From the Sector

Sustainable solutions provider Perstorp has added new corporate sustainability targets, for water and waste, to its sustainability strategy. Its long-term sustainability ambition is to become Finite Material Neutral, which involves water and waste, along with raw materials, energy and catalysts. In 2021 the company set its first 2030 targets, for greenhouse gas emissions (using approved science-based targets) and (eco) toxic impact. Now Perstorp has added new sustainability targets that will address its long-term ambition.

These new 2030 corporate targets (all measured using 2019 as the base year) are:

• 30% absolute reduction of freshwater consumption
• 30% absolute reduction of hazardous waste directed to disposal
• 30% absolute reduction of non-hazardous waste directed to disposal

"Fresh water consumption and waste are two areas of big importance in reducing our environmental impact and working toward increased circularity," says Anna Berggren, Vice President Sustainability at Perstorp Group. "Fresh water scarcity is already a fact around the world, and we have a responsibility to reduce our consumption and utilize alternative water sources. We must also minimize waste generation and find new circular solutions of reusing and recycling the waste streams into new products, either ourselves or so that a third party can use them as raw material. We have set ambitious and absolute sustainability targets, that are to be achieved regardless of production growth. To be able to reach these targets we have several large projects planned that will contribute significantly."

All Perstorp production plants use water for multiple purposes, including, for example: for cooling, as a solvent for chemical reactions, as a carrier for products, and as a heat-transfer medium. One way to reduce fresh water consumption is to purify and recycle wastewater. Perstorp sees this as an important core technology and is planning to invest in wastewater recycling projects at several of its production sites.

A key to reducing waste directed to disposal is to develop circular solutions that use waste streams as raw materials for new products. One example is Project Air, in which captured carbon dioxide together with residue streams from Perstorp's production plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, will serve as raw material for production of sustainable methanol that will replace all the virgin fossil methanol used by Perstorp in Europe.

The details of the proposed restriction of around 10 000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are now available on ECHA’s website. ECHA’s scientific committees will now start evaluating the proposal in terms of the risks to people and the environment, and the impacts on society.

The proposal was prepared by authorities in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden and submitted to ECHA on 13 January 2023. It aims to reduce PFAS emissions into the environment and make products and processes safer for people.

All PFASs in the scope of the proposal are very persistent in the environment. If their releases are not minimised, people, plants and animals will be increasingly exposed, and without a restriction, such levels will be reached that have negative effects on people’s health and the environment. The authorities estimate that around 4.4 million tonnes of PFASs would end up in the environment over the next 30 years unless action is taken.

Peter van der Zandt, ECHA’s Director for Risk Assessment said: “This landmark proposal by the five authorities supports the ambitions of the EU’s Chemicals Strategy and the Zero Pollution action plan. Now, our scientific committees will start their evaluation and opinion forming. While the evaluation of such a broad proposal with thousands of substances, and many uses, will be challenging, we are ready.”

Next steps
ECHA’s scientific committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) will check that the proposal meets the legal requirements of REACH in their meetings in March 2023. If it does, the committees will begin their scientific evaluation of the proposal. A six-month consultation is planned to start on 22 March 2023.

RAC will form an opinion on whether the proposed restriction is appropriate in reducing the risks to people’s health and the environment, while SEAC’s opinion will be on the socio-economic impacts, i.e. benefits and costs to society, associated with the proposal. Both committees form their opinions based on the information in the restriction proposal and the comments received during consultations. The committees also consider advice from the Enforcement Forum on the enforceability of the proposed restriction. Once the opinions are adopted, they will be sent to the European Commission who, together with the EU Member States, will then decide on the potential restriction.

An online information session will be organised on 5 April 2023 to explain the restriction process and to help those interested in participating in the consultation.

With China easing its pandemic restrictions, foreign exhibitors and buyers can look forward to quarantine-free travel when participating at this year’s industry showcase in Shanghai. The technical textile and nonwovens fair is scheduled to take place from 19 – 21 September 2023 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, amid positive market forecasts for both sectors. The organisers are anticipating a strong showing and the conclusion of an inconsistent period for in-person textile business.

