East Providence Rhode Island Firefighters Receive Non-PFAS Turnout Gear

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — June 18, 2025 — The East Providence Fire Department has become the first in the United States to purchase and use non-PFAS turnout gear department-wide—an industry milestone achieved through a collaborative partnership with protective gear manufacturer Fire-Dex and textile innovator Milliken & Company.

The gear, which includes Milliken Assure™—North America’s first non-PFAS, non-halogenated flame-resistant moisture barrier—was purchased as part of a $658,000 investment by the City of East Providence. The delivery of 170 sets of turnout gear will provide all 125 full-time firefighters with a new set of turnout gear.

“This is about progress, partnership, and making deliberate decisions that reflect our department’s values,” said East Providence Fire Chief Michael Carey. “We’re proud to work with U.S. suppliers who share our vision and respond with innovation and accountability.”

The decision comes amid growing momentum around PFAS alternatives in firefighting gear across the country, including H.B. 5019, a Rhode Island bill that was signed into law on June 10, 2025 that prohibits the use of intentionally added PFAS in firefighter turnout gear sold or used in the state. The ban goes into effect on January 1, 2027.

“Fire-Dex and Milliken listened closely to what we wanted and worked with us every step of the way,” said East Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva. “This gear delivery represents more than new uniforms—it represents a commitment to keep our firefighters protected when they put their lives in danger to keep our communities safe.”

The transition marks the culmination of a co-led effort that began in early 2024. The result is a complete turnout gear solution that does not rely on fluorinated chemistry across any of its three protective layers: outer shell, thermal liner, and moisture barrier.

While non-fluorinated fabrics have existed for outer shells and thermal liners, the moisture barrier has historically relied on fluorochemicals for repellency and pathogen resistance. The introduction of Assure™ in October 2024 made it possible for Fire-Dex to provide a solution where all three layers meet performance expectations without the use of PFAS chemistry. The gear went through rigorous performance and safety testing and is UL certified and meets the NFPA 1971-2018 standard.

Fire-Dex has provided turnout gear to East Providence firefighters for more than 20 years, growing into a trusted partnership rooted in respect and responsiveness to support firefighter safety. Strengthening the value chain, Milliken and Fire-Dex have maintained a decade of strategic collaboration that delivers innovation and advancement through U.S. research and manufacturing.

Posted: June 18, 2025

Source: Milliken & Company and Fire-Dex

Space Application For ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 Opens

SINGAPORE — June 18, 2025 — Space application for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2026 officially opens today. The exhibition is scheduled to take place from 20 to 24 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (Shanghai). Interested exhibitors are encouraged to submit their applications via the official website, www.itmaasia.com, before the closing date of 24 March 2026.

As Asia’s leading business platform for textile machinery, the 10th combined edition of ITMA ASIA + CITME will continue to drive progress and facilitate collaborations across the industry. Leading textile machinery manufacturers are expected to showcase their latest technologies, with exhibits spanning the entire textile manufacturing value chain.

A strong emphasis will be placed on advanced technologies, sustainable processes and automation, offering participants a dynamic platform to explore the latest trends in sustainability and digital transformation.

The previous exhibition in 2024 was a success, grossing 160,000 square metres and featuring more than 1,700 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions. Numerous local and international brands staged product launches that were well received by visitors.

The exhibition attracted visitorship of around 90,000 from 111 countries and regions over five days. It also received strong domestic support, drawing visitors from all 31 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions across China.

According to the show owners – CEMATEX, the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT (CCPIT TEX), China Textile Machinery Association (CTMA) and China International Exhibition Centre Group Corporation (CIEC) – many exhibitors have already expressed strong expectations for the 2026 event.

ITMA ASIA + CITME is organised by Beijing Textile Machinery International Exhibition Co., Ltd and co-organised by ITMA Services. Japan Textile Machinery Association is a special partner of the show.

