From the Sector

Archroma has recently launched at the ITMA exhibition its new Diresul® Smartdenim Blue, a liquid sulfur blue dye designed to mimic indigo.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue liquid was developed in compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable, economically and ecologically.

The new product will be the core of Archroma's Indigo Reflection, a coloration system that behaves like indigo, with an even more sustainable and efficient application process compared to indigo.

Hexcel, Progen and Future Aerospace today celebrated the official opening of their new joint venture laboratory and materials testing facility in Shanghai, China.

Future Aerospace Hexcel Commercial Composite Testing Limited (FAHCCT) will provide China with a world-class aerospace standard materials testing laboratory that provides technical services including support with materials qualification for commercial aircraft programs. Planned activities at the site will include mechanical and chemical testing of composite laminate specimens (including fatigue performance), material qualifications, and provision of support for customer supply chains in China.

• Borealis’ EverMinds™ ambition moves industry one step closer to plastics circularity thanks to new recycling technology and improved recyclate
• Borealis also announces significant material improvements to existing Purpolen® recyclate materials

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, announces the introduction of a new plastics recycling technology, Borcycle™. This evolving technology will be used to produce high-quality compounds made of recycled polyolefins (rPO) such as the newly-launched Borcycle™ MF1981SY, an rPO with over 80% recycled content intended for use in visible appliance parts. Borealis also announces a series of significant material improvements to existing recyclates in the established Purpolen™ brand portfolio. These market launches and product improvements are important technology advancements and thus accelerate the transformation to a circular economy of plastics. Borealis and its wholly-owned subsidiary, mtm plastics, will showcase the new Borcycle technology and recyclate innovations at the K 2019 in October.

Borealis is leading the industry by applying its Visioneering Philosophy™ to the development and implementation of novel polyolefins-based solutions that enable plastics reuse, recycling, and recovery, and by designing for circularity. These wide-ranging activities are gathered under the symbolic roof of EverMinds™, the Borealis platform dedicated to promoting a more circular mind-set in the industry. By capitalising on its profound expertise in virgin polyolefins and collaborating with value chain partners, Borealis keeps discovering new opportunities for business growth within the circular economy.

Advancing technology to bring about polyolefin circularity

The new technology, Borcycle, transforms polyolefin-based waste streams into recyclate material such as pellets. As a transformative technology, it complements the existing Borealis virgin polyolefins portfolio with a range of pioneering, circular solutions. It unites state-of-the-art technology with the profound Borealis polymer expertise gained over decades.

As a scalable and modular technology, Borcycle has been developed to meet growing market demand for high-quality recyclate. Leading appliance brand owners, for one, have pledged to increase the amount of recycled plastics in their goods. Yet until recently, producers have not been able to rely on a consistent supply of high-quality recyclate. The Borcycle technology will help address this challenge. Compounds made using the Borcycle technology deliver high performance, add value and offer versatility. Producers and brand owners in a range of industries will profit from the availability of high-quality recyclate that helps them meet environmental and regulatory challenges.

“Advancing technology is crucial if our aim is to implement value-creating solutions in the circular sphere,” claims Maurits van Tol, Borealis Senior Vice President, Innovation, Technology & Circular Economy Solutions. “‘Building tomorrow together’ means innovating, collaborating, focussing on the customer, and above all – taking action. The launch of our new recycling technology Borcycle is tangible proof of our commitment to achieving plastics circularity.”

New and improved recyclate for high-end applications

Borcycle™ MF1981SY is the first of several upcoming launches of rPO solutions made under the umbrella of the Borcycle technology. Borcycle™ MF1981SY will be available to Borealis customers in Europe. The compound is an exciting addition to the rPO portfolio because it is a 10% talc-filled compound that contains over 80% recycled material. It offers an ideal balance between stiffness and impact. The compound is especially suited for use in visible black parts, for example in small appliances.

Like its relatives in the mtm plastics family of recyclate materials, Borcycle™ MF1981SY is a truly sustainable offering. Recyclates from mtm save approximately 30% of CO2 emissions compared to virgin materials.

A number of significant improvements have been made to existing recyclate grades in the Purpolen portfolio.

“Mechanical recycling is presently a most eco-efficient method to implement the principles of the circular economy,” explains Guenter Stephan, Head of Mechanical Recycling, Borealis Circular Economy Solutions. “Borealis and mtm plastics are leveraging their respective areas of expertise to make significant progress in achieving polyolefin circularity by upscaling recycling output and ensuring the reliable supply of high-quality plastics recyclate for European producers, in particular.”

• Contracts signed for seven projects
• Contract comprises delivery of compact- and ring-spinning systems
• Total amounts to roughly CHF 180 million
• Order intakes are anticipated to be realized in 2019; sales posted in the 2020/2021 financial years

Rieter Group has signed contracts with the Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Company, Cairo (Egypt), at the ITMA 2019. These seven projects entail a total of 180 million Swiss francs. The contract comprises delivery of compact- and ring-spinning systems over the next two years. This order is part of a comprehensive modernization program of the Egyptian textile industry. The order intakes are anticipated to be realized in 2019 with sales posted in the 2020/2021 financial years.

The contracts were signed at the ITMA in Barcelona, Spain, by Dr. Ahmed Moustafa Mohamed, Chairman Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Company, and Dr. Norbert Klapper, CEO Rieter.

Dr. Klapper was very pleased at the formal signing of contracts: “We would like to thank our Egyptian business partners for the confidence they are placing in Rieter by awarding us this contract. Rieter has been the partner of choice of the Egyptian spinning industry for decades. We are delighted to be given the opportunity of making such an important contribution to the modernization of the Egyptian textile industry.”

