From the Sector

Aachen researchers have developed the adaptive textile facade green.fACade, which was presented on 2^nd August 2018 in the Aachen Faculty of Architecture of RWTH Aachen University, Germany. green.fACade is installed in front of a building like a second skin and can permanently reduce nitrogen oxide pollution in cities.

The researchers achieve the reduction of harmful nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) by coating the facade with titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide acts as a photo catalyst and enables the oxidation of nitrogen oxides to form washable nitrate (NO3-). Since the facade is also greened, it contributes to the conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen by photosynthesis. In addition, a green facade creates an optical resting point in the cityscape and reduces urban heat through evaporation cooling. The enclosed pictures demonstrate how the introduction of green.fACade can have an effect. Picture 1 shows the Aachen Central Bus Station after, picture 2 before the possible introduction of green.fACade.

green.fACade is part of the innovative research project "adaptive textile facades", which uses the special properties of textiles. Thanks to its design, textiles can let sunlight and air through, thus contributing to a modern, aesthetic building design. A new feature of the research project is that further elements such as the titanium oxide coating or sun protection elements are integrated into the textile facade and placed in front of the existing building facade. The adaptive textile facade acts independently and thus reduces energy consumption through the positive climatic effects on the building facade.

"Adaptive Textile Facade" is part of a current research series with the aim of developing innovative facade constructions that are climate-neutral and increase the comfort of local residents. The research team consists of the three RWTH fields of architecture (Faculty of Architecture, PhD student architect M.Sc. Jan Serode), medicine (University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Clinic for Ophthalmology, Prof. Dr Walter) and textile technology (Institut für Textiltechnik, Prof. Dr Gries) and was able to contribute its expertise in the best possible way.

This summer the research team was supported for the first time by the Munich architectural office Auer Weber, represented by managing director Philipp Auer: "For us architects, developments in the field of textile outer shells are a special challenge. Here, highly developed textile materials and processing methods are combined with the lightness and grace of fabrics. Adaptive textile facade elements will increasingly turn the "building shell" into a "building skin", a system that not only offers weather, heat and sun protection, but is in constant intelligent exchange with its environment".

The great importance of these topics for the public was documented by the presence of Kirsten Roßels, representative of the Department of Economics, Science and Europe of the city of Aachen.  Ms Roßels explains: "As the city of Aachen, we are delighted with the innovative and future-oriented project ideas that are being developed at Aachen University, such as the adaptive textile facade. These developments underline the importance of Aachen as a city of science and I would appreciate it if these and other technologies could also become visible in Aachen in the future".

Prof. Dr Gries from the Institut für Textiltechnik sums up: "As textile researchers, we see a great opportunity to develop concrete solutions for our urban living spaces together with renowned experts from other disciplines. I'm sure we can make the urban climate more pleasant and reduce pollution."

Packaging solution made of 100% plastic recyclate delivers circular economy proof point
Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, announces the successful launch of a new packaging solution produced entirely with post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. Developed in close collaboration with the German consumer and industrial goods company Henkel and two additional value chain partners, this truly sustainable packaging solution is further evidence of how mtm plastics GmbH, a member of the Borealis Group, is helping increase the circularity of plastics. The launch has significance for the consumer goods industry because the robustness of this new packaging solution provides further evidence that plastic recyclate is indeed suitable for a variety of demanding packaging applications, in this case a popular adhesive brand marketed by Henkel.

Value chain collaboration yields plastic bottle and nozzle composed of 100% PCR material
In 2016, Borealis acquired leading German recycler mtm plastics GmbH, which is now a member of the Borealis Group. By leveraging their respective areas of expertise and decades of experience as a virgin polyolefins producer and “upcycler”, respectively, Borealis and mtm plastics are exploring new growth opportunities with joint forces.

A success story originating from this exploration is a recently completed pilot project with Henkel, the global leader for adhesives, sealants and functional coatings. The companies have worked to develop a new packaging solution based on recycled material for the Made-at-Home all-purpose glue bottle and cap, which Henkel is marketing under its well-known Pattex brand.  The aim was to replace the virgin plastic material traditionally used for this packaging with a recyclate-based resin. The resin, however, had to fulfil the diverse material demands for packaging of an adhesive product.

