From the Sector

For over 80 years Riri Group has established itself as a leading point of reference for the creation of details of style providing high-end fashion brands with top quality accessories – which now include zippers, buttons, metal components and fashion jewels.

All things style and sustainability: This year Première Vision Paris (08 – 10 February) will be once more the stage to show off the results. The new Spring/Summer 2023 line is inspired by three distinct eras and paths, but at the same time it conveys a total synergy and integration between the various divisions of the Group, coordinated and harmonised as well as united by their common interest in nature and sustainability.

SOUL COMFORT
Off-the-grid essentials between relaxation and style
Sparked from the contemporary need to balance happiness and security, while enriched by an aesthetic and provocative approach, this line embodies all the value and potential of a sustainabilityoriented communication for each and every product, as pieces feature the relevant information on the zip tape and on the button application support. This line presents softer colours that encompass a wide range of styles, including floral, summer satin and semi-transparency, accompanied by innovative yarns and sustainable materials, such as hemp, linen, silk, certified organic cotton, recycled nylon and bio-based polyester. The line also features stainless steel products, including mono-material buttons and zipper chains or the use of aluminium chains that stand out for their particular lightness.

OUTDOOR EXPRESSION
To always stand out
Inspired by nature and outdoor activities, in this section the focus is on attire codes that become the means through which everyone can express and enhance their look in every context, even when immersed in the surrounding environment. Coloured stripes and rubberized soft touch materials are the two essential concepts, combined with bright and flashy colours. The Storm Evo zip, reversed coated nylon zips (among which the one with the reflector catches the eye), and the recycled nylon buttons are back.

WISE EXCLUSIVITY
Smart and sustainable luxury
Each creation in this line is studied down to the smallest detail, to achieve luxury products that increase their value over time thanks to their sustainable process and long life cycle, achieved through multiple possibilities for use in different ways and areas. We find here the use of diamond, recreated in the laboratory with more sustainable techniques, but also zips with elegant and refined lines, the use of stainless steel and PVD and finally, the use of precious galvanic finishes on buttons, but also on chains and pullers. This path shows the important role collaboration plays between the divisions of the Riri Group, making it possible to create something unique and valuable.

Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) has released its 2021 progress report on its commitment to invest USD200 million in next-generation textile fibre innovation and technology over a ten-year period which started in 2019.

The annual report provides an update on the activities undertaken by RGE and its business groups (Sateri, APR, APRIL, Bracell) involved in the fashion value chain to advance its ambition towards closed-loop, circular and climate-positive cellulosic fibre.

In 2021, Sateri achieved full compliance with the emission limits set out in the European Union Best Available Techniques Reference Document (EU-BAT BREF) for all of its five viscose mills in China, two years ahead of schedule. Bracell completed construction of the world’s largest and greenest new generation pulp mill in São Paulo which uses cutting-edge technology for fossil fuel-free generation.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to restrict travel and collaboration, RGE persisted in building upon existing partnerships, while entering into new agreements. Sateri strengthened its strategic collaboration with Infinited Fiber Company, participating in the company’s EUR30 million funding round, which attracted new and existing investors such as H&M Group, Adidas, BESTSELLER and Zalando.

New partnerships formed by RGE included a five-year textile recycling research collaboration with Nanyang Technological University Singapore, and a three-year strategic partnership with the Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore which seeks, among others goals, to advance research and innovation in circular economy approaches to fashion waste in Asia.

RGE’s in-house R&D team has made good progress in advancing its textile-to-textile project, focusing on producing quality viscose using recycled cotton textiles as feedstock. To support plans to build a textile recycling facility in Indonesia, and as part of commercial feasibility analysis, studies examining the availability of textile waste and textile recycling landscapes in China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were completed.

Sateri remains on track in developing a product with 50 per cent recycled content by 2023, and to reach 100 per cent by 2030. It also aims for 20 per cent of its feedstock to contain alternative or recycled materials by 2025. In this similar vein, APR will source 20 per cent of its feedstock from alternative or recycled materials by 2030.

The rescheduled Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, now taking place from 9 – 11 October, will once again provide the industry with insight into the future through its fringe programme’s four categories: Design Inspiration, Business O2O, Textiles & Technologies and Industry Empowerment. And with the Online Business Matching sourcing platform returning this edition, buyers worldwide can still participate in the fair.

