From the Sector

Polyurethane foam has traditionally been used to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) in vehicles, contributing to passenger comfort. At the Automotive Acoustics Conference in Constance, Germany, Autoneum presented a polyester felt-based sound insulation system that is lightweight, resilient and shapeable, thus combining best-in-class acoustic performance and precise contours with enhanced recyclability.

Flexi-Light PET is manufactured from a novel blend of polyester fibers that is primarily sourced from recycled PET. Through a state-of-the-art production process, Autoneum can adjust the fibers’ orientation to produce a proprietary felt with mechanical and acoustic properties comparable to polyurethane foam. The material is flexible and can be molded into 3D shapes, making it an ideal insulation material for interior components with complex contours, such as carpets and inner dashes.

Composed entirely of PET — up to 90% of which is recycled content — Flexi-Light PET can be used as a decoupler in conjunction with other PET-based technologies within Autoneum’s product portfolio to support full circularity, allowing for the reuse of production waste and end-of-life recycling of the product. Flexi-Light PET is the latest addition to Autoneum's Pure technologies, which are intended to offer an excellent environmental performance throughout the entire product life cycle.

This innovation builds on the Flexi-Loft technology, which is made from a blend of recycled cotton and polyester fibers and was initially introduced by Autoneum in 2021.

The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference 2025 will take place on November 27-28, 2025 at the Eurogress Aachen.

Interested parties have the opportunity to contribute to the conference program and submit an abstract for a talk or poster presentation. Please note that the extended deadline for oral presentation abstracts is June 2, 2025. The Call for Abstracts for poster contributions is open until July 31, 2025.
The conference program includes plenary lectures and themed sessions in the areas of

• Sustainable Textiles and Circular Textile Economy
• Bio-based Fibers
• Synthetic High-Performance Fibers
• Artificial Intelligence in the Textile Sector
• Textile Production
• Smart Textiles & Applications
• Textiles for Medicine & Health Care
• Technology Transfer & Start-up Pitches
• Fiber Composites and Lightweight Construction
• Best Practices – Examples from Collaboration Projects between Academia and Industry
• Functionalization & Finishing

Further information about the conference and the call for abstracts (including the submission form) can be found on the website.

FILTREX™ 2025, EDANA’s flagship event for the filtration industry, wrapped up last week after two dynamic days of discussions, technical advancements, and industry collaboration. This 10th edition brought together more than 100 professionals to explore the latest developments in air and liquid filtration, sustainability, and regulatory challenges.

Industry Insights and Key Conversations
The FILTREX 2025 conference brought together experts from across the filtration industry to discuss innovation, sustainability, and regulatory challenges shaping the sector. The event opened with a keynote by Dr.-Ing. Frank Möbius, Senior Innovation Advisor at UnternehmerTUM and former BMW Group Manager, highlighting the role of Open Innovation in maintaining competitiveness in an evolving market.

Throughout the sessions, industry leaders addressed major trends influencing filtration. Dr. Marc Schmidt (AAF-Lufttechnik) explored how economic and social shifts are reshaping filtration markets, while Anthony Lawson (Hengst Filtration) examined the impact of evolving air quality guidelines and PFAS restrictions on filter design. Experts such as Cédric Vallet (Ahlstrom) and Christof Keppler (Gessner) presented innovations in filtration efficiency, carbon footprint reduction, and the development of biodegradable filter media. Meanwhile, Dr. Pero Mićić (FutureManagementGroup AG) offered a strategic framework for future-proofing businesses against industry disruptions.

Spotlight on Sustainability in Filtration
Sustainability took centre stage at FILTREX 2025, with a dedicated round table that saw insights from Oswaldo Anaya (Freudenberg Performance Materials), Cédric Vallet (Ahlstrom), and Bruce Lorange (Hollingsworth & Vose). The discussions focused on how the industry can reduce its environmental impact while still delivering high-performance solutions. Oswaldo Anaya, Product Marketing Manager at Freudenberg Performance Materials, reflected on the event, saying, “I was glad to join this last edition of FILTREX. It confirmed the great things I’d heard from colleagues about previous events. Highly relevant and timely topics for the filtration industry, plus valuable networking in a relaxed setting.”