After extensive and joint application development, a new bottle was developed with the proprietary mtm product Purpolen® PE, a high-quality polyethylene regranulate produced by mtm at its facilities in Niedergebra, Germany. Value chain partner KKT Kaller Kunststoff Technik GmbH, a plastics processor also based in Germany, manufactured the bottles. For the three separate components of the adjustable applicator nozzle, which is used for both filigree and wide-area gluing, high-quality Purpolen® PP polypropylene regranulate produced by mtm was identified as the ideal solution. German plastic components manufacturer bomo trendline Technik GmbH produced the applicator nozzles.

The new Pattex Made-at-Home packaging solution successfully passed extensive application tests, including a three-month storage test and other tests of mechanical properties. It was launched on the European market in 2018.

“Our commitment to leadership in sustainability is deeply embedded in our companies´ values,” explained Matthias Schaefer, Project Manager for Global Packaging Engineering at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “We are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to new sustainability strategies in packaging.  Thus, we identified Pattex Made-at-Home as a candidate for exploring the use of recyclate instead of virgin plastics. This constructive collaboration with our partners proves the viability of 100% PCR material for an adhesive product like Made-at Home. It also underscores our efforts at Henkel to drive leadership in sustainability in the consumer goods sector.”

“As a virgin polyolefins producer, Borealis is thrilled to be among the pioneers in using plastic recyclate in new applications,” says Günter Stephan, Head of Borealis Circular Economy Solutions. “Even though momentum is gaining in the drive to increase the circularity of plastics, we still need to prove without a doubt within the industry that using recyclates – and even 100% PCR – is a suitable and effective option, even for demanding applications. Thanks to this successful value chain cooperation with our partners Henkel, KKT and bomo, we are giving plastics a second life and are thus one step closer to the goal of a more circular economy of plastics.”
 

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals, will be presenting its innovative and sustainable denim solutions for manufacturers and brands at DenimsandJeans Vietnam 2018, on June 27 and 28.
From fiber to finish, Archroma offers a scope of possibilities for effects and colors, from the authentic roots of indigo to the most innovative and eco-advanced solutions. Archroma is a recognized leader in integrated solutions, offering best-in-class auxiliaries for bespoke process packages.
Visitors will be able to discover solutions designed to make denim in a more sustainable and responsible way, in particular:
DENISOL®, BRINGING INDIGO BACK TO ITS ROOTS - NOW ANILINE-FREE*
Archroma’s Denisol® range is a newly developed pre-reduced liquid indigo solution that is manufactured in Archroma’s award winning ‘zero liquid discharge’ manufacturing plant in Pakistan.

• Denisol® Indigo 30 liq is compliant with major official eco-standards and requirements from retailers, brands and fashion leading companies and helps to produce fabrics suitable for current eco-labeling such as bluesign® and GOTS.
• Responding to demands for a non-toxic alternative to the dyes that are used for the iconic and traditional indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans, Archroma just announced the upcoming new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30.

ADVANCED DENIM, TOWARDS WATERLESS DENIM DYEING
Consider this: The water needed to produce one pair of jeans is said to be ~ 11'000 liters(1). With approximately 167 million pairs of jeans produced monthly(2), that is 1,837,000,000,000 liters of water consumed every month in the process! Based on the Denim-Ox and Pad/Sizing-Ox dyeing processes, Archroma’s multi-awarded ADVANCED DENIM, dyeing technology allows savings of up to 92% in water, 87% in cotton waste and 30% in energy, compared to a conventional denim dyeing process.
The technology has been adopted by brands like Patagonia and received the prestigious 2012 ICIS Innovation Award and Innovation with Best Environmental Benefit Award.

• Optisul® C, “soft colors” made easy
  Colors other than blue have been tricky to achieve in the past. With Optisul® C dyes, denim manufacturers can expand their color horizons with this range of six dyes especially designed to produce soft denim colors in continuous dyeing processes, as well as on coating and printing. Optisul® C affinity-free, sulfide-free dyes can easily be combined with each other to create garments suitable for wash-down treatments in a wide array of easily achievable and reproducible soft colors. They are suitable for GOTS and bluesign® approval.
• Diresul® RDT Ocean Blues, ocean-themed bright sulfur blue dyes
  Archroma’s Diresul® RDT Ocean Blues are a collection of vibrant, ocean-themed bright sulfur blue dyes. These best-in-class dyes and their auxiliaries bring out the best of indigo, improve workability, dyeing consistency and process safety.
  They can be combined with Denisol® Indigo 30 liq in bottoming/topping manufacturing routes for avant-garde blue styles. At the booth, Archroma will display an “illustration collection” of exciting indigo casts.
• Diresul® blacks & greys, a universe of greys and deep black and navies.
  Archroma’s dye portfolio of conventional and black Diresul® specialties allow to create a universe of greys and deep black and navies. From superficial to solid blacks for both extreme wash-down and stay black effects.