Posted: June 18, 2025

Source: CEMATEX, CCPIT TEX, CTMA & CIEC

YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. Nhon Trach Factory To Undergo Expansion To Phase 3

TOKYO — June 18, 2025 — YKK Corporation has made the decision to expand the YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. factory in Nhon Trach, Vietnam—which has grown into a prominent global textile industry hub for items such as sportswear, outdoor apparel, and casual wear—to Phase 3.

In the space adjacent to the Phase 1 and Phase 2 factories of YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd., YKK will expand its state-of-the-art factories that consolidate YKK technology.

Following the Ha Nam Factory Phase 2 in 2024, the Nhon Trach Factory Phase 3 expansion will increase the factories’ production volume and enhance product development faculties, thereby strengthening their function as a core technology base in the ASEAN region.

Through operations at the Phase 3 factory, which is sustainable from the design stage and fully automated, YKK will build a production system capable of delivering products that meet the various demands of its customers, including global brands.

Overview of factory expansion

YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. Nhon Trach Factory – Phase 3 Expansion
Illustration of completed factory (area outlined in red)

Construction site: Lot 10, N2 Road, Nhon Trach 3 IP – Phase 2,

  • Long Tho Commune, Nhon Trach District,
  • Dong Nai Province, Vietnam

Amount invested: 83.6 million USD

  • (buildings, machinery and equipment, etc.)

Land area : 176,701m2

Building area : 99,900m2

Planned building completion date: June 2027

Company overview

Company name : YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. (YKK Vietnam)

Location :

  • (Headquarters) Lot 10, N2 Road, Nhon Trach 3 IP – Phase 2, Long Tho Commune,
    • Nhon Trach District, Dong Nai Province, Vietnam
  • (Factories) Bien Hoa, Nhon Trach, Ha Nam
  • (Offices) Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Yangon

Company established: May 27, 1998

President : Yuji Furukawa

Capital stock : 16.8 million USD

Business description : Manufacturing and sales of fastening products

Posted: June 18, 2025

Source: YKK Corporation

Cotton Incorporated Unveils Reimagined CottonWorks Platform

CARY, N.C. — June 17, 2025 — Cotton Incorporated today announced the launch of a reimagined CottonWorks™ website, an ambitious digital transformation designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s global textile professionals across every stage of the value chain. The new platform is more than a redesign – it is an intuitive, fashion-forward platform built to support compliance, product development, sourcing, and education across the textile industry.

“In today’s landscape, companies continue to evolve the way they do business, and so do we,” said Mark Messura, senior vice president, Global Supply Chain Marketing at Cotton Incorporated. “Today’s professionals are working in a very different environment than they were even just a few years ago. With fewer companies sending teams to mills or factories, opportunities for learning and training have become more limited. They need more than training. They need reliable, in-depth knowledge that helps them tackle challenges like compliance and product development. Our research shows they want trustworthy resources at their fingertips, and this relaunch is a direct response to those changing needs.”

The new site debuted on a global stage at Cotton ConneXions – Where Innovation Meets Opportunity, Cotton Incorporated’s industry event hosted in Hong Kong in May. More than 255 attendees from 124 companies across 12 countries received a first glimpse of the new fashion-forward, digital platform.

“The newly launched CottonWorks site is a comprehensive resource for anyone in the apparel industry,” said Doug Tepper, vice president, Sourcing, Quality, Compliance & ESG at J.Jill. “Thank you for providing such a tremendous amount of relevant, valuable information and educational tools all in one, easy to navigate, website.”

Grounded in industry research that revealed a growing need for flexible, digital-first tools, the new CottonWorks learning hub reflects how modern professionals now learn, connect, and create. Seeking trend insights, marketing support, and digital product creation as top priorities, along with practical tools including enhanced virtual learning, 3D fabric files, technical specifications and compliance materials, CottonWorks is newly poised to deliver accessible, actionable tools to product developers, designers, sourcing leaders and marketers.