FILTREX™ Innovation Award 2025
A major highlight of the event was the FILTREX™ Innovation Award, which this year went to Johns Manville for its Evalith® product. Their groundbreaking recycling process transforms HVAC glass microfiber waste into compounded pellets for injection molding, turning waste into durable, second-life products. The award was presented during a Networking Evening Cocktail at Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, providing an ideal atmosphere for further discussions and potential collaborations.

PFAS-Free Filtration and Industry Innovation
The closing session tackled the critical topic of PFAS-free filtration, revealing solutions like high-performance PFAS-free HEPA media and nanofiber membranes that not only enhance performance but also reduce environmental impact. Industry leaders also discussed upcoming changes in PFAS regulations and the continued push for safer alternatives in the filtration industry.

Looking Ahead
FILTREX™ 2025 firmly established itself as the key event for the filtration industry, providing a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation. As Bruce Lorange, Global Marketing Communications Director at Hollingsworth & Vose, put it: “The recent FILTREX event in Vienna presented a unique opportunity to network, learn, see old friends, and make new ones in the filtration and nonwovens space. The quality of presentations was top-notch—informative and thought-provoking—and the venue provided the perfect backdrop for the thought leaders gathered to take our industry to the next level. A sincere thanks to the EDANA FILTREX team for arranging such an impactful event!”

As the global demand for technical textiles surges, India is emerging as a key hub for innovation and growth. Recognizing the vast potential of this evolving market, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India announced a collaboration for ‘Techtextil India - the country’s premier platform for the technical textiles industry with Austrian Fibers Institute. This strategic alliance between the two-leading platforms in technical textiles will bring the Asia edition of the renowned Dornbirn GFC at a part of Techtextil India Symposium in 2025.

The 10th edition of Techtextil India 2025 which is scheduled from 19 – 21 November 2025, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, will open its doors for the Dornbirn Global fiber congress Asia on 18th November 2025 to be held under Techtextil India Symposium.

The Dornbirn GFC Asia in India 2025 will spotlight on theme titled as ‘Shaping the future: Sustainable Growth in Fiber Solutions and Innovations’. The conference will be led by globally acclaimed subject matter experts, researchers, manufacturers and thought leaders.

The GFC Asia – India Conference will host a diverse line-up of speakers from India and around the world, showcasing cutting-edge innovations and expertise in the fiber and textile industry. The discussions will spotlight ground-breaking advances in spinning technology.

Driven by intensive research and development, the upcoming edition of the Techtextil India will present the innovative strides made by the industry players. From various stages of production of man-made fibre, non-woven and others, to the evolving applications and maintenance methods, the expo will be a source of upgrading knowledge and expanding the network.

Techtextil India 2025 edition is already sold out and has witnessed a strong interest from leading global brands who have signed up to exhibit. Indian government is aiming for the technical textile market to reach USD 40 billion by 2030 and total exports targeted are USD 10 billion by 2030. The Indian government and the industry players are confident that India will soon become the world leader in manufacturing of technical textiles. Schemes like National Technical textiles Mission (NTTM) and Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) are offering the benefits to industry stakeholders. Under NTTM, the government is focusing on 156 R&D projects for driving innovations. The government is also encouraging Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to boost the segment.

The growing focus on sustainability and circularity in textiles is opening up new avenues encouraging reuse, repairing, refurbishing and recycling of the products. Indian government and technical textile educational programmes are witnessing a growth to impart knowledge and skills across categories like medical textiles, mobile textiles, geotextiles, geosynthetics and etc., which represent an attractive future. Applications ranging from medical textiles to sportswear, automotive to construction and environmental sustainability are driving the demand for high-performance materials.

