of Technology, Poznan

Start-up LeMond Composites has secured a licensing agreement with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the latter’s method for slashing the cost of producing carbon fibre. 

A three-dimensionally (3D) printed composite trim-and-drill tool has received the title of ‘largest solid 3D printed’ item by Guinness World Records. 

Sigvaris, a provider of graduated compression devices, has completed the acquisition of BiaCare of Holland, Michigan, USA.

For the development of durable aircraft floor brackets for its ARJ21 regional jet, Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd (COMAC) is using the materials and services of Victrex.