“The industry has demonstrated incredible patience and resilience over the course of the pandemic,” said Ms Wilmet Shea, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. “With both markets growing and China opening its borders, we are excited at the prospect of providing participants with an international, business-friendly platform and expect to welcome a healthy number of exhibitors later this year.”

The global technical textile and nonwovens markets are both set to perform strongly over the next few years. According to Grand View Research, the technical textile market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2030^[1]. The nonwoven fabrics market is anticipated to display an even stronger CAGR of 5.6% during the same period^[2], with Asia-Pacific to maintain its position as the biggest regional market.

As one of Asia’s leading trade fairs for the abovementioned sectors, Cinte Techtextil China is the preferred platform for multiple industry players. Speaking at the previous edition in 2021, Mr Seven Shen, Sales Manager at Libero Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, China, said: “We have been exhibiting at this fair for years, and know we will meet our target customers at every edition. The buyers here are all highly specialised.”

During his interview at the same edition, Mr Eric Ni, Senior Manager, China Supply Chain Marketing for Cotton Council International, USA, commented: “We hope to use this platform to meet more companies and brands in the nonwovens industry who are interested in US cotton, and to meet up with old friends to discuss the current situation and industry trends. The fair’s buyers are quality, and we have found some new potential clients at this edition.”

Many buyers at the previous edition also gave positive appraisals. “As a professional trade fair for technical textile and nonwoven products, Cinte Techtextil China is not only a platform to gather qualified industry players, but also the best place to showcase new products and innovations,” said Mr Lin Bin, Technical Director at Zhejiang Xinna Medical Device Technology Co Ltd, China. “Specific and high quality products enhance sourcing efficiency for buyers, and exposure to new trends and market developments ensures my company visits here regularly.”

The fair’s product categories cover 12 application areas, which comprehensively span a full range of potential uses in modern technical textiles and nonwovens. These categories also cover the entire industry, from upstream technology and raw materials providers to finished fabrics, chemicals and other solutions. This scope of product groups and application areas ensures that the fair is an effective business platform for the entire industry.

^[1] “Technical Textile Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report 2022-2030”, 2022, Grand View Research, https://bit.ly/3IAxQIK, (Retrieved: January 2023)
^[2] “Nonwoven Fabrics Market Size”, 7 September 2022, GlobeNewswire, https://bit.ly/3CxPE3u, (Retrieved: January 2023)

Carbios has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Martine Brisset as Senior Vice President from 1 January 2023. Martine will manage the Biodegradation Division and supervise the Human Resources, Legal, Regulatory, Project Management, Quality Health and Safety departments. Martine Brisset joins the Group’s Executive Committee, as does Delphine Denoizé, who remains Innovation Programs Funding, Regulation and LCA Director with an expanding team.

Martine Brisset has over 30 years of General Management experience in international groups within the plastic and paper packaging industry, most notably at Amcor, Huhtamaki, Linpac and Klockner Pentaplast.  Since 2021, she has held the position of General Manager of Carbiolice in order to integrate this high-potential subsidiary dedicated to biodegradation within the Carbios Group. In her new position as Senior Vice President of Carbios, her main mission will be to successfully deploy the biodegradation technology, facilitate the international expansion of Carbios’ activities, organise the recruitment and training of the Group’s employees. With numerous recruitments planned throughout the company in 2023, building Carbios’ attractivity will be a strategic topic.

After several years working in innovation within the agricultural industry, Delphine Denoizé joined the Carbios in 2016 and was one of its first twenty employees. Initially in charge of Innovation Funding and Regulation, then Project Management for PET biorecycling, she now oversees all the Group’s projects. Her responsibilities include French and European public funding for innovation, regulatory compliance of processes and products around the world, and assessment of their environmental impact through specific tools such as Life Cycle Assessment.