• Lenzing sets net-zero CO2 emissions target by 2050
• Reduction of specific CO2 emissions by 50 percent until 2030
• Investment of more than EUR 100 mn to combat 1.3 Mt of CO2 emissions
• Commitment to follow the Science Based Targets concept

Lenzing, member of the CEO Climate Leaders Group of the World Economic Forum and a signatory to the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, will drastically reduce its CO2 footprint. The Lenzing Group will invest EUR 100 mn over the coming years to reduce carbon emissions both inside its operational boundaries (scope 1+2) and in its supply chain (scope 3). Due to its ambitious CO2 emission reduction strategy, the Lenzing Group will further contribute towards helping customers to transition their business to a lower CO2 base.

A first milestone is set for 2030, when Lenzing plans to reduce CO2 emissions per ton of product by almost 50 percent (scope 1+2 and 3) compared to a 2017 baseline. The total CO2 reduction of all the planned initiatives will yield 1.3 Mt.

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas is testifying at a public hearing today in support of the administration’s efforts to crack down on China’s abuse of intellectual property rights through the use of the Section 301 mechanism, while also calling on the administration to include finished apparel and home furnishings in any retaliatory tariffs against China.

Glas is joining several other NCTO member companies today to testify at a U.S. Trade Representative hearing as part of the administration’s consideration of the Tranche 4 of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports from China.

Reliable odor-management for cotton textiles using natural mint with the new Sanitized® Mintactiv additive. Highly washproof, effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, metal-free, applied without binders and made from the sustainable, renewable natural resource peppermint: This new development from SANITIZED AG meets the requirements of conscientious textile manufacturers and their brands with sustainability goals.

The antimicrobial treatment of textiles is an aspect of comfort, which textile producers and brands that support sustainability also want to offer their customers. The hygiene management experts from SANITIZED AG are launching a new additive, which meets this requirement in full.

Mayer & Cie.’s new MJ 3.2 E makes a tailor-made job of body mapping

Mayer & Cie. (MCT) is showcasing a mesh and body mapping specialist at this year’s ITMA in Barcelona. Specially developed for sporting use, the electronic single jersey machine MJ 3.2 E is a cornerstone of the manufacturer’s trade fair concept and its slogan “Stay a Winner: With Mayer & Cie.”. Because the new electronic jacquard flagship is based on a 3-in-1 concept it is capable of much more. Its 3-way technology enables the MJ 3.2 E to knit a wide range of patterns while its 2-way technology ensures high productivity.

Archroma today announced that Vietnam-based Tuong Long Co. Ltd (“Tuong Long”) is the first denim manufacturer in Vietnam to switch 100% of its production to Archroma’s aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo.

Tuong Long Co. Ltd is a textile manufacturer based in Vietnam, whose plant is located near Ho Chi Minh City and employs 600 people producing up to 18,000,000 meters of fabric per year. Tuong Long manufactures and trades woven fabrics, particularly denim and khaki, stretch and non-stretch, for apparel brands in the USA, Japan, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Archroma’s Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans.

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, approximately 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

The new Denisol® Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free* indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration.

STAMFORD, Conn. – At this year's Paris Airshow [Le Bourget, June 17-23] Hexcel will promote a range of carbon fibers and composite materials used to manufacture high-performance weight-saving structures in civil aircraft, engines, helicopters, and space applications.

Visitors to the Hexcel stand will see an Integrated Wing Panel demonstrator and an I-beam, both made with HiTape® carbon fiber reinforcements. HiTape® dry carbon reinforcements were developed for the automated lay-up of preforms and to complement a new generation of HiFlow™ resin systems, producing high-quality aerospace structures using the resin infusion process. The reinforcements incorporate a toughening veil to enhance mechanical properties and meet the structural requirements for aerospace parts. The I-Beam was manufactured using C-RTM (Compression Resin Transfer Molding) and was injected with Hexcel’s RTM6 resin in a process taking less than five minutes.

Hexcel honeycomb saves weight and enhances stiffness in composite structures, and the company provides a range of engineered core solutions that enable highly contoured parts with precision profiling to be produced to exact customer specifications. A sample part made from aluminum FlexCore® that is CNC machined on both sides and formed and stabilized with both peel ply and flyaway layers of stabilization will be on display.

Another honeycomb innovation is Hexcel’s Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb that significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs.
Another Hexcel technology to benefit aircraft engines is HexShield™ honeycomb which provides high-temperature resistance in nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential reuse of material after a fire.

With 50 years of experience behind its comprehensive range of high-strength, high-strain PAN-based carbon fibers, Hexcel continues to innovate and is introducing two new fibers to its portfolio. HexTow® HM50 combines high modulus and high tensile strength, making it ideal for commercial and defense aircraft and engines. HexTow® 85 was developed specifically to replace rayon-based carbon fiber for ablative applications.

Another area of expertise that uses HexTow® carbon fiber is additive manufacturing, where Hexcel uses PEKK ultrahigh performance polymers and HexAM™ technology to manufacture carbon reinforced 3D printed parts. This innovative process provides a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Later this year Hexcel will open a joint research and development laboratory in Les Avenières (Isère), France with Arkema to develop carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic prepreg tapes for aerospace, space and defense applications. A spool of thermoplastic prepreg tape will be on display on Hexcel’s stand to showcase this cost-effective technology that enables lightweight parts to be produced in faster production cycles for future generations of aircraft.

Hexcel’s stand is located next to Hexcel’s official distributor for aerospace products, Groupe Gazechim Composites. In 2018, Hexcel and Gazechim formed a joint venture, HexCut Services, to provide aerospace and defense customers with customized kitting services that include Hexcel’s innovative carbon fiber prepreg, fabrics and adhesives. Pre-cut kits save customers time and investment, reduce inventory and minimize material losses through scrap reduction.