Each of the fringe programme’s four categories – Design Inspiration, Business O2O (online to offline), Textiles & Technologies and Industry Empowerment – features a mix of conferences, seminars and presentations that reflect the future of the home textile industry. Highlights of each category are included below, while further details can be found on the fair’s website: https://intertextile-shanghai-hometextiles-autumn.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shanghai/en/programme-events.html.

Since 2019, Messe Frankfurt has been working with the Conscious Fashion Campaign and United Nations Office for Partnerships as part of the Texpertise Network and supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The goals will be presented gradually at global textile events in order to highlight the most pressing challenges facing the textile and fashion industry worldwide.

Industry Empowerment: antimicrobial technologies and licensing in the home textile sector

Growing awareness of health and hygiene has increased the demand for antimicrobial and other functional textiles. Seminars hosted by the Chinese Industry Association for Antimicrobial Materials & Products will further discuss the increasing prominence of these textiles, as well as how the adoption of new antimicrobial textile technologies is expected to evolve in the future. In addition, experts will share the new trends of licensing and IP with case studies for the furniture companies and fabric brands.

2022 China Home Textile Trends

The China Home Textiles Trend Area will feature the research of the China Home Textile Association, The Department of Home Textile Trend Research and Promotion and Concept & Style Fashion Project Group Italy who shared their knowledge, inspirations and exchanged their visions of trend evolutions considering consumer demand, retail expertise, the contract market and new technologies.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2021 will be held concurrently with Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, Yarn Expo Autumn, PH Value and CHIC at the National Exhibition and Convention Center. Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd; the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).

Not only since 2021 has sustainability been a topic high on society’s agenda. And yet the importance of sustainability for consumers and companies has once again increased sharply as a result of the Corona pandemic, as numerous studies confirm. Then why is it often so difficult to implement this conviction in everyday life? One of the biggest obstacles to sustainable consumer behaviour is the lack of availability of alternatives.

In addition to changing consumer demands, the EU Commission's recent decision on the single-use plastics directive is also prompting many nonwovens manufacturers to look at alternative solutions. Kelheim Fibres is exhibiting at this year's INDEX in Geneva and online with bio-based fibers that offer an alternative to synthetic materials in a wide range of applications. The Bavarians have decades of experience in the nonwovens and hygiene sectors and work on individual customer-specific innovations.

"We want to make it easy for consumers to choose an environmentally friendly option. That’s the case when bio-based solutions offer the same performance as synthetic products," said Matthew North, Commercial Director at Kelheim Fibres." Our fibre technology allows us to create just that: unlike natural fibres, which are available already in fibre form and can only be treated on the surface, we can engineer the properties of our fibres they need for specific applications by specifically intervening in the production process. That way we combine nature - our fibres are made of wood pulp - with performance."

Kelheim's special fibres are made of wood pulp from sustainably managed sources, are produced in Kelheim in an environmentally friendly way and are fully biodegradable at the end of their product life. Kelheim Fibres is the first viscose fibre manufacturer in the world with an EMAS validated Environmental Management System and was awarded a dark green/light green shirt in the most recent Canopy HotButton-Ranking.

The MS Ultrasonic Technology Group is a globally recognized technology and innovation leader in ultrasonic joining technology and develops and builds flexible special machines, pioneering series machines, modular systems and efficient components for high-performance complete solutions.

This enables optimal welding, punching, sealing, cut-off welding and riveting of thermoplastics, textiles and nonwovens as well as cutting of food and other products.

To ensure sustainable growth, MS is focusing on expanding its application portfolio and entering new market segments. MS Ultrasonic Technology Group is part of the listed MS Industrie AG with internationally active companies.

In addition to the company's previous activities, MS is now placing a new focus on the continuous welding of nonwovens and other materials.

More than 30 years of experience in the development and production of high-quality and innovative ultrasonic components, coupled with know-how in drive and control technology, will be incorporated into the new business segment. This means that customers receive ready-to-integrate systems with maximum precision from a single source. With the new MS Competence Center in Ettlingen (Germany), MS is fulfilling the wish of many customers to expand its application portfolio to include continuous joining, embossing and perforating of nonwovens and sealing of packaging.

MS is thus adding an innovative and specialized site, while maintaining a high level of vertical integration and support for all specialist areas through its main site in Spaichingen (Germany). In two application laboratories and a measurement and analysis laboratory, tests, evaluations and optimizations of various welding tasks are just as much a part of the service as the in-house production of engraving rollers through to complete systems.