EARTHCOLORS, TRACEABLE FROM NATURE TO FASHION
As consumers increasingly aspire to functional, beautiful and meaningful clothing, brands and manufacturers are increasingly interested in the environmental impact of the denim industry. Archroma has placed sustainability at the heart of its innovation process to create products and processes that improve the industry’s sustainability.
The EarthColors patented range of “biosynthetic” dyes for cotton and cellulose-based fabrics, which are made from waste left over by the agricultural and herbal industry after extraction, such as almond shells, saw palmetto, or rosemary leaves. The latest NFC technology used on the end-product hangtags enables transparency and traceability through the supply chain to consumers.
The EarthColors allow to produce the earth tones that are coming strong: red, brown and green colors. They have been adopted by brands such as Patagonia, Kathmandu and G-Star, and won an OutDoor Industry Award 2017.

SOLUTION PACKAGES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Brand owners and retailers around the world are taking action to evaluate the environmental impact of textile treatment, dyeing and finishing processes in response to consumer concerns.

Archroma recently introduced the ONE WAY Process Simulator, the last update of a calculation tool that supports its ONE WAY Sustainability Service introduced back in 2012. The new, online software can be used to mimic and compare products and processes, and thus calculate the ecological and economical profile of the final end-product.
Archroma’s portfolio of ZDHC MRSL-compliant chemicals and dyes is integrated into the ONE WAY calculation tool since 2013.
“Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand,” says Paul O’Prey, Head of Sales, Brand & Performance Textile Specialties, Archroma, Vietnam. “While developing new products and services, we always consider the environmental impact so they are as sustainable as possible. This can be seen in our innovative and eco-advance products, such as the water-saving ADVANCED DENIM and the aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo.”

• Fibres for automotive composites, technical textiles, hygiene and medical nonwovens
• UltraLink fibres offer sustainable system cost reduction solutions to the automotive industry
• Meralux offers improved liquid management for a dry feeling
• Stand 2034, ANEX 2018, 6-8 June, Tokyo Big Sight, Japan

Beaulieu Fibres International, the leading European polyolefin fibre supplier, marks its Asia Nonwovens Exhibition and Conference (ANEX) debut with unique products and capabilities to support innovation at a local level within the automotive and hygiene segments.

At Stand 2034, Beaulieu Fibres International demonstrates its commitment to the global market growth for automotive composites and technical textiles, as interest increases in adopting lightweight materials to reduce vehicle weight and fuel efficiency.

The company will present UltraLink bonding fibres that improve the mechanical, thermal and functional properties of the final part, allowing customers to meet OEM specific standards in a more sustainable way. They are available in both MONO and BICO technology – a first for the composites industry.

Jefrem Jennard, Global Sales Director – Industrial Fibres, comments: “Beaulieu Fibres International developed UltraLink fibres over the past two years to provide an answer to the automotive industry’s continuous strive for lower weight, lower emission, lower cost and better properties. They are being introduced in new global automotive programmes with SOP 2019-2021. We are delighted to introduce them to the Asian market at ANEX.”

At ANEX 2018, Beaulieu Fibres International also presents its platform of unique Meralux fibres offering significant improvements to the dryness of nonwoven for hygiene and medical applications. The BICO fibre has a special cross section, which enables it to provide bulk, opacity and enhanced fluid management compared to standard round fibres to nonwoven constructions. As a result, a dry feeling is achieved for the final nonwoven.

Petra Bohle-Stricker, Global Sales Director – Hygiene Fibres, comments: “As Asia Pacific heads towards becoming the largest regional tissue and hygiene market by the end of 2025  , nonwovens producers can already take advantage of the benefits of Meralux to launch new and innovative products that will grab the attention of global and local manufacturers. Visitors to our ANEX booth can experience Meralux fibres first-hand in nonwoven samples.”

Since Meralux was first launched in April 2017, the portfolio has expanded to include Meralux T and Meralux Soft. Beaulieu Fibres International is currently expanding its production programme with polyester-core (PET) BICO. In addition a pilot line for new developments is under construction. Both are expected to come on stream in 2018.

