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Fibres, filaments and yarns

Lenzing presents study on the use of Tencel Biosoft in topsheets

1 November 2014
At Outlook 2014 (24-26 September) in Barcelona, Spain, Austria-based fibre maker Lenzing released the results of consumer tests using Tencel Biosoft, an ultra-soft hydrophobic Lyocell fibre type, in t
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Production technologies create opportunities for nanofibres

The rapid development of technology for producing nanofibres is creating opportunities for nonwovens in a variety of high-performance applications, particularly filtration. Adrian Wilson reviews the current state-of-the-art.

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Metallized silver technology for medical and smart textiles

1 July 2014
An Indian company claims to have developed and commercialized a technology (Flexsil) for permanently bonding silver to textile substrates in order to make them antibacterial and electrically conductiv
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Fine-titre recycled polyethylene terephthalate now available

1 April 2014
Wellman International of Mullagh/Kells, Ireland(1), has introduced a fine fibre (1.7 dtex or lower) made from post-consumer recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) feedstock derived from plastic bot
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Lenzing targets European nonwoven manufacturers for latest cellulose fibre

1 April 2014
A cellulose fibre for nonwovens that can be composted after use will be launched at the forthcoming Index14 in Geneva, Switzerland (to be held on 8-11 April 2014).
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Ionic solvents used to make cellulose fibres from wood pulp

1 March 2014
Finnish researchers have developed a novel method for converting cellulose into fibres, which they believe could have "global significance".
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Cotton topsheet developed for sustainable diapers

1 March 2014
Cotton fibre producer TJ Beall and Huntsman Textile Effects have developed a diaper/adult incontinence topsheet made from hydroentangled apertured nonwoven material.
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High-productivity electrospinning with scale-up potential

1 January 2014
Researchers in China are investigating the use of a needleless electrospinning method to make nanofibres of polyethylene oxide (PEO), and claim that the rate of productivity and the quality of the fib
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Polypropylene can store heat

1 December 2013
Asota of Linz, Austria, claims its latest melt-spun polypropylene (PP) staple fibres have a high capacity for storing heat.
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Partnership to develop stretch broken carbon fibre yarns

1 December 2013
Wiesbaden, Germany-based SGL Group has announced a partnership with the Gruschwitz Group of Leutkirch, Germany, to develop products, markets and speciality applications for stretch-broken carbon fibre
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High-tenacity yarn for the wiring harnesses on cars, boats and aircraft

1 December 2013
A high-tenacity coated yarn that its developer claims can withstand mechanical stress, high temperatures and contact with aggressive chemicals (such as fuels and hydraulic fluids) is now being sold fo
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Apparel applications for bio-based polytrimethylene terephthalate

1 November 2013
DuPont Industrial Biosciences of Wilmington, Delaware, USA, says it has developed new apparel applications for its partially bio-based polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) fibre called Sorona.
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Good mechanical properties for biobased polyamide 6.10 monofilaments

1 November 2013
BASF has developed a version of its partially bio-based polyamide (PA) 6.10 suitable for making monofilaments.
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Fibre manufacturers actively developing technical products

The content of the 52nd Man-made Fibre Congress held in Dornbirn,  Austria, in September 2013, underlined the commitment of fibre manufacturers to developments for a range of technical end-uses and markets, says  Adrian Wilson.

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Bio-based polyamide staple fibre

1 October 2013
A polyamide (PA) 6.10 staple fibre made substantially from bio-based raw materials has been introduced by the RadiciGroup of Gandino, Italy.
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Biotechnology used to make ultrapure medical textiles

1 September 2013
A German project is investigating the feasibility of making fibres from raw materials derived from microorganisms.
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Dope-dyed viscose fibres use less water and energy

1 September 2013
F.A. Kumpers of Reine, Germany, has developed a range of eco-friendly Skinfil dope-dyed viscose fibres for use in the production of medical plaster and bandage materials.
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Innovation continues to thrive among fibre manufacturers

More than 1250 exhibitors will be present in Frankfurt, Germany, for the latest, and biggest, Techtextil (11–13 June 2013). Editor Nick Butler has surveyed them all to give our readers exclusive advance notice of the most important innovations that will be on display, as well as to gauge the mood of the industry. In this first article, he looks at developments among fibre, filament and yarn manufacturers.

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Artificial spider-silk fibre close to commercial manufacture

1 May 2013
A German company claims to have demonstrated the viability of commercially manufacturing an artificial silk fibre.
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Incontinence solutions and hydrophobic specialities at IDEA

1 May 2013
At the IDEA 2013 International Engineered Fabrics Conference & Expo held in Miami, Florida, USA, in April 2013, viscose speciality fibres manufacturer Kelheim Fibres of Kelheim, Germany, presented
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TissueGen launches biodegradable drug-loaded fibre products

1 May 2013
TissueGen, a developer of biodegradable polymer technology for implantable drug delivery based in Dallas, Texas, USA, has launched Elute biodegradable drug-loaded fibre products, including pharmaceuti
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Microfibres for wetlaid nonwovens

1 May 2013
Eastman Chemical Co of Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, launched its latest microfibre (called Cyphrex) at IDEA 2013 International Engineered Fabrics Conference and Expo (Miami, Florida, USA; 22-25 April).
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Medical applications for man-made spider-silk fibre

1 April 2013
AMSilk has produced Biosteel, described as the world's first competitive man-made spider-silk fibre and made entirely from recombinant silk proteins.
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Surgical clothing made of Smartcel Sensitive fibre supplied in Italy

