1:45 AM
by Textile Industry ·
The eighth annual student design competition, sponsored by AATCC's Concept 2 Consumer (C2C) interest group and by Pantone, gives students a chance to win cash, prizes, and recognition in the textile industry.
Students may work individually or in teams of up to four. American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) student members are eligible. (Students who aren't members yet can easily join!) In addition to cash prizes (up to US$1,000), first and second place winners receive a Pantone Cotton Planner (US$595 value).
Titled Birds of a Feather Walk Together, this year's competition theme includes several components of a real-world design scenario:
The target consumer is a 50-65 year old female, size 12-16 End use is active wear for this consumer's daily walking routine The collection must incorporate a "bird" theme design element
Specific colors (named in the entry brochure) must be used.
AATCC has made entering easier than ever this year. The competition fits into the 2012 spring semester (January to May) to better serve those who wish to use it as a class project. All entries can be submitted electronically.
Entries must be received by April 6, 2012. Winners will be announced by May 22, 2012.
American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) is the world’s leading not-for-profit textile professional and technical association, serving textile professionals since 1921. AATCC, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members throughout the world.
Read entire post Birds of a Feather theme of AATCC’s Competition @ Fibre2fashion
9:50 PM
by Textile Industry ·
Huntsman Textile Effects (TE) held a joint seminar with MAS Holdings recently that aims to address the tough challenges the textile industry is facing in meeting with stricter regulations that govern both the sustainable and environmental business practice.
Besides advocating and encouraging for greater economic and environmental sustainability, the “Partnership Towards Sustainability” seminar held on Nov.18, 2011 at Taj Samudra, Colombo, also focused on partnership approaches on how the industry can work together with leading global textile solutions providers like Huntsman and MAS to create a better environmental future.
This seminar proved opportune for the Sri Lankan textile industry as it gears itself increasingly towards creating a vibrant and conducive environment for sustainable, commercially competitive manufacturing entities, capable of producing high value-added products to enhance living standards.
Remarked Mr Kent Kvaal, Vice President, Sales and Technical Resources of Huntsman Textile Effects, “Huntsman Textile Effects believes that innovative technology is the key to offering better service and in driving environmental sustainability to make a real global difference.
It is our objective to work in true partnership with the Sri Lankan textile industry and partners like MAS Holdings to further our efforts in providing total textile solutions that will deliver higher economic and environmental sustainability for the local textile mills. We certainly look forward to more of such joint opportunities and a successful partnership that contributes to a greener environment.”
Read entire post Huntsman Textile Effects Drives Higher Sustainability Partnerships for Sri Lankan Textile Industry with MAS Holdings @ Fibre2fashion
4:54 AM
by Textile Industry ·
Kronos Worldwide Inc announced a price increase for all titanium dioxide products sold in North America (NA).
Effective January 1, 2012, or as permitted by contract, prices for all Kronos titanium dioxide products sold in North America will be increased by 15 cents per pound.
This increase is in addition to the increases previously announced.
KRONOS Worldwide Inc and its predecessors have been producing titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2) since 1916. During this same time period, the Titanium Pigment Corporation of Niagara Falls, New York, and the Titan Co. AS, of Norway simultaneously began commercial production of this new white pigment that was principally used in paints. Today, TiO2 is the world's primary pigment for providing whiteness, brightness and opacity.
Read entire post Kronos to hike price for all TiO2 products sold in NA @ Fibre2fashion
2:22 AM
by Textile Industry ·
DyStar continues to move ahead of expectations in a tough market, gaining market share and substantially improving on last year’s earnings. All this has taken place in the face of falling market demand and rising cotton costs, as well as wider issues such as the tsunami in Japan in March, political unrest in the Middle East, floods in Thailand in November and ongoing economic instability across the US and Europe.
As its competitors start to embark upon organisational change, DyStar’s own major restructuring will be finalised shortly and is already paying off. The group has successfully transferred production from Germany to China, India, Indonesia and Japan, and its realigned sales and distribution channel in China has achieved higher-than-expected returns in its first months of operation.
The group has enjoyed a busy 2011. It has launched and completed its first global sustainability reporting project, reinforcing a philosophy that has always existed in the company. It has opened a liaison office in Bangladesh and a global auxiliary competence center in Thailand. And it has held a series of ecology & sustainability / best practice seminars in Bangladesh and India.
There has been plenty of activity to extend products and services too. This year brought the launch of the Levafix Dark Blue CA and the Lava Dye Colored Denim Concept. DyStar has shared high-level ecology and sustainability knowledge through a range of platforms, including its Sustainability in Textile Processing booklet, econfidence hangtag programmes, conferences and trade shows such as ITMA.
Read entire post Coloration specialist DyStar moves ahead @ Fibre2fashion
4:51 AM
by Textile Industry ·
The new ceraspace technology from Schoeller Textil AG opens up a new dimension in abrasion proofing and heat resistance. The ceraspace technology displays three times higher abrasion resistance than those of leather and is in addition extremely resistant to contact heat.