“The new CottonWorks site is a fantastic leap forward,” said Gurvinder Malhotra, vice president, Global Raw Materials at Alo. “The refreshed design is not only visually striking but also significantly enhances the user experience. The streamlined navigation, improved search functionality, and mobile responsiveness make it easier than ever for users to access the wealth of resources CottonWorks offers. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into making the site more intuitive and engaging for today’s professionals in the textile and apparel industries. It’s a major step forward in supporting innovation and sustainability in the textile industry and a valuable resource for anyone working with cotton.”

Key features of CottonWorks include:

  • A personalized user dashboard to bookmark favorite content and streamline workflow.
  • A refreshed Learning Hub with on-demand educational videos and tutorials.
  • Downloadable digital fabrics, compliance guides and supplier directories.
  • Expanded content on trend forecasting, traceability, circularity and recycling.

Designed to centralize knowledge and continue to serve as the leading industry platform for cotton-rich knowledge, tools and resources, CottonWorks equips professionals with a trusted platform to thrive in today’s fast-moving global marketplace. For more information, visit CottonWorks.com.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: Cotton Incorporated

Microban International Unveils H2O Shield, A Portfolio Of PFAS-Free Water-Resistant Textile Technologies

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — June 11, 2025 — Microban International announced the launch of H2O Shield, a PFAS- and PFOS-free water-resistant finish portfolio for textiles. This technology represents Microban’s first expansion outside of its traditional antimicrobial and odor control offerings, marking a significant growth of its capabilities.

Microban International has launched H2O Shield, a PFAS- and PFOS-free water-resistant finish portfolio for textiles.

H2O Shield is designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance textile finishes and offers a consumer-friendly alternative for brands phasing out harmful chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This includes the class of chemicals, PFOS, well-known for their extensive use, persistence in the environment and potential health concerns.

The technology is customizable, offering four distinct repellent options tailored to meet specific aesthetic and performance needs of manufacturers and brands:

  1. WR1000: Best suited for overall water repellency in low-touch applications such as shower curtains, awnings and tents.
  2. WR1001: Optimized for wicking performance for athletic and sweat-resistant apparel such as performance jackets, ski jackets and running fabrics.
  3. WR1002: Formulated to address chalking defects and color shift issues on dark-colored fabrics prone to scratches, such as hiking gear and gloves.
  4. WR1003: Helps to prevent tearing and is best suited for applications where seam slippage is a concern, such as backpacks and tents.

For fabrics that are traditionally difficult to treat, Microban offers an optional pretreatment, WR-P. This pretreatment expands fabric compatibility, reducing water repellent agent dosage by 15-20% and increasing the wash durability of the treatment.

H2O Shield provides excellent water resistance for textiles, achieving results of 80 or over on the AATCC TM22 spray repellency test. (PRNewsfoto/Microban International)

The technology provides excellent water resistance for textiles, achieving results of 80 or over on the AATCC TM22 spray repellency test. The finish has also been proven to maintain effectiveness even after 20+ home launderings.

Beyond water resistance, H2O Shield is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Microban technologies, including antimicrobial and odor control solutions.

“Microban provides a unique turnkey support structure, assisting our partners in combining finishing technologies while ensuring compliance and compatibility. Partners can also leverage our technical and testing support and trusted brand names,” said Microban International President Michael Ruby. “This synergy allows brands to deliver multi-functional performance with tailored solutions, protecting and extending the overall life of textile goods and delivering what consumers desire.”

H2O Shield technologies are applied using standard wet chemistry processes commonly found in textile manufacturing, such as pad baths. WR-P is applied as a last step during an exhaust process (after a dyeing cycle).

For additional information on H2O Shield, please visit https://www.microban.com/coatings/technologies/h2o-shield.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: Microban International

Eric Evans, Ph.D., Appointed Chair Of Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)’s Board Of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — June 17, 2025 — Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Eric Evans has been appointed as the new Chair of the AFFOA Board of Directors. Dr. Evans brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in defense technology and innovation to AFFOA, positioning the organization for continued leadership in the field of advanced textiles.