• Application engineering consulting for your welding task
• Support in the design of the engraving roll
• Execution of feasibility studies
• Welding tests to determine the process parameters
• Individualized process optimization
• Finding solutions for problematic welding applications
• Testing of quality-describing characteristics (tightness, porosity, strength)
• Microscopic analysis of the welded joint in 3D
• Sample creation and pre-series production

FibreCoat GmbH from Aachen, Germany, together with DBF Deutsche Basalt GmbH, developed a completely new type of fibre material to shield electromagnetic radiation from digital end devices, medical technology or e-car batteries cheaply and effectively. The joint project was awarded the overall prize of the“ IQ Innovationspreises Mitteldeutschland“ on 24 June in an online event broadcast live from Leipzig.

The prize is endowed with €15,000 and was sponsored by the Halle-Dessau, Leipzig and East Thuringia Chambers of Industry and Commerce.

Electromagnetic radiation from smartphones, hospital diagnostics and electric car batteries must be shielded so that they do not inter-fere with each other. To prevent mutual interference, they have so far been covered with metal fibre fabrics, a very time- and energy-consuming and thus expensive procedure. The new material from Basalt Faser GmbH and FibreCoat GmbH prevents this with a fibre core made of melted, thinly drawn basalt, which is coated with aluminium and bundled into the so-called AluCoat yarn. This yarn remains just as conductive and shielding, but is lighter, stronger, cheaper and more sustainable than previous alternatives. In addition, there are further advantages:

• The number of process steps required is reduced from ten to one.
• 1,500 metres of yarn are produced per minute instead of the previous five metres.
• The energy required is only 10 per cent of the previous amount.

The result is a price that is twenty times lower.

The textile made of AluCoat fibres is versatile and flexible: as wallpaper it can shield 5G radiation in offices or medical rooms or encase batteries and thus ensure the smooth functioning of electric cars. AluCoat is already being used in some companies. A European fibre centre in Sangerhausen is being planned for mass production.

The two innovative companies DBF Deutsche Basalt GmbH and FibreCoat GmbH from East and West combine the two materials basalt and aluminium to protect against electromagnetic radiation. In doing so, they coat basalt with aluminium and, through this novel combination, create an inexpensive, sustainable and quickly produced alter-native for a market worth billions.

FibreCoat GmbH from Aachen is a spin-off of the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University; the managing directors Dr Robert Brüll and Alexander Lüking and Richard Haas have completed their doctorates at the ITA or are in the process of preparing their doctorates. Georgi Gogoladze, Managing Director of Deutsche Basaltfaser GmbH, also studied at RWTH Aachen University. The two managing directors Brüll and Gogoladze know each other from their student days.

• AFRY engineering partner when Renewcell expands operations to lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future

Renewcell has awarded AFRY an engineering assignment for their recycled textile materials production expansion at SCA's Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall, Sweden. The assignment includes project and construction management services, process, mechanical and piping engineering, electrical, automation and instrumentation engineering, fire and HVAC design, as well as civil design. The project is a continuation of AFRY's previous feasibility studies.

The trend in textiles and design requires sustainable fashion. Customers require fashion companies to reduce their environmental impact through new technologies and innovations for the circular economy. One important element is recycling of textile fibers that is a path towards a more sustainable fashion.

Renewcell is a multi-award-winning textile recycling company based in Sweden. The company’s vision is to inspire an Industrial Evolution towards a sustainable world by producing high quality materials from recycled textiles. “There is a way to put fashion first without putting the environment in second place” – Renewcell describes their business concept. With their technology, the company has succeeded in recycling and regenerating textile fiber from old clothes to turn into new clothes. For example, H&M, a partner of Renewcell, has launched a garment that is half made with Renewcell’s fabric.

Today, Renewcell has a demo plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, with the possibility to recycle over 4,500 tons of textiles each year. The company has now signed a major agreement with one of the world's largest producers of viscose fiber. With that as a basis, together with a well-proven process and technology, they are now building a full-scale production plant in Sundsvall, Sweden. When the new plant is ready for production, it will have the capacity to recycle 60,000 tons of textile waste annually, which is just over half of Sweden's annual textile consumption. The new plant is expected to be commissioned in 2022.

“We are pleased to continue the partnership with AFRY, which began with the feasibility study they delivered in 2020. With AFRY, we feel secure in having a partner with both world-leading expertise and the ability to deliver projects on time and within budget. Together, we lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future,” says Christer Johansson, Project Director at Renewcell.

