From the Sector

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a route in which lignin replaces a substantial share of the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) normally used in carbon fibre. Lignin is generated in large volumes as a by-product of pulp and biorefinery operations. The university reports that PAN use can be cut by half, with corresponding potential reductions in production cost and emissions.

The central technical challenge is mechanical performance. The team functionalises single-walled carbon nanotubes and incorporates them into the lignin-PAN matrix. The nanotubes act as nanoscale reinforcement and promote stronger crystalline alignment during spinning and thermal treatment.

The precursor solution is wet-spun, tension-assisted heat-treated and carbonised. The researchers report that the resulting renewable carbon fibre can reach quality requirements relevant to automotive manufacturing. Aerospace, energy infrastructure, sporting goods and wind energy are cited as additional markets.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced today that Ben Muller has joined the association as executive director. Mr. Muller brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience spanning nonprofit organizations, corporations and trade associations.

Most recently, Mr. Muller served on the senior executive team of the High Point Market Authority, where he led marketing, public relations and educational programming for one of the world’s largest trade shows. Previously, he held senior brand and marketing leadership positions with Hanesbrands and Kayser-Roth, gaining extensive experience in textile and apparel supply chains. He began his career serving mission-driven organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Tony Fragnito, INDA’s current president and CEO, will transition to an executive consultant role in January 2027 to support the leadership transition and focus on projects and initiatives designed to expand the reach and participation of the Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA). His planned retirement will occur in December 2027.

The creation of the executive director position follows the formation of the GNA by INDA and EDANA and represents the next step in the evolution of INDA’s staff leadership to support the alliance. Mr. Muller’s broad leadership experience, strategic marketing expertise and deep understanding of member and industry engagement will be valuable as he leads INDA’s strategic initiatives, oversees operations and represents the interests of the nonwovens industry across the Americas.

“I am honored to join INDA at such a pivotal moment for the industry,” said Mr. Muller. “The formation of the Global Nonwovens Alliance creates an exciting opportunity to strengthen collaboration and expand the value we provide to members. I look forward to listening to our members, learning from their expertise and ensuring INDA continues to be a strong advocate and resource for the industry throughout the Americas.”

“Tony has provided outstanding leadership to INDA during a transformational period for both the association and the global nonwovens industry,” said Mark A. Thornton, chair of the INDA Board of Directors and vice president, Baby Care, Fem Care and Family Care Quality Assurance, The Procter & Gamble Company. “The Board is deeply appreciative of his leadership, commitment to our members and role in helping establish the Global Nonwovens Alliance. As we look ahead, we are confident Ben brings the strategic thinking, industry experience and collaborative leadership needed to build on that strong foundation and guide INDA into its next chapter.”

“Ben’s appointment represents an important step in bringing the vision of the Global Nonwovens Alliance to life,” said Murat Dogru, CEO, GNA. “The strength of the Alliance will depend on combining a truly global perspective with strong regional leadership that understands the priorities of its members. I am very pleased to welcome him and look forward to working closely together as we build the next chapter of the Alliance.”

“Leading INDA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a dedicated staff, Board, and membership,” said Fragnito. “It has been a meaningful way to cap off my career, and I look forward to working closely with Ben to ensure a seamless transition of INDA’s business operations and member relationships. I am excited to support him as he helps lead INDA and a partner with Murat as he leads the Global Nonwovens Alliance.”

A new German research project is exploring how Lusatia can build a regional natural-fibre economy as the former lignite region undergoes structural transformation. Over three years, IÖW and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences will examine value chains based on flax, industrial hemp, fibre nettle, miscanthus and residues such as straw and municipal leaves.

The focus is explicitly on industrial applications rather than conventional apparel textiles. Potential outlets include natural-fibre-reinforced plastics, specialty papers, lightweight panels, composites, automotive components and new packaging materials. A regionally resolved material-flow model will map feedstock availability, processing routes, land-use conflicts and possible bottlenecks.

The project treats raw-material availability and industrialisation as one system. Workshops with farmers, processors, manufacturers, municipalities and economic-development actors are intended to produce practical transformation pathways for a circular bioeconomy.

Cornell University researchers have demonstrated that polydopamine-dyed wool can serve as a low-cost, renewable material for solar-driven water purification. The approach uses interfacial solar vapor generation, concentrating solar heat at the water surface while a textile structure transports water and converts it into vapor.

The strongest configuration used ultrablack wool positioned vertically and illuminated from both sides. It produced 2.43 kilograms of water per square metre of fabric per hour, while polydopamine-only wool achieved 2.21 kilograms. Both rates were nearly twice those reported for conventional horizontal two-dimensional evaporation systems. The material also operated continuously for ten hours without salt accumulation.

Performance depends on fibre choice, dye chemistry, surface structure and textile geometry acting together. Salt levels in the collected water were below the World Health Organization drinking-water threshold. Future work will test rainwater and wastewater and improve water-collection designs.

PITAKA has introduced a new weaving technique for aramid fibre at a brand event in Berlin. The company is best known for thin smartphone cases and accessories made with aramid. Its new “Trace Form” technique is intended to avoid a completely uniform programmed surface: selected fibres are allowed to drift from their prescribed path so that texture emerges from controlled irregularity.

The first application is the “Wind Over Wheat Trace Form Edition”, with a surface intended to evoke wind moving across a wheat field and offered in three finishes. PITAKA presents the method as an interaction between industrial precision, material response and human judgement. For textile and material developers, the notable point is that a high-performance fibre normally valued for strength and low weight is being used as the visible aesthetic element of the product itself.

The release leaves important technical questions unanswered. It provides no fibre fineness, weave parameters, mechanical data or quantified performance difference versus earlier aramid constructions. It would therefore be misleading to describe the launch as a new performance class. What can be stated is that PITAKA is translating a deliberately variable woven structure into a commercial aramid product and broadening the interface between technical fibres, composite structures and lifestyle design.

The limited Trace Form edition is scheduled to launch on 17 September. For textile-industry coverage, the relevant angle is not the consumer-electronics accessory itself but the material strategy: technical fibres can acquire additional value through construction, surface appearance and tactile expression beyond their conventional performance role.

US textile-to-textile recycler Circ has entered into a partnership with Shenghong Chemical Fiber New Material for the commercial production of polyester filament yarn using Circ’s recycled material. Shenghong will purchase Circ PET chip and manufacture recycled-content filament yarn at commercial scale. For Circ, the agreement expands access to one of China’s major fibre producers and creates an additional route to market for polyester recovered from textile waste. For brands and mills, the key point is that textile-to-textile feedstock is moving closer to established high-volume yarn manufacturing structures. The partnership also underlines that scaling chemical recycling depends not only on polymer recovery but on robust downstream relationships with fibre and yarn producers.