• Additives, pigments and masterbatches for transportation, packaging, textiles & fibers
• Support to “future-proof” medical applications
• Contributing towards more sustainable engineering plastics

Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, turns the spotlight on its increasing on-the-ground support and innovation focus for North America’s four key plastics application segments at NPE 2018 Booth S18155.

Clariant is pushing forward with plans for growth in the region by advancing R&D competencies, and increasing its manufacturing footprint and technical capabilities across its 50+ sites, 3 R&D and 6 technical innovation centers. Clariant’s innovations for the plastics industry include advanced additives, masterbatches and pigments which support the packaging sector in engaging consumers via differentiated, convenient solutions. At NPE, it will also highlight solutions for enhancing and protecting healthcare products, as well as its contribution to stronger and colorful textiles and fibers for everything from e-mobility to industrial applications.

Deepak Parikh, president of region North America, Clariant comments: “Clariant’s product innovation for the US and wider North American plastics industry embraces the region’s fastest growing end-use areas of automotive and construction. It also addresses the impact of trends driven by changing consumer lifestyle preferences and market regulations on other important segments such as packaging and healthcare.”

Transportation
Clariant brings color and protection to support the increasing use of engineering plastics and high temperture resins in automotive interiors, exteriors and under-the-hood. Halogen-free Exolit® OP 1400 provides outstanding flame retardancy to polyamide parts, enhances safety with UL 94 V0 performance down to 0.4 mm and enables the molding of complex parts with no mold deposits and blooming. Exolit OP 1400 has been awarded the Clariant EcoTain®label for outstanding sustainability and performance. At the same time, Clariant offers low-halogen controlled high-performance PV Fast® pigmentswith excellent migration and weather fastness properties to meet the high requirements of today’s transportation and automotive industry. Easy processing Renol® compounds and masterbatches for engineering and high temperature resins provide heat and light stability, and flame retardancy, while maintaining critical flow properties in parts like SMT connectors. Importantly, they are available as small lots which enables customers to purchase only what they require and contribute to a reduction in their carbon footprint.

Packaging
As US packaging manufacturers explore more consumer-friendly, lighterweight and appealing solutions, Clariant is on hand to support their functionality, sustainability-related and color desires. Clariant Pigments has an innovative cooperation with Konica Minolta and matchmycolor to enable fast, precise and efficient color matching of HDPE products, using select organic PV Fast and Graphtol® pigments that comply with FDA regulations. The ColorWorks®center in Chicago is dedicated to US brand managers and designers with teams of color design experts to create color formulations faster than ever before for bottles, caps, closures and films.

According to market reports, plastic pouches are gaining share from traditional pack types in packaged food and are mainstream in home care. To support smoother and more environmentally-compatible processing especially for film applications, Clariant offers an FDA-compliant, vegetable-based powder amide wax, Licolub® FA 1, which acts as a slip and anti-block agent. It is suitable for polyolefins and PVC.

Textiles & Fiber
At NPE 2018, Clariant puts the focus on strong and colorful textiles, carpets and industrial fibers. New AddWorks® TFB 117 offers a number of benefits to help stabilize and smoothen fiber production processes, protect color, and improve heat stability and mechanical properties of fibers. AddWorks TFB 117 ensures smooth spinnability with less filaments breakage, even at low processing temperatures and at high speed spinning up to 5,500 m/min. Clariant also offers a broad range of colorants for polypropylene, polyester, polyamide and acrylic fibers, featuring migration fastness, chemical stability, light- and weather-fastness.

Healthcare
Clariant supports risk control and regulatory compliance for medical polymer and pharmaceutical packaging solutions. Its Mevopur® color and performance masterbatches and compounds include a USP Class 6 line of compliant products and multiple global ISO, 87, 88, and 661.1 certifications ahead of the market deadline. Clariant also offers selected FDA-compliant organic pigments and polymer soluble dyes that meet purity migration fastness as well as toxicological properties for medical devices and pharmaceutical packaging.

CHOMARAT, the composite reinforcement specialist, has developed a new unidirectional woven tape for its C-TAPETM line of products. Designed to meet the standards of industrial production, the new C-TAPE™ is reinforcing the foils of the “Figaro Beneteau 3”. These appendages improve the monohull’s stability and performance.