Amidst this backdrop, the collaboration of Dornbirn GFC and Techtextil India 2025 marks a pivotal step in positioning India as a global hub for technical textile innovation and strengthening cross-border knowledge exchange. With the technical textiles market poised to redefine industries, Techtextil Symposium India will also present Meditex Conference during the event.

On November 20th/21st, 2024, the second conference on flame retardancy for composite applications took place in Berlin, organised by the AVK - Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V. in cooperation with the FGK - Forschungsgesellschaft Kunststoffe e.V.

60 participants attended the international event, which this time focused on the requirements in the construction/infrastructure sector in addition to the transport sector.

In 14 presentations, 18 speakers provided information on new developments, requirements and innovations from the fields of standardisation, material development, construction/infrastructure, public transport, automotive and research & science.

Prof. Schartel from the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung began with an introduction to the principle and concept of flame-retardant composites. In the following thematic blocks, the companies CTS Composite Technologie Systeme GmbH and Nabaltec AG provided information on new possibilities and developments at the material level of non-combustible fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP).

The implementation of fire protection requirements in the operation of rail vehicles or for load-bearing FRP components played a major role in the area of construction/infrastructure, as did the sustainability of these building materials, which Frank Lüders from DB Systemtechnik GmbH and Kabelan Thavayogarajah from Fraunhofer LBF reported on in their presentations.

The well-known topic of e-mobility took its place in the automotive sector, where Dr. Christian Battenberg from Clariant Plastics &Coatings (Deutschland) GmbH spoke about flame retardants for applications in this field.

The successful event was rounded off by the Research and Science block with two presentations by Fraunhofer LBF and Deutsches Textilforschungszentrum Nord-
West gGmbH & Centre for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen.

Over the course of one and a half days, the conference provided an important platform for experts from industry and science to discuss the latest developments and challenges in the field of flame retardancy for composites. The high level of participation highlighted the relevance of the topic and underpinned the decision to organise a third round of the conference in 2026.

From Resource-efficient and Recycled Fibres for Textiles and Building Panels to Geotextiles for Glacier Protection: Six award nominees present innovative and sustainable solutions for various industries in the cellulose fibre value chain. The full economic potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be introduced to a wide audience that will vote for the winners in Cologne (Germany), and online.

Again nova-Institute grants the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the context of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference”, that will take place in Cologne on 13 and 14 March 2024. In advance, the conferences advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste and straw, a novel technology for dying cellulose-based textiles and a construction panel as well as geotextiles. The innovations will be presented by the companies on the first day of the event. All conference participants can vote for one of the six nominees and the top three winners will be honoured with the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award. The Innovation award is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

In addition, the ever-growing sectors of cellulose-based nonwovens, packaging and hygiene products offer conference participants insights beyond the horizon of traditional textile applications. Sustainability and other topics such as fibre-to-fibre recycling and alternative fibre sources are the key topics of the Cellulose Fibres Conference, held in Cologne, Germany, on 13 and 14 March 2024 and online. The conference will showcase the most successful cellulose-based solutions currently on the market or those planned for the near future.

The nominees:

The Straw Flexi-Dress: Design Meets Sustainability – DITF & VRETENA (DE)
The Flexi-Dress design was inspired by the natural golden colour and silky touch of HighPerCell® (HPC) filaments based on unbleached straw pulp. These cellulose filaments are produced using environmentally friendly spinning technology in a closed-loop production process. The design decisions focused on the emotional connection and attachment to the HPC material to create a local and circular fashion product. The Flexi-Dress is designed as a versatile knitted garment – from work to street – that can be worn as a dress, but can also be split into two pieces – used separately as a top and a straight skirt. The top can also be worn with the V-neck front or back. The HPC textile knit structure was considered important for comfort and emotional properties.

HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0) – Flame-retardant Board made From Upcycled Fibre Waste From the Paper Industry – Honext Material (ES)
HONEXT® FR-B board (B-s1, d0) is a flame-retardant board made from 100 % upcycled industrial waste fibres from the paper industry. Thanks to innovations in biotechnology, paper sludge is upcycled – the previously “worthless” residue from paper making – to create a fully recyclable material, all without the use of resins. This lightweight and easy-to-handle board boasts high mechanical performance and stability, along with low thermal conductivity, making it perfect for various applications in all interior environments where fire safety is a priority. The material is non-toxic, with no added VOCs, ensuring safety for both people and the planet. A sustainable and healthy material for the built environment, it achieves Cradle-to-Cradle Certified GOLD, and Material Health CertificateTM Gold Level version 4.0 with a carbon-negative footprint. Additionally, it is verified in the Product Environmental Footprint.

LENZING™ Cellulosic Fibres for Glacier Protection – Lenzing (AT)
Glaciers are now facing an unprecedented threat from global warming. Synthetic fibre-based geotextiles, while effective in slowing down glacier melt, create a new environmental challenge: microplastics contaminating glacial environments. The use of such materials contradicts the very purpose of glacier protection, as it exacerbates an already critical environmental problem. Recognizing this problem, the innovative use of cellulosic LENZING™ fibres presents a pioneering solution. The Institute of Ecology, at the University of Innsbruck, together with Lenzing and other partners made first trials in 2022 by covering small test fields with LENZING™ fibre-based geotextiles. The results were promising, confirming the effectiveness of this approach in slowing glacier melt without leaving behind microplastic.

The RENU Jacket – Advanced Recycling for Cellulosic Textiles – Pangaia (UK) & Evrnu (US)
PANGAIA LAB was born out of a dream to reduce barriers between people and the breakthrough innovations in material science. In 2023, PANGAIA LAB launched the RENU Jacket, a limited edition product made from 100% Nucycl® – a technology that recycles cellulosic textiles by breaking them down to their molecular building blocks, and reforming them into new fibres. This process produces a result that is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable when returned to the correct waste stream – maintaining the strength of the fibre so it doesn’t need to be blended with virgin material.
Through collaboration with Evrnu, the PANGAIA team created the world’s first 100% chemically recycled denim jacket, replacing a material traditionally made from 100% virgin cotton. By incorporating Nucycl® into this iconic fabric construction, dyed with natural indigo, the teams have demonstrated that it’s possible to replace ubiquitous materials with this innovation.

Textiles Made from Easy-to-dye Biocelsol – VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (FI)
One third of the textile industry’s wastewater is generated in dyeing and one fifth in finishing. But the use of chemically modified Biocelsol fibres reduces waste water. The knitted fabric is made from viscose and Biocelsol fibres and is only dyed after knitting. This gives the Biocelsol fibres a darker shade, using the same amount of dye and no salt in dyeing process. In addition, an interesting visual effect can be achieved. Moreover, less dye is needed for the darker colour tone in the finished textile and the possibility to use the salt-free dyeing is more environmentally friendly.
These special properties of man-made cellulosic fibres will reassert the fibres as a replacement for the existing fossil-based fibres, thus filling the demand for more environmentally friendly dyeing-solutions in the textile industry. The functionalised Biocelsol fibres were made in Finnish Academy FinnCERES project and are produced by wet spinning technique from the cellulose dope containing low amounts of 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl substituents. The functionality formed is permanent and has been shown to significantly improve the dyeability of the fibres. In addition, the functionalisation of Biocelsol fibres reduces the cost of textile finishing and dyeing as well as the effluent load.