Techtextil India is scheduled to take place between 12 – 14 September, 2023 in Mumbai. The continued support from the Ministry of Textiles demonstrates the huge emphasis laid for this key sector in boosting the economy of the country given the enormous scope to grow rapidly apart from the remarkable opportunities present to do business in India.
 
Techtextil India is the country’s leading trade fair on technical textiles, non-wovens, fibres, yarns and machinery. With almost eight months to go, the three-day business event has received an overwhelming response from various companies who will be seen showcasing their latest solutions and products for key application areas.
 
Commenting on the developments, Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd, shared: “We are elated to have received the support from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and believe that it will bring in strong value to the technical textiles segment of our trade fair while opening doors to lucrative business engagements for the industry. We are optimistic that it will gain for us a wider reach and increase our credibility among the industry.”
 
The last edition of Techtextil India in November 2021 emerged as a crucial meeting place for the technical textile players. Even though the show happened to be the first post lockdown edition it garnered an attendance of 4,087 visitors due to live demonstration of latest products and technologies from over 150 technical textile brands.

For the SS24 Iluna focuses on the most precious lightness and intangibility with its Ultralight series of jacquardtronic laces reminiscent of the delicacy of Leavers.
This season, responsible developments did not stop at responsible ingredients and processes; in fact, the company focused on the circular economy! The stylistic research started from the company's historical archive, to give life to a collection that revisits the proposals in a "modern classic" key.
 
The company's design team recreated the iconic designs of the line, the heart of the Black Label proposal, ILUNA's signature line offering the finest laces. Focusing on upcycling, the team reworked archival stocks, creating new value through finishings, and reweaving from scratch only the missing widths in order to present a complete, coordinated underwear/nightwear range from allovers to galoons.

For the SS24 season the Iluna team continues its developments with GOTS-certified organic cotton in its galoons and allovers, to add a natural touch to its Green Label line.
Among the ingredients chosen by Iluna Group are: Renycle® and Q-NOVA®, both GRS-certified pre-consumer recycled polyamide yarns in addition to the recycled stretch ROICA™ EF by Asahi Kasei. Among the new technical developments on laces, Iluna then worked on variable elasticity modules, resulting in reinforced edges or zones of differentiated elasticity that can be variously positioned within the laces.
All this results in a comfortable, ultralight product that remains true to a high value of creativity and responsibility. The option is applicable to all the Iluna laces, with modular solutions at the customer's request on fashion items as well, where research continues on FSC-certified pre-dyed viscoses and unexpected metallic gleams with lurex.

Moreover, the continuous path through the new dimension of responsibility continues in several directions: experiments with 16 different natural dyestuffs; and continued investment in technologies that can ensure significant savings in water and energy consumption, including GREENDROP, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system.
From athleisure to fashion, through lingerie to the world of high fashion, Iluna's lace continues to expand its applications, confirming its extreme versatility, remarkable performance and inimitable beauty.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) of Leeds, England, a supplier of laboratory and pilot melt spinning systems, is celebrating a record breaking year of sales and product innovation. “Sales revenue for 2022 has easily beaten our previous high” said FET Managing Director, Richard Slack “and the research projects we have collaborated in have become increasingly challenging in terms of technical specification.”

Prestigious new projects during 2022 included a multifilament melt spinning line for Senbis Polymer Innovations, Netherlands enabling the development of textile fibres from recycled polymers or biopolymers; a FET-200LAB wet spinning system at the University of Manchester which will play a major part in advanced materials research in collaboration with the renowned Henry Royce Institute; and a FET-103 Monofilament line for RHEON LABS of London to help develop a hyper viscoelastic fibre from RHEON™ which displays high strain-rate sensitive properties. The latter two of these examples were aided by significant UK grants to develop advanced materials.

FET is now looking forward to 2023 with a record order book. The company’s newly opened Fibre Development Centre features over £1.5 million investment in customer laboratory systems that will further enable fibre trials and product R&D. Three new polymer types were developed with clients in 2022 and several more are lined up in 2023, which is expected to bring the total of different polymer types to more than 40 in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.