“For the series production of the foils, the Beneteau Group chose MULTIPLAST, the well-known builder of racing boats, which engaged the CHOMARAT Group to provide project support and achieve the best cost/performance balance,” explains Vincent CHOLVY, CHOMARAT’s Manager for the boating market.

C-TAPE™, a high-performance carbon reinforcement with great design flexibility
C-TAPETM offers a lot of flexibility in terms of weight, width and construction. It has been optimized to facilitate series production, yet provide the foils with maximum performance.
The weft yarn developed by CHOMARAT makes the tape easy to handle and to work with. It is produced in 50-cm widths in order to adapt better to the mould, thus reducing both scrap and production cost.

“The project was an ambitious one,” says MULTIPLAST General Manager Yann PENFORNIS. “We had to reach a lower target cost, achieve a perfect foil shape, guarantee identical weight for all parts, and produce a set of foils per week over a period of one year.”

A reinforcement that facilitates flow in multi-ply carbon structures
Fifty plies of tape are used to make the foil so that it can resist high levels of stress and achieve optimal performance.
The specific structure of C-TAPETM facilitates resin flow throughout the thickness. The reinforcement provides the desired mechanical performance and also cuts down on production time.
The result is an ultra-innovative foil, both for its geometry and for the fabrication process (infu-jection) used.

“This new C-TAPE™ is the fruit of close co-operation between the MULTIPLAST and CHOMARAT development teams, and it rounds out our broad range of tapes. We are working on different fibres and adapting the widths to our customers’ processes in order to reduce costs,” concludes Vincent CHOLVY.

By the end of summer 2018, some one hundred foils will have been produced for assembly on the first 50 “Figaro Beneteau 3” monohulls.

Asahi Kasei ROICA™ premium stretch fibre has received the prestigious Senken Shimbun Synthetic Fiber Prize with the sustainable GRS certified yarn.
ROICA™ specialties captured the attention of Senken Shimbun, a daily Japanese fashion newspaper, based in Tokyo, Japan.  Founded in 1956, today provides news, research data and new business ideas, and has a great influence over the fashion business in Japan. It helps fashion products throughout Japan to be distributed in Japan's domestic market, and serves as a platform targeting overseas markets.
The award is limited to Japanese companies. This year ROICA™ GRS certified yarn was selected in the Sustainable category thanks to its unique sustainable characteristics.

On March 14th, 2018 Senken Shimbun organized an event to conferee the awards and in this occasion ROICA™ displayed unique fabrics and garments created with this awarded ROICA™ yarn by premium producers as Iluna Group S.p.A (IT), M.I.T.I. (IT), Tessitura Colombo Antonio(IT), Tintex Textiles(PT)  and international top level brands as Cosabella (US), Maloja (DE) and Triumph (CH.
 
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS AWARD WINNING PRODUCT
The Senken Award winning ROICA™ yarn is part of the ROICA™ Eco-Smart family, a world-first range of unique innovative and responsible made premium stretch fibers, that today can offer 2 real sustainable solutions. For time, one of the two types was awarded! The ROICA™ yarn certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard by TEXTILE EXCHANGE) version 3 certified yarn with more than 50% pre-consumer recycled content.

Two of the companies above: M.I.T.I. and TINTEX already garnered a huge recognition at ISPO last February also thanks to the uniqueness of this smart ROICA™ yarn:
M.I.T.I. Spa presented at ISPO Green Soul, a new fabric line made with fully recycled fibers. Ten different fabrics belong to this products line whose composition is both polyamide/ROICA™ Eco-Smart family and Polyester/ROICA™ Eco-Smart family offering a 100% recycled fiber warp knitted stretch fabrics. The winning Bluesign certified fabric is called Thermal Green and is a high-end brush back warpknit fabric, made with recycled Polyamide and ROICA™ Eco-Smart family.Tintex Textiles Garnered Its Second ‘ISPO Best Product Award’ In TexTrends in the SOFT EQUIPMENT category with a circular economy centric material, branded B.Cork™, a unique technology that sources certified pre-consumer cork waste.  Following a patent pending hi-tech lamination of a water based, formaldehyde and solvent free coating, a breathable, natural and waterproof supersoft touch is achieved. And last but not least is using ROICA™ Eco-Smart family premium stretch qualities  to fulfil fit and comfort needs.
 