“We are extremely proud to be part of Renewcell’s investment. We are excited to contribute in this transition towards more sustainable solutions for the future and look forward to continue this journey together with Renewcell,” says Ulf Strenger, Business Unit Manager at AFRY.

Hologenix, creators of Celliant®, infrared responsive technology, and Kelheim Fibres, a world-leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers, have partnered to launch Celliant Viscose at ISPO Munich 2021. Celliant Viscose is a finalist in Best Products by ISPO and will be showcased in the Fibers & Insulations Category for ISPO Textrends, where realistic views and 3-D simulations will be available for each material.

The introduction of nature-based Celliant Viscose will be the first in-fiber infrared sustainable solution on the market and meets a consumer demand for more environmentally friendly textiles. An alternative to synthetic fibers and extremely versatile, Celliant Viscose blends beautifully with cotton, micromodal, lyocell, wool varieties including cashmere. It also has many applications across industries as it is ideal for performance wear, luxury loungewear, casual wear and bedding.

Celliant Viscose features natural, ethically sourced minerals embedded into plant-based fibers to create infrared products that capture and convert body heat into infrared, increasing local circulation and improved cellular oxygenation. This results in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep.

Celliant Viscose provides all the benefits of being a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as fiber enhancements from Celliant infrared technology. Celliant’s proprietary blend of natural minerals allows textiles to capture and convert body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy, resulting in stronger performance, faster recovery and better sleep. In addition, Celliant is durable and will not wash out, lasting the useful life of the product it powers.

An Affordable, Long-lasting Solution with Diverse Applications
As opposed to other IR viscose products which are coatings based, Celliant Viscose’s in-fiber solution increases wearability and longevity with a soft feel, durability from washing and longer life. The combination of Kelheim’s distinctive technology and the Celliant additives creates this unique fiber that provides full functionality without the need for any additional processing step — a new standard in the field of sustainable IR viscose fibers. This single processing also makes Celliant Viscose more cost-effective and time-efficient than coatings.

In addition, Kelheim’s flexible technology allows targeted interventions in the viscose fiber process. By modifying the fiber’s dimensions or cross sections or by incorporating additives into the fiber matrix, Kelheim can precisely define the fiber’s properties according to the specific needs of the end product.

Highly Sustainable
Celliant Viscose is a plant and mineral-based solution for brands seeking an alternative to synthetic fibers. It contains natural raw materials that are from the earth and can return safely to the earth.

Nature-based Celliant Viscose is certified by FSC® or PEFC™, which guarantees the origin in sustainably managed plantations, and is part of the CanopyStyle initiative to protect ancient and endangered forests. The production of Celliant Viscose takes place exclusively at the Kelheim facilities in Germany, complying with the country’s strict environmental laws and guaranteeing an overall eco-friendly product.

Backed by Science
Celliant is rigorously tested by a Science Advisory Board composed of experts in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry and medicine. The Science Advisory Board has overseen 10 clinical, technical and physical trials, and seven published studies that demonstrate Celliant’s effectiveness and the benefits of infrared energy.

For more information, visit www.celliant.com/celliant-viscose/

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are important developments for the current design of productions and products. In order to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of bio-based composites, the AZL, together with an industry consortium, is investigating the market potential, future applications and relevant technologies for bio-based composite materials. The 5-month market and technology study will start on October 22nd, 2020 and is open to interested companies. Companies such as REHAU, an Automotive Tier 1, Asahi Kasei, Johns Manville, Mahr Metering Systems and several material manufacturers are participating in the study.

Bio-plastics are well established in industry, especially in packaging applications. The market for biopolymers is expected to grow from USD 10.5 billion in 2020 to USD 27.9 billion in 2025. At the same time, bio-based raw materials, such as natural fibers, are available on the market in a cost-effective manner. Composites with wood or natural fiber content are also increasingly used in products.

Dr. Michael Emonts, Managing Partner of AZL: "Together with our partner companies we want to identify hidden business potential for composites with bio-based materials. To do so, we will reapply our established approach for market and technology studies: Based on a detailed market analysis, we will dive deep into the technological evaluation of technologies, applications and business cases.”

Based on a detailed market segmentation, AZL's technology experts analyze the various market segments in terms of their size, growth potential, relevant players and existing and future applications. For the identified applications, the participants in the study will receive detailed insight into the respective technical and legal requirements as well as an overview of value chains, processes and materials. In the following, the strengths and challenges of bio-composites compared to conventional materials are elaborated. The consortium will select the components with the highest potential, for which suitable production scenarios will be developed and analyzed in terms of costs in a business case analysis.