Eric Evans, Ph.D has been appointed the new Chair of the AFFOA Board of Directors.

Dr. Evans has a distinguished career spanning over three decades, where he has been at the forefront of research and development for new defense systems and technology. Evans served as the Director of MIT Lincoln Laboratory for 18 years from 2006 to 2024, where he led significant advances across many national security mission areas, making him a natural fit for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for AFFOA. He is now a Professor of Practice and Senior Fellow at MIT campus.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Evans as our new Chair,” said Dr. Sasha Stolyarov, CEO of AFFOA. “His extensive expertise in defense innovation and his commitment to fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government will be invaluable as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in functional fabrics technology and manufacturing.”

As Chair of AFFOA, Dr. Evans will help lead the organization in its mission to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced textile technologies that integrate electronics, sensors, and other advanced functionalities. Under his guidance, AFFOA aims to enhance the capabilities of the U.S. workforce and drive economic growth through innovation in textile technology and advanced manufacturing processes.

“I am honored to take on this role at such a pivotal time for AFFOA,” said Dr. Evans. “I look forward to working with the very talented team at AFFOA to create new textile and technology capabilities for both defense and civilian applications.”

Dr. Evans officially assumed his position as Chair of AFFOA’s Board of Directors on May 1, 2025. The organization is excited about the direction and vision he will bring to its initiatives and partnerships, and looks forward to his leadership in shaping the future of advanced textiles.

Dr. Evans has received two Distinguished Public Service Medals from the Secretary of Defense for his leadership of MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the Defense Science Board. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Fellow of the AIAA, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)

Birch Biosciences Enters Into Global Patent License Agreement With NREL To Advance Enzymatic Plastic Recycling Process

PORTLAND, Ore. — June 11, 2025 — Birch Biosciences, a startup focused on AI-powered enzymatic plastic recycling, today announced a global patent license agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to commercialize a novel enzymatic deconstruction processing technology that breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—a common plastic used in packaging and textiles—to recover valuable chemical building blocks.

The licensed technology, developed by NREL researchers, enables the rapid and efficient recovery of high-value PET monomers from enzymatic breakdown of PET. These monomers are then remanufactured into virgin-quality PET that can be used to create 100% recycled content products.

By securing licensing rights to this innovation, Birch Biosciences will integrate the NREL-developed downstream chemical processes into its proprietary biocatalytic recycling platform. The goal is to accelerate the commercialization of sustainable, closed-loop solutions for plastic waste, helping address a global environmental challenge.

“This licensing agreement represents a significant step forward in our mission to enable a circular plastic economy using biological solutions,” said Dr. Johan Kers, co-founder and CEO of Birch Biosciences. “NREL’s process complements our enzymatic recycling platform perfectly and will help us achieve scalable, low-cost plastic recycling.”

“NREL is pleased to partner with Birch Biosciences to bring this technology to market,” said Dr. Gregg Beckham, senior research fellow at NREL. “This is a great example of how national laboratories and industry can collaborate to address plastics recycling challenges with real-world impact.”

Plastic pollution is a growing challenge, with more than 400 million tons of plastic produced globally each year and only a small fraction effectively recycled. Enzymatic recycling offers a promising alternative to traditional methods, avoiding the quality degradation of mechanical recycling and the high temperatures and toxic solvents often required in chemical recycling methods. NREL’s chemical process works with the Birch enzyme platform to depolymerize untreated PET in hours under mild conditions, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

This agreement underscores both organizations’ commitment to advancing sustainable technologies and creating viable market solutions that support a circular economy.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: Birch Biosciences

ViceVersa is Online: The Product Development Proposals For Filo64

BIELLA, Italy — June 11, 2025 — It’s time to fully unveil Vice-Versa: the video portraying the product development proposals carried out for the 64th edition of Filo by Rossano Bisio (Fabric Designer) is now available online on the Exhibition’s website.