 AWARD WINNING ROICA YARN IN BRANDS COLLECTIONS

• Maloja, an outdoor speciality brand with its roots in nature and  wellbeing, Maloja is presenting  many lines using ROICA™, and  here we present a new mid layer  technical x-country ski set with  fabrics from MITI, using the GRS  certified yarn part of the ROICA™ Eco- Smart family of responsible Stretch.
   
• COSABELLA produced by Collezioni SRL: The brand sells in over 100 countries, with a premium collection of 2000 styles for every sector of lingerie and leisurewear. Latest styles use the Eco-Lace by Tessitura Colombo Antonio fabrics made with ROICA™ Eco Smart family for their more luxurious upscaled lines.
   
• TRIUMPH LINGERIE: whose latest designs use the new stretch lace from ILUNA Group and the GRS certified yarn part of the ROICA™ Eco Smart family, slips and lingerie sets for the Essence by Triumph collection.

• New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
Despite the economic ups and downs in China over the last few years, demand for premium European textiles remains high.
Whether it be premium wool for the flourishing suiting market, ladieswear fabrics, lace & embroidery for high-end domestic brands each with hundreds of stores across the country, innovative yarns & fabrics for the booming sports and activewear sectors, or original pattern designs for the thousands of new online fashion brands, European suppliers remain the go-to option for Chinese buyers looking for quality and style.

As one of the undisputed leaders in the European textile scene, Italy is always a good bellwether of the trends between Europe and China. After a less than stellar 2016, Italy’s fabric exports to the Mainland China and Hong Kong markets grew by 12.4% in the first 10 months of 2017[1]. The expected demand for European brands at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be most evident in the SalonEurope zone, which features exhibitors from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK, as well as country pavilions & zones from France, Germany, Italy and Turkey.

There is also continuing demand for overseas expertise when it comes to more technical areas such as sustainability and digital printing, solutions to which can be found in the fair’s All About Sustainability area and Digital Printing Zone.

SalonEurope showcases the continent’s full textile expertise
The best of the best from Europe will be on display in this edition’s SalonEurope, with a range of products across the whole textile spectrum on offer. Some of the highlights this edition include:

• Alumo (Switzerland): celebrating its 100-year anniversary this July, Alumo has undertaken a complete refresh of their brand, highlighting the character of their mill in Appenzell, Switzerland that has deep roots in the local textile industry. This edition, they will showcase a renewed collection of luxury shirting fabrics with intricate designs and added functions such as natural stretch and wrinkle-free, and a newly enlarged, never-out-of-stock ‘Sartorial’ collection.
• Hatfil Tekstil Isletmeleri (Turkey): a Turkish-Italian joint venture, they offer a huge range of yarns including eco-friendly options such as organic, BCI and fair trade yarns, as well as cotton, Tencel, Amicor, bamboo, cashmere, modal and other varieties.
• Hohenstein Textile Testing (Germany): offering testing services, OEKO-TEX® services and certifications, the Hohenstein Quality Label and more.
• Ricamificio Paolo Italy SpA (Italy): an embroidery manufacturer, they have developed a new technique using very thin embroideries to produce a lace-like effect, which can also be customised to the customer’s requirements in no more than four weeks. They have also produced a quilt-like fabric suitable for spring / summer garments which is made from materials such as silk organdie, cotton yarn or lurex to produce a shiny effect.
• Teseo Tessitura Serica Di Olmeda SpA (Italy): for their summer 2019 collection, Teseo is inspired by the natural elements with increased attention to sustainability with GOTS-certified bio silk and eco-friendly yarns. New articles are lighter and enriched with yarn-dyes, include jacquard stripes and checks, gauze and devoré bands to add transparency, and more.

New collaboration of sustainable viscose suppliers formed in China
While the textile industry in China still has a long way to go in terms of sustainability, genuine progress is being made at both a government and company level. January of this year saw the implementation of a new environment protection tax, with companies charged for noise, air & water pollution and generating solid waste[2]. Replacing a pollutant discharge fee that had been in place for 40 years, the new tax is set by local governments – with some of the regions suffering from worse pollution setting higher rates – and also incentivises companies with lower emissions.

In another encouraging move, 10 leading global viscose producers in China have come together to form the Collaboration for Sustainable Development of Viscose (CV) to promote the sustainable sourcing and responsible production of viscose. These 10 producers collectively account for over 50% of the world’s viscose staple fibre production, and have partnered with two trade associations to adopt a sustainability roadmap for the viscose industry. Built around credible international sustainability standards and programmes, the CV Roadmap aims to provide guidance to viscose producers on sustainable sourcing and production practices.