A New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre – TreeToTextile (SE)
TreeToTextile has developed a unique, sustainable and resource efficient fibre that doesn't exist on the market today. It has a natural dry feel similar to cotton and a semi-dull sheen and high drape like viscose. It is based on cellulose and has the potential to complement or replace cotton, viscose and polyester as a single fibre or in blends, depending on the application.
TreeToTextile Technology™ has a low demand for chemicals, energy and water. According to a third party verified LCA, the TreeToTextile fibre has a climate impact of 0.6 kg CO2 eq/kilo fibre. The fibre is made from bio-based and traceable resources and is biodegradable.

Faster and more cost-effective carbon fibre production - the technology of the start-up CarboScreen comes a good deal closer to this dream. The founders Dr. Musa Akdere, Felix Pohlkemper and Tim Röding from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University are using sensor technology to monitor carbon fibre production, thereby doubling the production speed from the current 15 to 30 m/min in the medium term and increasing turnover by up to €37.5 million per year and system. This ground-breaking development also impressed the jury at the ITMF at their Annual Conference in Keqiao, China, and was honoured with the ITMF StartUp Award 2023 on 6 November 2023.

Dr. Musa Akdere accepted the award on behalf of the CarboScreen founding team.

Carbon fibres can only develop their full potential if they are not damaged during production and further processing. Two types of fibre damage occur more frequently during fibre production: Superficial or mechanical damage to the fibres or damage to the chemical structure.

Both types of damage cannot be optimally detected by current means or only become apparent after production, to name just two examples. This leads to higher production costs. In an emergency, faulty production can even lead to plant fires. For this reason, and to ensure good production quality, the system is run at 15 m/min below its production capacity for safety reasons. However, 30 m/min or more would be possible. With the sensor-based online monitoring of CarboScreen, the production capacity can be doubled to 30 /min. This would lead to higher production, resulting in lower manufacturing costs and wider use of carbon fibres in mass markets such as automotive, aerospace and wind energy.

Successful SMCCreate 2023 Design Conference in Prague

With over 60 participants from Europe and the USA the second edition of the SMCCreate Design Conference took place from November 7th to 8th in Prague. The conference was jointly organized by the AVK – Federation of Reinforced Plastics and the European Alliance for SMC BMC, promoting the use of SMC and providing design tools to designers for applying these versatile materials.

During the SMCCreate 2023 conference topics covered the wide spectrum of the design with fiber composite/composite components in SMC and BMC technology, from conceptual design, development, and scale-up, with a special emphasis on recycling and sustainability solutions. 18 speakers from various European countries showed how they address important market trends and changing customer needs, and which solutions their companies offered in terms of materials, performance and much more.

As an introduction, speakers - including CTC/Airbus and Teijin - presented different possible applications for SMC and BMC components, including aircraft interiors, bicycle boxes, and applications in e-mobility. The topic of sustainability was broadly covered, highlighting recycling solutions and experiences (Siemens, IDI, OC, AOC), the use of renewable raw materials, as well new LCA models developed by the SMC BMC Alliance (LCS),

Specifically for designers, the use of the SMC flow and curing modelling was presented (ESI, OC), SMC positioning vs. aluminium (Spartners). The second day concluded with contributions on process optimization options for component production, including speeches by Dieffenbacher, Netzsch and EBG.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is partnering with the Waterloo Filtration Institute to deliver the FiltXPO™ technical program on October 10-11, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. The Waterloo Filtration Institute was instrumental in recommending program topics and world-class presenters.

Engineers, scientists, and industry professionals will gain the latest insights into the filtration and separation topics affecting the industry today and into the future. The program features presentations include: filter media technologies, advancements and opportunities in filtration machinery and equipment, innovations in clean air for homes and urban areas, standards and testing, industry trends and new developments, and filtration challenges and opportunities.

The keynote for this year’s event is “IAQ Is the New Black” presented by Suzanne Shelton, President & CEO, Shelton Group. Shelton will share the latest data around consumer views on health, safety, people, and the planet. Participants will gain an understanding of the filtration opportunities and the challenges manufacturers face in communicating the value of their products.

