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Smart textiles

Sulzer technology boost for NatureWorks

1 October 2012
Proprietary production equipment that is currently being shipped from Sulzer Chemtech in Switzerland to the NatureWorks Ingeo plant in Blair, Nebraska, USA, will allow the production of new PLA fibres
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Kolon to appeal Kevlar ruling

1 October 2012
Kolon Industries is to appeal against the civil lawsuit for $919.9 million awarded to DuPont against it in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia during 2011.
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Research consortium to exploit smart textiles to alleviate chronic health problems

1 October 2012
A multidisciplinary team of academics from three UK universities has formed a research network, called Second Skin, and won funding to develop smart textiles designed to help individuals with a number
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Major scale CNT production for Nanocomp

1 September 2012

Nanocomp Technologies, a leading developer of performance materials and component products made from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has opened its new headquarteres in Marrimack, New Hampsire, USA, markin

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Wearable electronics for the battlefield

1 September 2012
MC10 has signed a contract with the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC) to develop solar cells that can be directly integrated into the fabric cover of comba
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Molecularly imprinted polymers detect explosives

1 September 2012
A simple and effective method of detecting the presence of explosives based on nano sensors, or molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), has been developed by Raptor Detection Technologies, based in Mar
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Semiconductors with fingertip precision

1 September 2012

The intricate properties of the fingertips have been mimicked and recreated using semiconductor devices in what researchers hope will lead to the development of advanced surgical gloves.

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Natural camouflage with artificial muscles

1 September 2012

Artificial muscles that can be transformed at the flick of a switch to mimic the camouflaging abilities of organisms such as squid and zebrafish have been developed by researchers at the University

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3D printed exoskeleton lets little girl lift arms and play

1 September 2012

3D printing has helped four-year old Emma Lavelle overcome the limitations of a congenital disorder, allowing her to use her arms for the first time.

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Adidas wiring up a football league

1 September 2012
In 2013, US Major League Soccer (MLS) plans to integrate Adidas micoach Elite technology league-wide, to become the world's first 'smart league.'
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'Hot Pants' for Hoy, before gold medal number six

1 September 2012
The technology of wearable electronics developer Fibretronic is playing a key supporting role at the London 2012 Olympics.
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Perfect cold beer with PCMs

1 September 2012
PureTemp PCM technology, a 100% renewable-based phase change material which has been employed in applications as diverse as building insulation, HVAC filtration systems, sports apparel and alternative
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Major progress for Alexium

1 September 2012
Alexium International has closed its commercial agreement with Duro Textiles which is making a substantial investment under an exclusive operating license agreement to apply its environmentally friend
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100% antibacterial protection

1 September 2012
The nanocoating technology of US company XTI is believed to be the first in the world to achieve an antibacterial efficacy rate of 100%.
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New composites by additive manufacturing

1 September 2012
As the price of the technology falls, additive manufacturing, or 3D printing - the process of building up objects in layers - is rapidly promising to move beyond being restricted to expensive prototyp
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20%+ growth for CNTs

1 September 2012
According to a new technical market research report, from BCC Research (www.bccresearch.com), global revenues from carbon nanotubes (CNT) totalled $192 million
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Halloysite nanotubes patent

1 September 2012
NaturalNano, of Rochester, New York, USA, has secured a new US patent covering the use of its proprietary halloysite nanotubes (HNT) in polymeric composite materials, including Nano-particle Fillers a
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CNTs reinforce lightweight search vessel

1 September 2012
Zyvex Marine has launched the LRV-17, a long range vessel built from Arovex, a carbon fibre nano-composite system (carbon fibre reinforced plastic enhanced with carbon nanotubes.
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3D printed carbon goal

1 September 2012
The development of carbon fibre feedstocks to allow new composites to be made by additive manufacturing is the aim of a new joint initiative between 3D printer maker Stratasys and the Oak Ridge Nation
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Molnlycke acquires electrical stimulation wound healing technology

1 September 2012
Molnlycke Health Care, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, has acquired a pioneering electrical stimulation technology that helps to accelerate wound healing.
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Electrospinning an open-structured scaffold

1 September 2012
Bioengineered replacements for tendons, ligaments, the meniscus of the knee and other tissues require re-creation of the architecture of these tissues in three dimensions.
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Self-powered sensors harvest ambient energy

1 September 2012
Wireless sensors that employ transducers to harvest electrical field energy from ambient sources such as fluorescent lighting fixtures have been developed by NanoSonic, based in Giles County, Virginia
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Self-healing nanocomposites

1 August 2012
Qipeng Guo at Deakin University in Australia has secured a new patent - WO/2012/065213 - in respect of self healing polymer nanocomposites and a process for their preparation.
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Solar thin films for construction

1 August 2012
Heliatek has developed transparent solar films which enable tinted windows to generate electricity.
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Spray-on batteries

1 August 2012
A lithium-ion battery that can be painted on virtually any surface has been developed by researchers at Rice University, in Houston, Texas.
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High speed 3D printing

