From the Sector

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) will be exhibiting once again at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt, which runs from April 21 – 24. Techtextil attracts major international companies at the cutting edge of technology, which are seeking innovative solutions to technical challenges, so this event represents an ideal opportunity to demonstrate FET’s strength in helping customers achieve their goals.

FET is an acknowledged leader in laboratory and pilot melt spinning equipment for a vast range of applications. These include precursor materials used in high value technical textiles, sportswear, medical devices and specialised novel fibres from exotic and difficult to process polymers. 

Where melt spinning solutions are not suitable, FET provides a viable alternative with pilot and small scale production wet spinning systems. In addition, FET has also recently launched its FET-500 Series of gel spinning systems. These systems have the potential to revolutionise the research and development of UHMWPE fibres, with significant savings in cost, footprint and environmental factors.

As part of the launch of the FET-500 series, FET’s Senior Scientist Dr Kristoffer Kortsen will be a speaker at the Techtextil Forum on Wednesday 22 April. All visitors are invited to come along and find out more about FET’s new process exploiting super-critical fluids. To date, FET has successfully processed over 130 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats, collaborating with specialist companies worldwide to promote greater sustainability through innovative manufacturing processes.

FET’s Fibre Development Centre further enhances this service, allowing clients to trial their own products in an ideal environment. Resident equipment in the Fibre Development Centre reflects the wide range of fibre extrusion and other systems offered by FET to clients worldwide and will enable continued growth of the company through innovation.  

Managing Director Richard Slack and his technical team will be in attendance on the stand. Slack commented. “We have now exhibited at over 10 Techtextil exhibitions around the world and we again look forward to meeting customers face-to-face to discuss their fibre technology requirements.”

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, will present a portfolio of six sustainable denim innovations at Kingpins Amsterdam from April 15-16, 2026. Under the theme “Creating Possibilities in Denim”, the showcase reflects Archroma’s commitment to giving brands and mills solutions that are as commercially compelling as they are environmentally responsible.

“Denim leaders are strongly motivated to reduce environmental impact, but cannot afford to sacrifice market appeal or production efficiency,” Julio Perales, Technical & Product Segment Manager Denim, Archroma, said. “At Archroma, we continuously challenge conventions, with an R&D philosophy that accepts nothing less than eliminating hazardous chemicals and processes while simultaneously improving performance and reducing resource use. That’s how we have built such a broad portfolio of game-changing solutions.”

At Kingpins Amsterdam, visitors can explore:

CLEANER DYESTUFFS
Archroma denim dyes address the most persistent challenges in indigo and sulfur dyeing – from hazardous impurities to resource-intensive synthesis processes.

• DENISOL® PURE INDIGO: The industry’s first synthetic aniline-free* indigo makes it possible to produce authentic indigo-dyed denim that complies with major eco-standards, reduces pollution risk and creates denim that can be more sustainably recycled.
• DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK: Archroma's cleanest sulfur black dyestuff ever – and the winner of the 2023 Just Style Excellence Award for Innovation in Dyes – delivers an overall lifecycle impact reduction of 57%** versus standard Sulfur Black 1, with no ammonia, no sodium salts waste, no liquid effluents and 73% less water in synthesis.
• DIRESUL® RDT: With a comprehensive bluesign®-approved sulfur dye palette spanning blues, blacks, navies, khakis and fashion colors, DIRESUL® RDT supports topping, bottoming and self-shade applications across the full range of denim styles.

CIRCULAR COLORANTS
Archroma's biosynthetic dye ranges replace petroleum-based raw materials with upcycled waste streams, turning circular economy principles into commercially deployable color solutions.

• EARTHCOLORS®: A patented range of biosynthetic dyes derived from non-edible agricultural and herbal waste (such as leaves and nutshells), EarthColors® helps reduce the negative impact on water footprint, natural resources and climate change.
• FIBERCOLORS®: Synthesized with a minimum of 50% wool waste raw material, FiberColor® solves a problem for sheep farmers while advancing sustainability for brands.

UPSTREAM DYEING INNOVATION
Winner of the ITMF 2025 Sustainability & Innovation Award, DENIM HALO is a yarn pretreatment and dyeing process that enables superficial ring-dyeing at the denim mill. This allows downstream garment laundries to achieve popular high-contrast distressed effects by laser or washdown – avoiding the hazardous potassium permanganate sprays, hand scraping and harsh bleaching these looks have traditionally required.

“Impact assessments using Archroma’s One Way Impact Calculator show substantial environmental benefits for DENIM HALO versus standard processes,” Julio explained. “But even better, DENIM HALO doesn’t require mills to choose between sustainability and business performance. It’s designed to work within existing mill workflows, so there’s no need to modify standard dye recipes or set up. And it actually improves fabric performance by reducing yarn shrinkage and boosting garment tensile strength.”