A preview of the subject matter experts includes:

• AAF Flanders – “Air Filter Standards Activity and What It Means for Innovation”
• Ahlstrom – “Expanding Wetlaid Filtration Media Performance Through Innovation”
• Air Techniques International – “Application of Automated Filter Tester in Quality Control Testing: Importance of Consistent Aerosol Particle Size Distribution”
• American Truetzschler, Inc. – “How Really Good Filter Media Is Made”
• CEREX Advanced Fabrics – “The Antimicrobial Nylon Advantage”
• Elsner Engineering Works, Inc. – “When Does Automation Make Sense”
• Hollingsworth & Vose – “Accelerating Membrane Adoption with ROI”
• INDA – “Beyond Porter’s Five Forces – When Regulation Reshapes Markets”
• MANN+HUMMEL GmbH – “Filtration for Cleaner Urban Mobility – Introducing Horizon Europe Innovation Action Aersolfd”
• NatureWorks – “Optimizing Biopolymers to Improve Filter Performance – A Spectrum of Approaches and Opportunities”
• Palas GmbH – “Influence of Temperature and Humidity to Filter Efficiency and Dust Holding Capacity”
• Ptak Consulting – “Residential Filtration – Performance Against Infectious Aerosols”
• The University of Georgia – “Recent Advances in Melt Blown Nonwovens and Filter Media Research”

New this year to FiltXPO are Lightning Talks. Lightning Talks are an opportunity to connect with new trends, products, innovations, and ideas with speakers rotating every eight minutes. Presenting companies include Ahlstrom, Elsner Engineering Works, Inc., Gottlieb Binder GmbH, TSI, and the Waterloo Filtration Institute.

The FiltXPO exhibition takes place October 10-12 and will run concurrently with the technical program.

Beaulieu International Group will turn the spotlight on geotextile products with sustainability benefits to support progress in resilient civil engineering projects at the 12^th ICG Rome from 18^th -21^st September 2023, presenting options to target fossil carbon reduction by choosing PP-based staple fibres or woven geotextiles that are among the lowest in carbon footprint for geosynthetics.

For manufacturers of nonwoven geotextiles, Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) offers PP fibres with > 25% carbon footprint reduction compared to the European standard PP fibres, generating 1.48 kg CO₂/kg PP fibres. A step further is to accelerate the replacement of fossil carbon in engineered fibre applications by choosing its ISCC Plus certified bio-attributed MONO-PP with a negative carbon footprint.

For construction projects, nonwoven geotextiles made with high-tenacity HT8 fibres are proven to secure a longer service lifetime and reduce the environmental impact, as they offer high mechanical performance at a reduced weight.

Beaulieu Technical Textiles' (BTT) woven geotextiles provide a wide range of functions, including separation, filtration, reinforcement and erosion control, and are among the most sustainable in the industry. Depending on weight, the carbon footprint of its woven geotextiles (m²) ranges between 0.37 and 1.40 kg CO₂ eq./m². They also minimize the use of natural resources for more sustainable infrastructure development. Case studies such as at the Ostend-Bruges airport highlight significant CO2 reduction on the jobsite by replacing the transport of 960 trucks of gravel with 3 trucks of woven geotextiles, and by extending the runway’s life span.

The ICG launch of its new line Terralys MF woven filtration geotextiles with monofilament boosts the performance of a common solution in building layers that require high water flow rates. High-tenacity extruded polypropylene tapes and monofilaments are interwoven to form dimensionally stable and highly permeable geotextiles. These new filtration geotextiles provide greater resistance to dirt and biological clogging. They allow water to travel freely while reducing soil erosion when employed as a separation and stabilizing layer.

As of September 2023, all PP staple fibres and woven geotextiles will have Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) based on LCAs. Each EPD is an essential tool for communicating and reporting on the sustainability performance and helps carbon-conscious customers in their purchasing and decision making. Registered EPDs are globally recognized, publicly available and free to download through EPD Libraries.