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Fibres, filaments and yarns

Solving existing technical problems with the production of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres is the goal of three Chinese inventors.
Researchers in Japan claim to have developed a polyester-based fibre that is antistatic but can still be produced as a fine, false-twisted yarn with all the desirable textile properties of such an ite
A new thermo-formable yarn that has potential application in the medical sector, such as orthopaedic bandages, received the 2009 Techtextil Innovation Prize for new materials.
At the recent Techtextil trade fair held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Smartfiber launched Smartcel Hygienic, a functional lyocell fibre that incorporates copper to counteract pathogens, such as bact
Lenzing has developed a fibre that offers the wearer protection from solar radiation.
Unitika Fibers of Japan is to expand production of its Thermotron fibre, targeting the 2010/11 Autumn and Winter sports clothing market.
Treating the surface of a polyolefin or polyolefin copolymer fibre or fabric with oxidoreductase enzymes increases the hydrophilicity, according to the speciality chemicals company Ciba.
Teijin Aramid of Arnhem, The Netherlands, has proposed a method for spinning and washing aramid fibre that allows for the effective recovery and re-use of sulphuric acid and water, uses low amounts of
A conductive bicomponent fibre that is suitable for practical use in antistatic clothing has been developed in Japan by Kuraray Co Ltd.
Momentum Textiles - a supplier of contract textiles based in Irvine, California, USA - has chosen a recycled flame retardant (FR) polyester fibre, Repreve(r) FR, for a range of privacy curtains that i
By combining biodegradable, renewable materials that are cheap with superabsorbents, researchers at Weyerhaeuser Co in the USA aim to improve the design and function of absorbent articles.
An improved method for stretch-breaking fibres to produce staple yarn is the subject of US Patent 7 454 816.
Researchers in Japan have found a way to make metaaramid (m-aramid) fibres that have better processing and use characteristics, particularly at high temperatures.
A thermally bondable conjugate fibre specifically engineered for use in the formation of carded webs is the result of work at Japan's Teijin Fibres Ltd.
Hollow-core fibres that exhibit an antimicrobial effect have been developed by Eastman Chemical.
Spun nanofibres and nanofibre-reinforced polymers for use in medical devices are disclosed in an international patent, WO 2007/117296, by Boston Scientific SciMed.
NanoHorizons, a provider of nano-scale antimicrobial performance additives, and commission speciality dyehouse, G J Littlewood & Son, have developed a process to integrate NanoHorizons' SmartSilve
Workers at Eastman Chemical Co have developed multicomponent fibres derived from a blend of a sulphopolyester with a water non-dispersible polymer.
Teijin Fibers is to begin the commercial production of a high-strength polyester nanofibre called Nanofront at its Matsuyama plant in Japan.
A US inventor has patented a way of making carbon fibres with surface porosities that are easily optimized to suit a variety of applications.
Teijin Fibers Ltd of Osaka, Japan, has patented a method of producing an islands-in-sea type composite spun fibre,which has island components each with a maximum diameter of 1 m.
NanoHorizons and Indopoly (Thailand) Ltd, a part of the Indorama Group, have entered into a partnership to produce polyester yarns with permanent antimicrobial properties.
Americhem Inc, a global supplier of custom colour and additive solutions for synthetic fibres and polymers, has teamed up with Cocona Inc to create a unique masterbatch of activated carbon.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the USA have developed a method for making fibres from wheat proteins.
A strong,melt-spinning polyethylene fibre with superior lightness and cut resistance has been developed by Japan's Toyobo.
A new polypropylene fibre from FiberVisions is claimed to be creating unique opportunities for nonwovens producers to enter the bulky nonwovens market, and meet increasing demand for fabrics with impr
Scientists from theTechnical University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, have found a way to control the direction and deposition of fibres formed by an electrospinning method.
Diolen Industrial Fibers has revealed further details about how it makes filament yarns from polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) in International Patent Application WO 2006/097281.
Addressing the need for fibres that retain their superabsorbent properties under pressure, researchers in the USA working for Stockhausen say they have devised a method for making such items.
Researchers in the USA have been electrospinning block copolymers to create fibres with superhydrophobic properties.
Electro Fiber Technologies (EFT) LLC has commercialized its patented, metal-plated carbon fibre products intended for use in aerospace, defence, automotive, construction, medical and electronics appli
Korea's Hyosung Corp has patented a method for extruding cellulose fibre (International Patent WO 2006/071101).
A cellulose-based moisture-absorbing material has been developed by the US Department of the Navy.
Korea's Hyosung Corp has patented two polyester fibres that contain a phosphorus-based flameretardant agent.
Polysaccharide fibres having water absorption and antimicrobial properties are disclosed in US Patent 7 229 689 by SSL International.Wound dressings can be made from such fibres, says the company base
Diolen Industrial Fibers has introduced a high-tenacity multifilament made with Fortron(r), a polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) made by Fortron Industries LLC.
A multi-component fibre containing a temperature regulating constituent, in the form of a phase-change material (PCM) has been developed in the USA by Outlast Technologies.
Waxman Speciality Products, a newly formed division of the UK-based Waxman Group, has launched the So range of fibre-based products aimed at the speciality textiles market--including functional, cosme
With the opening of its pilot production plant for jetspinning in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Teijin Twaron says it can now manufacture aramid pulp in a completely different way.
A stretch-breaking process for continuously making strong spun yarns is the subject of International Patent WO 2006/020404.
Asamer Basaltic Fibers GmbH introduced a fibre (ASA.TEC) based on basalt at the JEC Composites show in Paris, France in April 2007, claiming the chemical composition of its product could be tailored t
Blending fibres to achieve specific technical objectives is a growing trend for NorthAmerican yarn spinners as fabric companies and their customers strive to put something unique in the market, report
China's Shanghai Tanlon Fiber Co Ltd will introduce a new fibre based on polysulphonamide (PSA) at Techtextil/ Avantex 2007 (12-14 June 2007, Frankfurt, Germany).
Nanocomp Technologies Inc (based in Concord, New Hampshire, USA) says it has successfully produced a revolutionary textile material from long, carbon nanotubes.
A synthetic fibre with flame retardancy sufficiently high for use in bedclothes, mattresses and furnishing has been developed in Japan.
In the continuing search for permanently antistatic synthetics, the US fibre maker Solutia Inc has developed a polyester and claims it to be electrically conductive.
Japan's Toray Industries Inc is using bamboo to make cellulose fibres. In European Patent 1 679 294, the Tokyo-based company claims its fibres are suitable for woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics.
Bamboo is the latest natural fibre component to be added to the range of Dri-release moisture management yarns from Optimer Performance Fibers, based in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
Researchers in France have been comparing the reaction of high-performance fibres, particularly when they are used in fire barriers.
Treating lignocellulosic materials with an aqueous solution of an amphoteric cellulose derivative containing an electrolyte can lead to the production of paper with a high wet strength or rayon fibres
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