The CV collaboration will make its debut appearance in the fair’s All About Sustainability zone, where visitors can learn more about this initiative, as well as sustainable developments in the Chinese textile industry. Apart from an educational programme and garment display area, the zone will also feature a number of exhibitors other than CV.

Digital Printing Zone debuts at Spring Edition
While digital printing is rapidly gaining traction in the global textile industry, this is especially so in China due to its potential to reduce pollution during the production process. Amongst the exhibitors looking to take advantage of this in the fair’s new Digital Printing Zone is MS Italy, a market leader in the design, development and distribution of innovative digital ink-jet printing systems and associated consumables, which serves the high-end, roll-to-roll textile printing and specialty material markets. Also exhibiting is DIGITEX which will introduce the latest digital- and inkjet-printed natural and manmade fabrics.

Apart from digital printing exhibitors, a day-long forum will inform fairgoers on the exciting possibilities of digital printing. Held on day 2 of the fair, the Fast Fashion and Digital Printing Application Forum features sessions on fast fashion technology & trends and digital printing applications. These are followed by a series of discussions on topics such as flexible supply chains, business opportunities created by digital printing and IP protection. The forum also includes a presentation on the findings of a six-month study conducted by Fashion Print, a Chinese publication, for which they visited hundreds of textile companies, printing and dyeing enterprises, as well as their suppliers to produce a research paper on the digital textile printing market and technology.

In addition to Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, four other textile fairs also take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center: Yarn Expo Spring, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Spring Edition, fashion garment fair CHIC and knitting fair PH Value.

• Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Spring Edition 2018 is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Textile Information Centre. For more details on this fair, please visit: www.intertextileapparel.com. To find out more about all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.

[1] http://hk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Italian-textile-industry-back-on-growth-track-in-2017,944760.html
[2] http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textile-news/china-imposes-environment-protection-tax-beginning-jan-1-239965-newsdetails.html

On March 6-8, 2018, Paris will host the largest international trade show for advanced materials: JEC World, which is organized by JEC Group. For three days, more than 43,000 professional visits from some 100+ countries will gather at the world’s most innovative platform for the materials and products that are revolutionizing our century. “One field where France is a global leader is the field of composites!” says JEC Group President and CEO Frédérique MUTEL.

COMPOSITES ARE GOING STRONG
The share of composites in the global economy is growing. The market for these products is worth 83 billion euros, for a volume of 11.23 million metric tons of volume (2017 statistics). Analysts are predicting a steady 5% growth by 2021. From the industrial viewpoint, composites are developing rapidly, with new automated processes for high-volume production.

INNOVATION IN COMPOSITES
“Innovation is there with the raw materials, such as better-formulated resins (and even recyclable ones like thermoplastics) and higher-performance fibers like carbon, glass and aramid. Moreover, natural materials like starch for matrices and flax, hemp, sisal and bamboo for fibers are being introduced. There is also innovation in the ways composites are being used, and with the creation of completely new things like drones, electronic devices, hydrofoils and flying taxis. Composites are currently making progress everywhere there is a need for low weight and performance. They offer nearly infinite possibilities. These are truly the materials of the century. Designers are adopting them in a broad range of fields like smart cities, infrastructure, networks, transportation, medical devices, sports & leisure and design. Composites materials expand the field of possibilities.” explains Ms. MUTEL.

“MAKE IT REAL” AT THE 2018 JEC WORLD TRADE SHOW
To present the latest trends and innovations, the 2018 JEC World has even more surface area, with 68,000 square meters. The 1,350 exhibitors (from carbon fiber producer to auto builder, from designer to decorator, from research fellow to aircraft manufacturer) will display their latest advances. All stakeholders will be present at the show. JEC World received more than 40,000 professional visits last year, and is expecting 43,000 this year!

