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Safety and protection

Carrington Textiles of Adlington, UK, is set to launch its first stretchable flame-retardant (FR) fabric (Flameflex 275).

A textile that provides improved ballistic protection, particularly against fragments released by detonation/explosion and/or against ballistic objects, has been developed by Blücher of Erkrath, Ge

A method for manufacturing a flame-resistant (FR) textile for protective clothing, particularly for firefighters, is disclosed by Trans-Textil of Freilassing, Germany.

A yarn that enables the production of an improved electromagnetic shielding fabric for use in the manufacture of protective clothing has been developed by

A three-dimensional (3D) knitted fabric that offers high abrasion, cut, tear and/or puncture resistance has been developed by glove manufacturer Granberg of Bjoa, Norway.

A lightweight ballistic protection structure that contains a textile layer of synthetic fibres has been co-developed by two Italian companies, SAES Getters of Lainate (Milan) and Gruppo Rold of Ner

A flame-resistant (FR), high-visibility fabric for use in safety apparel and apparel components has been disclosed by Davey Textile Solutions of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Worldwide Protective Products has developed a protective garment to provide cut, slash, abrasion and/or wear resistance, as well as being thinner and better ventilated than existing products on the

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc says it has won official permission for the establishment of a subsidiary in Vietnam from t

Fibres and fabrics get ready to enter the new Space Race

In their attempts to conquer space travel, today’s private companies backed by entrepreneurs have a rich legacy of development work from the USA’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to draw on, writes Adrian Wilson

Bekaert—a specialist in metal and metal alloy textiles

Founded in 1880, Bekaert of Zwevegem, Belgium, has grown to become a worldwide company with around 30 000 employees specializing in steel wire and coating technologies. For more than 40 years, an important part of this activity has been in developing, making and supplying metal/metal alloy fibres, textiles and semi-finished products, reports Nick Butler.

Safariland Group of Jacksonville, Florida, USA, is using a composite based on ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres to change the way antiballistic glass is installed in handheld

DSM has successfully defended its patent on its ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) Dyneema Force Multiplier Technology for soft body armour.

Slow, but safe—the latest innovations in antiballistic fabrics

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Charlotte Brandt from technical textiles specialist Arville reviews the advances that have been made in the development of antiballistic fabrics, examining the challenges that continue to be met by manufacturers.

Manufacturers striving to improve the design of their body armour could find guidance from the work of a group researchers in the USA.

Protective clothing for use in industrial tasks involving electricity has been developed by researchers from Servis Group, Moscow, Russia.

Ahlsell is cementing its position as a supplier of workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE), snapping-up two companies operating in this market in the space of a week. 

Spectra ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWE) fibre might be best known for its use in body armour, but at the homeland security event Milipol its developer Honeywell will revea

Dornbirn congress addresses the big issues for man-made fibres

Lively debates on topics of importance to the industry, together with many examples of the latest commercial innovations, held the attention of several hundred attendees of one of the sector’s most important annual conferences. Adrian Wilson reports for Technical Textiles International

Arville of Wetherby, UK, has entered into a trade mark licencing agreement (TMLA) with DuPont of Wilmington, Delaware, USA, for the latter's flame-resistant Nomex-branded meta-aramid yarns.

A way to investigate the properties high-performance fibres used in modern body armour has been developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of Gaithersburg

A uniform for firefighters incorporating a wearable device that monitors body heat has been developed by Teijin of Tokyo, Japan. 

Matrix World Group (MWG) Chile has launched its first-ever collection of treated flame-resistant clothing, all manufactured using fabric from Mount Vernon FR. 

A water-based, flame-retardant (FR) acrylic coating is now available that its Japanese co-developers claim is halogen-free, transparent and suitable for application to a range of substrates, includ

The challenge of finding alternatives to fluorocarbon-based finishes

Switching to fluorocarbon-free treatments is proving to be a big challenge for garment manufacturers and is likely to be even more problematic for the manufacturers of technical textiles. Adrian Wilson reports on the latest developments from Techtextil.

The first samples of a spider silk produced by genetically engineered silkworms have been delivered to the US Army for independent testing.

ZF TRW Occupant Safety Systems (OSS) of Alfdorf, Germany, has invested in two multi-ply fabric cutters to boost its European airbag manufacturing capacity.

Invista’s Cordura brand has worked with Carrington to develop a durable, flame-retardant fabric.

Two products intended to simplify the assessment of the effectiveness of fabrics for protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation are now available from the Association of Textile, Apparel & Mate

EuroFibers BV is to launch a range of cut-resistant sweaters (BodyShield) at the forthcoming Techtextil.

DSM Dyneema says that a recent study has proven the long-term performance of soft ballistic personal protection equipment based on its Dyneema ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibr

A UK company is now offering its patented laundry process for the commercial cleaning of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by US firefighters.

A US company aiming to introduce full-scale commercial production of spider silk has secured a long-term lease on land in Texas, USA, where it plans to grow mulberry trees to feed its genetically e

An evolving role for technical textiles in fire protection

While presenting the Society of Chemical Industry’s prestigious Ivan Levinstein Memorial Lecture, Richard Horrocks surveyed the development and use of textiles in fire protection. Ian Holme listened to what he had to say and reports for Technical Textiles International.

A German manufacturer of knitting machinery has collaborated with researchers in the UK to create a balaclava that warms the air being inhaled through it to reduce the risk of athletes, such as run

DSM Dyneema has launched a black version of its ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre for cut-resistant garments.

The development of fibre-based materials for high-performance applications is the goal of the Future Fibres Hub, a research and development (R&D) centre established within Deakin University’s I

Dual of Seoul, South Korea, has invested in a laser airbag cutter (FocusQuantum) for use in its multi-ply airbag manufacturing plant in Jiangyi

A uniform lightweight nonwoven made from microfine glass fibre co-wound with an aluminium foil has been developed as the basis of multi-layer high-performance insulation for use in cryogenic vessel

A US company has developed a patented range of coloured retroreflective materials.

Mount Vernon FR will be exhibiting new additions to its range of abrasion-resistant flame-retardant (FR) fabrics (Resilience) during Safety 2016, to be

A durable, heat-resistant, flame-retardant (FR) fabric that is also highly visible owing to its vivid colour is now available, according to its two Japanese co-developers.

Specifically for fibre manufacturers, Teijin Ltd has developed a range of masterbatches that combine its phosphorus-based flame-retardant (FR) agent (FCX-210) with polymers.

A pile fabric developed to meet new stringent fire regulations for upholstery on public transportation is to be revealed at Techtext

HMT New Technical Materials, an airbag manufacturer based in Xiamen, China, has invested in a complete new system for the manufacture of one-piece woven (OPW) airbags.

Air freight containers are to be made more durable and fire-resistant (FR) under the terms of an agreement between two companies.

Toho Tenax of Tokyo, Japan, is introducing a flame-retardant (FR) thermoplastic prepreg reinforced with high-modulus carbon fibres.

Toho Tenax of Tokyo, Japan, is introducing a flame-retardant (FR) thermoplastic prepreg reinforced with high-modulus carbon fibres.

A UK textile manufacturer has launched a range of flame-retardant (FR) fabrics for children’s dresses along with a plea to toughen-up the safety requirements for such textiles.

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