The new ceraspace technology from Schoeller owes its outstanding protective properties to a unique composition of special ceramic particles anchored in a polymer matrix. The special ceramic particles are nearly as hard as diamonds and are firmly attached as a 3-dimensional coating to the textile.
A textile with ceraspace proves to perform significantly higher than high quality leather in terms of abrasion (it wears out significantly slower in the the Schopper Abrasion tester –tested with abrasive paper P280 grid).
A second test, the Fall Simulator Test simulates a fall from a motorcycle and damages to the textile after the fall are evaluated. With ceraspace technology, the tested sample supported several crashes at 120 km/h.
Read entire post Ceraspace by Schoeller Textil offers terrific protection @ Fibre2fashion
1:30 AM
by Textile Industry ·
Bayer CropScience AG and Performance Plants Inc. (PPI) have entered into a research and commercial license agreement, giving Bayer exclusive rights for PPI's Heat & Drought Tolerance Technology (HDT) in cotton.
Bayer will leverage this breakthrough technology, which preserves yield by enhancing plants’ tolerance to heat, drought or combined stress. HDT plants achieved significantly higher yields when faced with periods of hot and dry growing conditions in the critical stages of development.
This is the second research and commercial agreement both companies have entered into with each other within the last two years. In 2009, Bayer licensed PPI’s leading Yield Protection Technology (YPT) for their product development and commercialization of drought tolerant cotton. YPT offers protection against yield losses sustained under suboptimal rainfall or irrigation without yield drag under well-watered growing conditions.
All PPI technologies target different mechanisms such as heat and drought tolerance, water use efficiency, yield enhancement, and biomass accumulation. Due to this diverse range, PPI’s biotech traits can be combined or stacked into a single plant variety for genetic and agronomic improvements of all staple crops.
Read entire post Bayer CropScience and Performance Plants sign license agreement on cotton yield improvement @ Fibre2fashion
4:30 AM
by Textile Industry ·
The Supervisory Board of BASF SE appointed Wayne T. Smith (51) to the Board of Executive Directors effective at the end of the Annual Meeting on April 27, 2012. Smith, an American, is currently head of BASF’s Polyurethanes division headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
After 15 successful years on the Board of Executive Directors, Dr. Stefan Marcinowski (58) will retire with the expiration of his contract following the Annual Meeting.
At the same time, the Supervisory Board has extended the appointment of Research Executive Director Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer (56) until the end of the Annual Meeting in May 2015. He has been a member of the Board of Executive Directors since 2003.
Following these changes, the Board of Executive Directors has decided to reassign the responsibilities of Ressort VI and VII effective at the end of the Annual Meeting.
Wayne Smith will take over responsibility for Ressort VI, previously headed by Andreas Kreimeyer, and be responsible for Inorganics, Petrochemicals, Intermediates and Process Research & Chemical Engineering.
Andreas Kreimeyer remains Research Executive Director and will take over responsibility for Ressort VII, previously headed by Stefan Marcinowski. He will be responsible for Crop Protection, Coatings, South America, Biological & Effect Systems Research, Plant Science and BASF Future Business.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and agricultural products to oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful.
Read more about Changes in the Board of Executive Directors of BASF @ Fibre2fashion
4:26 AM
by Textile Industry ·
Rhodia, a member of the Solvay group, and Fulgar, Europe's largest producer of polyamide 66 yarn for the textile industry, engage discussions aiming an agreement to produce and market Emana yarn in Europe.
Emana is the latest innovation in textiles from Rhodia. The result of four years of development in Rhodia’s research centers, Emana is a polyamide 66 yarn which incorporates bioactive mineral crystals in its polymer matrix, making it possible to produce clothes that promote a high level of interaction between the fabric and skin, improving blood microcirculation and cellular metabolism.
Proven in scientific studies, the benefits of clothing made from Emana include improved skin elasticity and smoothness, postponed muscle fatigue and reduced signs of cellulite. The product is recommended for all types of clothing, including underwear, shapewear, sportswear and fashion, seeking to promote consumer health and wellbeing.
With patents applied worldwide, the benefits of this innovative yarn has been successfully assessed by independent world-class laboratories, through recognized scientific protocols, clinical tests and rigorous statistical data treatment. It has also been certified Oeko-Tex Standard 100 - Class 1, being suitable for manufacturing of any type of clothing, including for children.
Read entire post Rhodia + Fulgar to expand intelligent textile yarn Emana @ Fibre2fashion
10:48 PM
by Textile Industry ·
Continuing from the success from its initial launch in October 2010, AVITERA SE from Huntsman Textile Effects, a leading global provider of high quality dyes and chemicals to the textile and related industries, continues to make strides in contributing to the sustainability of one of the earth’s most precious resources – water.