"We are participating in the AZL study to identify and evaluate new product areas with bio-materials. The technological analyses of the AZL studies have already helped us in the past to initiate new developments," says Dr. Steven Schmidt, Director Technology Platforms Materials at REHAU, explaining the motivation for working with the AZL and the industry consortium. "As one of the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders, we at REHAU are incorporating environmentally friendly materials into more and more products. Wherever the company is active - from the furniture and construction industries to the automotive industry - REHAU is already developing and manufacturing high-quality products from recycled raw materials. By 2025, REHAU plans to increase its recycling rate across the Group to significantly more than 15 percent and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by at least 30 percent," adds Dr. Steven Schmidt.

Bio-composites will also be the topic of the upcoming Lightweight TechTalk by AZL on September 29, 2020. Experts from industry and academia will give technology and market insights on sustainability and recycling of composites in 6 presentations. Registration is free of charge at: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/termine/recycling-of-composites/.

The kick-off of the project will take place on October 22nd, 2020 in the form of a video conference. Further background information on the project can be found under the following link: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-251_OP_Bio-Bases_Composites.pdf

• RUDOLF GROUP is thrilled to unveil the perfected antiviral features embedded in RUCO®-BAC AGP, the Company’s flagship antimicrobial product for textile applications.

As a consequence of COVID-19 global pandemic the demand for chemical auxiliaries with antimicrobial effect has boomed. RUDOLF GROUP invested important resources in the meticulous assessment of a new antiviral feature which is now added to one of their leading technologies .

Such an effort returned the surprisingly fast and most comprehensive antibacterial and antiviral textile finishing on the market: RUCO®-BAC AGP.

History has led to great vision and innovation

The powerful antimicrobial effectiveness of RUCO®-BAC AGP is rooted in the extraordinary properties of silver, whose antimicrobial magic is lost in the mists of time. Already known by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians, water and milk were preserved by using silver coins through the early modern age.

R&D at RUDOLF GROUP has mounted silver on highly sophisticated, functional and registered microstructures that strengthen and amplify the qualities of this noble metal.

RUDOLF’s proprietary microstructures are the responsible hidden secret and key technical breakthrough behind both efficacy and durability of RUCO®-BAC AGP. This innovation is now the preferred solution to help reducing proliferation and cross-contamination of bacteria and enveloped-virus on textiles.

One gram of microstructures has the astonishing superficial area of about 60 m². The advantage of a much higher surface is that the consumption of resources and dosages can be minimized by the factor 100 and that makes RUCO®-BAC AGP a highly conscious choice.

“Due to the microstructures, a virtually infinite protective shield is created in the textile from which highly effective positive silver ions are set free in small, exactly dosed quantities” says Dr. Dirk Sielemann, R&D Director at Rudolf Group.

Taking performance to the next level

RUCO-BAC AGP effectively protects any textile against bacteria (harmful and odour-causing) and its superior antiviral performance on textiles has been independently demonstrated by applying the most modern testing methods. Assessments were carried out on enveloped Coronaviridae families known to cause a broad spectrum of animal and human diseases.

The microstructures in RUCO®-BAC AGP trigger their powerful antibacterial and antiviral effects based on 3 distinctive inhibiting mechanisms:
1.    Blocking of oxygen-transporting enzymes therefore leading to impaired growth;
2.    Crushing of disulfide bonds and therefore structure of sulphur-containing proteins.
3.    Possible interference with Bacteria and virus surface protein in the membrane.

RUCO®-BAC AGP is intended for the protection of the treated textiles and the microstructures of RUCO®-BAC AGP were studied thinking of performance and safety. It is suitable for next-to-skin applications and cytotoxicity tests show that RUCO®-BAC AGP has no influence on the natural microflora of the skin. Furthermore, because of the adhesion mechanism of its microstructures, RUCO®-BAC AGP is only active in/on the textile and it is non-migrating. 

“This year 202o is being highly emotional and it’s leading to the widespread introduction of antimicrobials on textile and to a myriad of vague, misleading or unsubstantiated marketing claims”, states Dr. Gunther Duschek, Managing Director at RUDOLF GROUP. He concludes “As a highly responsible company, we move cautiously and stand for technologies and practices that are effective, truthful and limit the exposure of apparel manufacturers, retailers and buyers to any risk”.