1 April 2013
Servizi Ospedalieri is now supplying several hospitals in Italy with surgical clothing made from Smartcel Sensitive fibre.
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AGY expands range of sizings for glass

1 April 2013
AGY of Aiken, South Carolina, USA, has expanded its range of sizing systems in order to enable its glass fibres and yarns to be used with a wider variety of polymers.
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Permanently self-cleaning yarns

1 March 2013
A super-hydrophobic filament yarn with a permanent, built-in self-cleaning effect is the result of collaboration between three German organizations.
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Carbon nanotube fibres a step closer to industrial production

1 February 2013
A carbon nanotube (CNT) fibre that looks and acts like textile thread, and conducts electricity and heat like a metal wire is the result of work by a multinational team.
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Traceable particles embedded in multifilament yarns provide a simplemeans of identification

1 December 2012
Any woven structure can now be identified readily by means of the incorporation of Microtaggant Security Yarns, according to the yarn's developer, Microtrace LLC of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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Sewing thread manufacturers rise to the industry’s challenge

Sophisticated sewing threads must be developed to meet the needs of a broad range of applications for technical textiles. Niki Tait looks at how manufacturers are responding to this challenge and describes some of the special threads now available.

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Fine polypropylene fibres make good spunbond nonwovens

1 November 2012
A method to produce fine polypropylene (PP) fibres that can be used to make nonwovens with good mechanical properties is disclosed by Total Research & Technology's Feluy Research Center of Seneffe
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Industrial-scale process for solvent-spun bamboo

1 November 2012
A Chinese company has proposed a way to make solventspun bamboo fibres that have a high wet modulus.
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Carbon nonwoven can store hydrogen

1 November 2012
A Japanese company claims to have developed a way to make a carbon-fibre nonwoven that is thin and flexible.
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Uniform filaments of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene

1 November 2012
A method for making uniform filaments of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with good mechanical properties is revealed by a Chinese company that claims its process is quick and require
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Polyester fleece made entirely from recycled bottles

1 October 2012
A company in Norway has begun selling a sports garment based on a fleece that is made from polyester (PES) entirely recycled from plastic bottles collected in its own country.
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Hydrophobic, compostable lyocell for wipes and hygiene products

1 October 2012
A lyocell fibre that was used in its initial trials to help to mop up the spill caused by the disaster on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 has now been introduced for
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Flax fibre closes in on commercialization

1 September 2012
A Canadian company has successfully completed its final pre-production trials for the commercial-scale manufacture of a flax fibre intended for industrial, medical, energy-related, composite and texti
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Energy-efficient method to make microfibrillated cellulose

1 August 2012
A combination of treatments with enzymes and chemicals, combined with mechanical processing makes microfibrillated cellulose in a way that requires less energy than existing techniques, according to t
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High-tenacity, low-creep polyester

1 August 2012
A method for making high-tenacity polyester with low creep is disclosed in US Patent 2012/0165496.
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100% chitosan yarn for biomedical applications

1 August 2012
Researchers in Dresden, Germany, have produced the world's first fibres made from 100% chitosan, according to a report by the Forschungskuratorium Textil (FKT).
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'Low environmental impact' yarn for high-performance medical fabrics

1 August 2012
r-Radyarn, a "low environmental impact" yarn for highperformance fabrics developed by RadiciGroup, could have applications in the medical sector, such as bacteriostatic fabrics, elastic bandages and b
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Lenzing and Naturally Advanced Technologies sign development agreement for flax/cellulose blends

1 June 2012
A joint development agreement aims to evaluate the blending of flax with cellulose (modal and lyocell) fibres.
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Fibre developed for long-lasting, deepwater moorings

1 June 2012
DSM of Urmond, The Netherlands, has developed a new version (DM20) of its ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre (Dyneema), specifically for the production of ropes for deepwater moor
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Expanded range of chopped strand glass for reinforcing thermoplastics

1 May 2012
A specialist manufacturer of reinforcements for thermoset and thermoplastic composites, PPG Industries Fiber Glass Americas of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, USA, has added three more chopped strand glass-fi
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Textiles that contain high amounts of temperature-regulating materials

1 May 2012
A European research project has led to the development of multicomponent and cellulose fibres that contain large amounts of phase-change materials (PCMs) capable of regulating temperature.
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Reinforced polyvinyl alcohol is tougher than spider silk and aramid

1 April 2012
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres made by spinning a solution containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and flakes of graphene oxide are tougher than spider dragline silk and para-aramids, claims an Australia-b
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Regenerated cellulose to provide superior thermal insulation

1 April 2012
Two German partners are investigating how to exploit a key property of functionalized regenerated-cellulose fibres to improve the moisture management of thermally insulating clothing.
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Antimicrobial wound contact layer

1 April 2012
Paul Hartmann has disclosed an antimicrobial wound dressing (30) with a wound contact layer (31) that both absorbs exudate and supports the healing process by releasing an active ingredient.
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ConvaTec introduces Aquacel Extra wound dressing in the USA

1 April 2012
ConvaTec has launched Aquacel Extra wound dressing with strengthening fibre in the USA. The dressing is composed of two layers of Hydrofiber Technology stitched together.
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Quick-Med expands Nimbus technology into advanced dressings

1 April 2012
Life sciences company Quick-Med Technologies has amended the license previously granted to India's Viridis BioPharma to include a new antimicrobial polyurethane foam dressing that utilizes Quick-Med's
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Glass reinforcement for long lightweight rotor-blades

1 April 2012
Composite manufacturers seeking to make long lightweight rotor-blades for high-power wind turbines now have another choice of glass fibre with which to reinforce the matrix.
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