Paolo Monfermoso, manager of Filo, states: “The online release of the product development proposals has always been a key event for the textile professionals who look to Filo as the reference Exhibition for yarns and textile materials. Since the last edition, we have chosen to increasingly highlight the technical aspects and contents of our creative proposals, responding to Filo’s essential mission: offering companies effective and feasible suggestions to develop truly innovative textile ideas.

Obviously, for Vice-Versa too, technical quality is never detached from a high aesthetic content, firs of all from the one of textile proposals, and secondly from the video itself that brings them together, in our intentions a “little big movie” that will accompany us until the 64th edition of Filo in September.”

According to Monfermoso: “The main innovative element of the 64th edition of Filo – the new location in Hall 14 of Fiera Milano Rho – will also have an impact on the creative proposals. The space reserved to them will be enlarged and it will build a coherent path of product developments, starting from the suggestions of Vice-Versa to reach exhibitors’ collections and to conclude then with the collection of fabric samples made by Filo, named “Made in Filo” from September onwards.

Basically, through Vice-Versa we are proposing the starting point for a creative path that we will travel together: we as Filo’s organisers, our exhibitors and their customers, all the way along the supply chain that will have the end-products as its point of arrival. It is a journey that we can start to imagine from today. Meanwhile, enjoy the video!”.

Rossano Bisio, the Fabric Designer who carried out product development proposals for Filo, explains the stylistic content of Vice-Versa: “Through Vice-Versa, we decided to expand the aesthetic and functional language of textile and fashion industry by offering a vision where traditional elements merge with innovative ones.” According to Bisio: “Vice-Versa delivers the message of a deep change in the way fashion, design and textiles are conceived.

Using concepts such as the “reversal” of styles, formal wear meets casual elements, and avant-garde fabrics are combined with traditional techniques. From a technical point of view, this “reversal” was already clear in yarns’ processing, mixing shiny/opaque, soft hand/crépe and coarse/fine elements. The project tells a story where the past talks to the future, and the conceptual laboratory, declined in the ideal creative spaces of Aesthetic Lab, Luxury Lab and Innovation Lab, emphasises how innovation becomes the engine of aesthetic and ethical change: from the use of sustainable fibres to digital technologies and production processes with a lower environmental impact.

All this moves away from a showy and ostentatious luxury to introduce a form of plain, responsible, but also exciting elegance, where the real value lies in the quality of the materials, the artisanry and an effective ethical commitment.”

The 64th edition of Filo will be held on the 23rd and the 24th of September 2025 at Fiera Milano Rho – Hall 14.

Vice-Versa is available on www.filo.it.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: FILO

No CO2 In Your Luggage: New Bike Backpack From VAUDE With Innovative Polyamide From BASF

LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany — June 17, 2025 — The new TRAILCONTROL ZERO 20+ bike backpack from VAUDE, the leading manufacturer of sustainable outdoor clothing and equipment, sets new standards in collaboration with BASF. For the manufacturing of the backpack, VAUDE uses BASF’s innovative Ultramid® ZeroPCF, a polyamide (PA) 6 with a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of zero.

For the production of Ultramid ZeroPCF, BASF uses renewable electricity from the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm and attributes biomethane and bio-based feedstock from used cooking oil instead of fossil raw materials. The methodology follows an ISCC+ certified mass balance approach. The mass-balanced product has the same properties as the conventional product but outperforms it in terms of sustainability. “Thanks to all these measures and the benefits we derive from the efficient production methods of our BASF Verbund, we are reducing the CO2 footprint of the polyamide to zero,” says Marcel Schmitt, Global Strategic Marketing, Polyamide 6 at BASF.

“With this flagship project, we want to stimulate discussions about how materials with a carbon footprint of zero can contribute to climate neutrality,” adds René Bethmann, Senior Material Innovation Manager at VAUDE.