AVITERA SE is a revolutionary, ground breaking technology that help significantly reduce water and energy consumption and CO2 emissions since the dyeing and washing-off process never exceed 60°C. With only five percent or less unfixed dye needing to be removed instead of the usual 15 percent to 30 percent, the number of rinsing baths to obtain the required fastness properties is greatly reduced.
Huntsman Textile Effects continues to deliver relevant products, experienced knowledgeable people and innovative solutions that are tailor-made to help businesses make real savings. Launching the next wave of AVITERA SE range of polyreactive dyes for exhaust application on cellulosic fibers, the improved range now features a broad palette color spectrum that includes the palest to the deepest and the darkest shades.
Read entire post AVITERA SE – a revolutionary solution for Sustainability @ Fibre2fashion
10:33 PM
by Textile Industry ·
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - EPA is conditionally registering a pesticide product containing nanosilver as a new active ingredient.
The antimicrobial pesticide product, HeiQ AGS-20, is a silver-based product for use as a preservative for textiles. As a condition of registration, EPA is requiring additional data on the product to confirm EPA’s assessment that the product will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment, the general standard for a registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
By way of background, on August 12, 2010, EPA posted a Proposed Conditional Registration to the docket for public comment. EPA received 45 public comments, and responses to these comments along with the decision document to conditionally register the product can be found at www.regulations.gov in Docket ID # EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-1012. A description of the additional studies and timeline when the data must be submitted is also available in the docket.
Read more about HeiQ AGS-20 gets EPA’s conditional registration approval @ Fibre2fashion
1:00 AM
by Textile Industry ·
Verdezyne Inc, a privately held industrial biotechnology company focused on producing renewable chemicals and fuels from non-petroleum sources has opened its first pilot plant to produce adipic acid, a key component of nylon 6,6. The new facility, located in Carlsbad, California will be used to accelerate the commercialization of Verdezyne’s bio-based adipic acid, which is one of two components used to manufacture ‘green’ nylon 6,6 and thermoplastic polyurethane resins from renewable sources, such as non-food based vegetable oils.
“We are excited to achieve this key milestone,” said Dr. E. William Radany, president and CEO of Verdezyne. “This is the first demonstration of the production of bio-based adipic acid at scale from a non-petroleum source. Our novel yeast platform enables production of adipic acid at a lower cost than current petrochemical manufacturing processes.”
In addition to lower production costs, Verdezyne’s method for producing adipic acid offers a number of advantages over petroleum-based methods. The company’s yeast fermentation process uses non-food, plant-based feedstocks to produce a variety of commercial diacids. Moreover, Verdezyne’s production methods are expected to generate less CO2 and other pollutants as compared with incumbent methods.
A variety of products are currently produced worldwide from petroleum-based nylon, including engineered plastics, carpets, clothing and other assorted textiles. Production of these types of products translates to an adipic acid market of more than $6 billion globally.
Read entire post Verdezyne opens first "green" nylon pilot plant @ Fibre2fashion
4:48 AM
by Textile Industry ·
Huntsman Textile Effects (HTE) and the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) has joined forces as strategic partners to further efforts in providing total textile solutions that will deliver and enhance economic and environmental sustainability for the China textile industry.
For a start, Huntsman Textile Effects will be working closely with CNTAC on 2 major initiatives that will set to improve mill productivity, efficiencies and to raise the performance of China’s textile markets to world class standards.
The first initiative, due for roll out in early 2012, sees Huntsman Textile Effects providing CNCS color solutions to match 900 cotton shades to meet the national performance standards. Using Huntsman Textile Effects’ best available technologies and range of Novacron dyes, these shades which can be used for brands and mills, will offer the China textile industry both operational excellence while meeting performance and ecological requirements.
Another key initiative is the launch of the Fabrics China Swing Tag program, a co-branding hangtag program that will be based on a robust brand assurance scheme, set against the highest International standard and around a number of value adding effects for fabrics and garments such as easy care, sun protection, water and oil repellence and lasting color.
Huntsman Textile Effects and CNTAC will also be embarking on a sequence of joint activities to boost and promote these programs through conferences, technical events and media to create a new buzz in the industry.
Read entire post HTE & CNTAC form strong strategic partnership @ Fibre2fashion
9:22 PM
by Textile Industry ·
Tronox Incorporated, on behalf of its subsidiary companies, announced the following price increases for all TRONOX titanium dioxide (TiO2) grades:
Effective January 1, 2012 or as contracts allow:
• Latin America $350 per tonne
• Europe/Middle East/Africa 300 Euros per tonne or $350 per tonne in U.S. Dollar markets.
• Asia Pacific $300 per tonne
These increases are in addition to those previously announced. Other increases may be announced locally within each region.
Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Tronox is one of the five largest producers and marketers of titanium dioxide pigment. Titanium dioxide pigment is an inorganic white pigment used in paint, coatings, plastics, paper and many other everyday products.
Read entire post Tronox hikes prices of all TiO2 grades @ Fibre2fashion