1 August 2012
Printing three dimensional objects with incredibly fine details is now possible with 'two-photon lithography' which involves fabricating tiny structures on a nanometre scale.
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BactiBlock nanosilver in masterbatches

1 August 2012
Thermoplastics compounder RTP Company, based in Winona, Minnesota, USA, has expanded its line of antimicrobial compounds and additive masterbatches to include new products using BactiBlock technology
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Improved dielectric properties for radomes

1 August 2012
L-Glass low-loss glass fibre yarns - originally developed by AGY for electronics applications - are now being evaluated for use in the manufacture of radomes, which have some of the same material prop
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More helmet sensors for the US Army

1 August 2012
The US Army has ordered thousands of additional helmet sensors that can be used to record the severity of head movements and impacts during a combat-related blast or explosion.
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Self-healing nanotube-enhanced glass

1 August 2012

Applied Nanotech has received a $275,642 contract from the US Army to develop glass fibre-reinforced composite (GFRP) panels to improve the protection of facilities from ballistic and blast threats

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Composite wheels cut weight in half

1 August 2012
What is believed to be the world's first one-piece carbon fibre composite car wheel has been developed by Australian company Carbon Revolution.
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Protection for nanoscale structures

1 August 2012
Thin Film Electronics, headquartered in Oslo, Norway, has developed and is patenting a low-cost printable protection for ferroelectric memory products.
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Award for nanocoated Primaloft product

1 August 2012
The Dry Mountain Lite Mitt manufactured by Trekmates has been awarded the OutDoor Industry Award 2012 in the Accessories category for its innovation, durability and environmental benefits.
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New backing for Peratech

1 August 2012
A GBP1.2 million mezzanine investment from Finance Yorkshire's Equity Linked Fund will be used by Peratech to expand its North Yorkshire operations in the UK, build new laboratory facilities and secur
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Positive benefits with Tixpref fabrics

1 August 2012
In order to help reduce cycle times in composites manufacturing, Victrex Polymer Solutions and Tissa Glasweberei AG have co-developed new composite fabrics to be marketed under Tissa's brand name Tixp
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Trevira's new Moisture Control fibre

1 August 2012
Climate catastrophes have caused shortfalls in the supply of natural fibres, there have been increasing difficulties in the wool market and there is a growing global focus on sustainability.
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Fibre craters for deeper black

1 August 2012
Clavella SN2000 is a new fibre developed by Kuraray in Japan which has more than a billion 'micro-craters' per square centimetre on its surface.
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New additive aluminium composites

1 August 2012
Engineers from the University of Exeter have developed a new method for making three-dimensional aluminium composites by mixing a combination of relatively inexpensive powders.
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Nano-enhanced carbon adds strength to boats

1 August 2012
US companies Zyvex Marine and Pacific Coast Marine are partnering to make the lightest and most durable doors, hatches and other marine closures by employing nano-enhanced carbon fibre.
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New graphene-based material with smart fabrics potential

1 August 2012
What is believed to be the most transparent, lightweight and flexible material ever for conducting electricity has been invented by a team from the University of Exeter.
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New Balance insoles with Nanofront

1 August 2012
Teijin is supplying its high-strength Nanofront polyester nanofibre for use in replacement insoles for running shoes made by New Balance.
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Cycling safety with Dyneema

1 August 2012
Most common cycling outfits are made from a combination of regular polyester and Spandex, but while providing a good fit and freedom of movement, they don't provide any protection in the event of a cr
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Commercial agreement for intelligent packaging

1 August 2012
Thin Film Electronics, a Norwegian developer of printed electronics, is to develop a flexible sensing platform for the packaging market with Bemis, a Fortune 500 supplier of flexible packaging.
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TechnoTox project on nano behaviour

1 August 2012
Nanoparticles are now being employed to create products with totally new functionalities, including textiles from which dirt simply runs off or which have an anti-bacterial effect.
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Energy efficient nanofibre lighting

1 July 2012
A new technology platform for the lighting industry based on nanofibres has been shown to provide substantial energy savings while producing aesthetically pleasing light.
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Active wellbeing with Schoeller iLoad

1 July 2012
Cosmetotextiles - the integration of cosmetics into textiles, generally on the basis of microcapsules - will be worth Euro500 million by 2013, it is being predicted, and Schoeller reports that its iLo
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New generation nylon ingredient

1 July 2012
A new technology for the production of adiponitrile (ADN) - a key ingredient for nylon 6.6 - is being launched by Invista.
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Reflective membrane benefits

1 July 2012
A new range of composite fabrics combining spunbond nonwovens with reflective foils and metallised films has been launched by Don & Low, offering benefits in a number of end-use applications, nota
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Nanocoating success with US textile mills

1 July 2012
Industrial Nanotech has recently completed initial installations of its Nansulate with several major US manufacturers in the paper and textile industries for insulation, surface protection and personn
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Semiconductor-enriched carbon nanotubes for printed electronics

1 July 2012
SouthWest NanoTechnologies (SWeNT) has developed a new single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) product with an exceptionally high concentration of semiconducting SWCNT species.
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