BASF had already announced the expansion of its polyamide product portfolio to include Ultramid LowPCF and Ultramid ZeroPCF variants in October 2024. The VAUDE bike backpack is now the first product to use Ultramid ZeroPCF. The expansion of the Ultramid portfolio is a further step in the sustainable journey of BASF’s Monomers division, which has already developed a circular or PCF-reduced option for every major product line. The division’s more sustainable offerings are an essential part of BASF’s path to climate neutrality and net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

BASF will present the VAUDE backpack and the broad polyamide product portfolio based on the “Choose to reduce“ approach to customers and partners at the world’s largest plastics trade fair, which will take place at Messe Düsseldorf from October
8 to 15, 2025.

Further information on Ultramid ZeroPCF can be found on the dedicated website:

https://chemicals.basf.com/global/en/Monomers/polyamides-and-precursors/Ultramid-LowPCF-and-ZeroPCF

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: BASF

Hexcel Highlights Thermoplastics Breakthrough At Paris Air Show With HELUES Project, A Multi-Partnership Demonstrator

STAMFORD, CT — June 17, 2025 — At Paris Air Show today, Hexcel will spotlight its latest advancements in thermoplastic composite technology by showcasing a highly innovative PEKK/carbon thermoplastics component developed as part of the HELUES project.

In 2018, Hexcel and Arkema have signed a strategic alliance to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector combining the expertise of Hexcel in carbon fiber and that of Arkema in PEKK.

At the Paris Air Show, the HELUES project perfectly illustrates thermoplastic solutions with a new demonstrator, a complex structural component for an overwing emergency exit door, and is the result of a multi-partner collaboration aimed at revolutionizing how aerospace components are manufactured for the next generation of high-rate aircraft production.

“The HELUES demonstrator is a milestone in aerospace thermoplastic composites,” said Thierry Merlot, Hexcel President Aerospace Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa & Industrial. “By eliminating autoclaves and enabling functional integration in a single step, thermoplastics are opening the door to truly scalable aircraft production.”

As global demand surges for more efficient and scalable aircraft manufacturing, particularly for single-aisle jets, Hexcel and its HELUES partners are helping OEMs address critical production challenges through new material and process innovations.

The HELUES project, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and supported by the German Aerospace Centre, brought together Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH, Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, Siebenwurst GmbH & Co. KG, INCOE International Europe, ARKEMA and Hexcel to pioneer a new manufacturing process using high-temperature thermoplastics.

At the core of the HELUES technology is a one-step forming and injection overmolding technology that utilizes HexPly® unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced Kepstan® PEKK tapes in conjunction with Kepstan® PEKK injection molding compounds. This integrated approach enables the rapid creation of a fully formed, structurally complex component, including reinforcing ribs and functional elements, in less than two minutes.

Thermoplastics technology offers aerospace OEMs three key advantages:

  • Dramatically shortened cycle times – from hours to minutes – to meet production targets of up to 80-100 jets per month.
  • Greater design flexibility and weight savings, thanks to thermoplastics’ ability to be reshaped and welded rather than fastened.
  • Enhanced sustainability and recyclability, as thermoplastics can be reprocessed and reused

The HELUES demonstrator directly replaces a traditionally assembled door structure with a single, integrated part, reducing component count and assembly steps by up to 90%. Early-stage testing confirmed excellent material bonding between molded ribs and thermoformed laminates, even under complex process parameters, further supporting the part’s viability in demanding aerospace environments.

With the commercial aviation sector preparing for a future defined by high-rate production and more automated, sustainable assembly lines, thermoplastics are gaining momentum as a material of choice. By reducing reliance on energy-intensive autoclaves and enabling robotic manufacturing processes, solutions like the HELUES component demonstrate how composite innovation can unlock both performance and production scalability for the next generation of aircraft.

Posted: June 17, 2025

Source: Hexcel Corporation

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