FET will be exhibiting at two major exhibitions in 2023; INDEX 23, a leading Nonwovens show at Geneva in April; and ITMA, Milan, an international textile and garment technology exhibition in June.

MS Printing Solutions and JK Group announce the appointment of Christopher Bernat as General Manager of North America and the Caribbean markets. He will be the main point of contact for overall business in the region. Chris joins MS Printing Solutions and JK Group with over 20 years of industry experience.

He was Director of Sales at Sawgrass Technologies prior to starting Vapor Apparel in 2004. He currently serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of Printing United and resides in Charleston, South Carolina.

Yalin Xu has been appointed Managing Director and President of DyStar Group by the Board of Directors. He will be directly responsible for the management and operations of DyStar Group. Mr Xu first joined DyStar in 2010 and has since been the Executive Board Director.
 
Eric Hopmann has been redesignated as CCO (Chief Commercial Officer), with a focus on Sales and Marketing of DyStar Group. He will continue to report to Yalin Xu. Mr Hopmann was with DyStar when the company started in 1995 and has been leading various leadership positions at DyStar Group, including the most recent CEO role, to which he was appointed in 2014.
 
DyStar’s leadership change is in response to the rapid global market changes, and to enable the group to accelerate growth and drive productivity. The group wants to streamline their operations and better utilise resources efficiently across the network.

Over the past three years, a dedicated AI development team at BTMA member Shelton Vision has been developing tailored machine learning solutions for the textiles industry.

The aim has been to elevate the detection process and the accuracy of naming and grading subtle defects in textiles, in real time within production environments.

“Big Data ‘off-the-shelf’ systems such as those behind technolgies like facial recognition and Google Maps involve reading many thousands of single images each second and simply take too long to accumulate sufficient data for what’s required in this specific case,” says Shelton Vision CEO and Managing Director Mark Shelton. “A feature of the textile industry is that in many sectors, the product range changes several times within a year and it is not uncommon to have to inspect hundreds, if not thousands of different styles in a year based on precise settings.”

In terms of defect types, he adds, there may typically be over 100 that need to be accurately detected, classified (named) and graded in real time.

“Added to this is the need to ‘filter out’ the random occurrence of ‘non defects’, such as loose threads, lint and dust on the surface – the number of which can be higher than actual defects – and it is clear that a bespoke system is required.”
The development team has consequently established metadata for identifying defect properties, enabling the successful identification of faults from a much smaller number of images.

“The system employs a unique combination of machine learning for automated style training and novel algorithms for defect detection, to provide high quality images for the AI real time defect classification and grading software,” Shelton explains. “Due to the inherent variation in fabric features – raw materials, construction, texture, colour and finishes, as well as the differing product quality standards in value chains and the regional variations in what defects are called – our AI engine uses models built for each individual company or group of companies, or product value chain.”

The AI models are constructed so that the user operatives can populate them with their own data produced by the vision system or by obtaining defect images from another imaging source (eg a mobile phone camera).  

The occurrence of defects is sporadic and many defect types occur infrequently, although when they do, they can have severe consequences. These scenarios re-enforce the need for the AI engine to be quickly set up and able to operate accurately with limited data sets of typically between 30 and 50 good quality images per defect type.

A further feature is a tool enabling the user to periodically ‘clean up’ the AI data during the set up phase. This is used to resolve conflicting data and to correct mis-named images.

Generally, the highest cost component of fabric production is the raw material and in addition to finished product inspection, a cost effective use for vision systems is in process operation.

Generally, the highest cost component of fabric production is the raw material and in addition to finished product inspection, a cost effective use for vision systems is in process operation.

“There is a need for the real time detection of defects that are being created in separate processes, such as printing or coating and for real time automated systems that can accurately determine the defects and their severity and provide a reliable signal for an operative to rectify the issue, This can result in considerable savings.

Prior to Shelton introducing powerful customised machine vision and real time defect classification, the only systems available were those that required manual sifting through vast numbers of images, which included both real defects and ‘non defect’ images. The task was very often overwhelming and did not provide much benefit beyond manual fabric inspection.