THE NEW “MUST” THINGS TO SEE
This year, JEC World will have four planets. Besides the aerospace, automotive and construction planets, there will be a new “Make it real” planet, which gives a preview of designer creations to be exhibited at the Ghent museum starting in October 2018. “We will show the many aspects of composites, and how these materials are being gradually incorporated into everyday objects,” adds Ms. MUTEL.
This year’s JEC World will feature a new “Composite Challenge” program that gives the floor to ten PhD students, who will be given five minutes to pitch their research projects with the help of a single slide. “True to its mission, the JEC Group has set up this new program to share the latest research on composites. But it is not just a way to share the most advanced knowledge, it also helps to bridge the gap between academics and the industry and to identify the industry’s next generation of leaders,” she says.
JEC World will also be the occasion to launch Flax & Hemp Fiber Composites, A Market Reality: The Biobased Solution for the Industry, a new book published by JEC Group on the use of plant-based materials.

KNOWLEDGE & NETWORKING PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY JEC GROUP
The trade show will host well-known speakers, including Dirk AHLBORN, the CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company that is reinventing transportation with high-speed travel (up to 1,300 km/h, or 808 mph), and Yves ROSSY, aircraft pilot and inventor of the first jet-powered wingpack, with which he is able to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h, or 186 mph. The Startup Booster program will pay tribute to startups, and the JEC Innovation Awards program, to innovations. For the first time, the public will be invited to vote on these two programs!
Six new conferences will also address the latest technical advances that are moving the sector forward, and a Composites in Action program will present live demonstrations throughout the show, in three different places.

The AZL will continue its collaboration on composites in buildings and infrastructure after completing an initial market and technology study which identified new potentials for composite technologies in buildings and infrastructure markets. The aim of the new AZL Workgroup which will meet for the first time on January 25th, 2018 is to jointly develop new applications and to support the business development for composites in these two growing markets. The meeting is open to interested companies from the composite industry as well as the building and infrastructure markets.

The aim of the initial workgroup meeting will be to turn insights from the study into a long-term workgroup collaboration and to define topics and initiatives for the joint cooperation in the field of process and manufacturing technologies, fire safety regulations, materials as well as standards and norms. Industrial keynote presentations will introduce these action fields and will provide an insight into building and infrastructure applications for composites. The meeting will furthermore provide a platform to network with companies along the entire composite value chain.

Dr. Amer Affan, CEO and founder of AFFAN Innovative Structures based in Dubai is in charge of various composite projects for buildings such as the Museum of the Future in Dubai: “We have been utilizing structural composites in construction since 2010. Composites is a truly high-tech material compared with the traditional building materials (steel, concrete, timber and aluminum) but it is still to be recognized as such in the conservative and price-sensitive building industry. AZL, particularly its location at the RWTH Aachen University and its partner companies, offers a good platform to progress the use of composites in construction.”

AZL together with more than 25 companies just completed the Joint Market and Technology Study on “New Potentials for Composite Technologies in Buildings and Infrastructure” establishing a broad knowledge on business opportunities for composite technologies in these two growing markets. In a structured approach, the study determined the key segments as well as the technologies/applications with the highest market and technological potential. Analyses of 20 market segments, investigation of 438 applications, technology analyses of 25 highlight components and 11 detailed business cases were elaborated throughout the study. Additional to requirement analyses for materials and production technologies, new concepts for efficient profitable production technologies and cost engineering analysis were developed. With the workgroup, the AZL will take this initiative a step further with the aim to build a long-term cooperation platform for composites in buildings and infrastructure markets.

Justin Jin, CEO of the Korean company AXIA Materials participated in the study and is part of the AZL Partner Network: “As producer of large thermoplastic composite sheets and composite SIP (Structural Insulated Panel), we are eager to drive composites in B&I applications with the best efficient way. The AZL study on Buildings and Infrastructure provided us a great networking with key players in this business field and opportunities to strengthen our products with the key elements from partners. The study also gave us a proper market understanding including market size/volume in numbers to prove the value of this technology to building industry. We are looking forward to following up on these first insights and to realize applications with the AZL and its partners.”

Besides the networking options, the meeting will offer the opportunity to get an insight into the activities of the AZL Network consisting of nine research institutes at the RWTH Aachen Campus and more than 80 companies from 21 countries. During an optional guided tour, participants will visit selected institutes at the RWTH Aachen Campus. The meeting is open to all interested companies and free of charge.

More Information on Meeting and the Study
Information on AZL activities in the field of buildings and infrastructure:
www.azl-lightweight-production.com/composites-buildings-infrastructure
Details and registration to first Workgroup Meeting on January 25th, 2018:
http://www.azl-lightweight-production.com/termine/1st-workgroup-meeting-buildings-infrastructure