Stony Brook, N.Y.-based Applied DNA Sciences Inc. (ADNAS) has introduced its DNA-based SigNature® T DNA technology to the man-made fiber market after partnering with Kingstree, S.C.-based Palmetto Synthetics and Techmer PM, Clinton, Tenn. SigNature T DNA molecular tags were attached to Techmer PM polyester (PET) formulations. The custom-made, tagged material was then sent to Palmetto to be spun into polyester fiber, which was converted into fabrics for commercial and industrial applications. The initial collaboration produced 5 million pounds of tagged PET fiber, a quantity that will be scaled up to many millions of pounds over the next year, according to the companies.
“We have been a change agent for the cotton fiber market, by bringing certainty to a complex supply chain,” said Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO, ADNAS. “With our entry into synthetic fibers, Applied DNA Sciences is entering a market that is more than three-times larger than cotton, and is the basis of 60 percent of the global textile industry.”
“SigNature T DNA ensures traceability and transparency at every stage of the supply chain, with performance and strength delivered consistently,” said David Poston, President, Palmetto Synthetics.
“We are honored to be working with ADNAS and Techmer, and excited about the many benefits this partnership will bring to consumers and manufacturers.”
Atlanta-based industrial fiber distributor Hamilton International Group has acquired Martinsville, Va.-based TSI Yarns, formerly known as Texturing Services Inc.
“TSI can produce 450,000 pounds of textured yarns per week at its modern, ISO 9001 certified, Martinsville facility,” said Art Hamilton, CEO, Hamilton International. “Access to raw materials available through other Hamilton businesses expands the range of solutions that TSI Yarns can provide to its customers.”
“The investment and enthusiasm that comes from being part of an organization committed to growth and American manufacturing gives TSI Yarns a unique opportunity to expand our products and services solutions,” said Ken Carder, general manager and CFO, TSI Yarns.
Charlotte-based Custom Synthetic Fibers LLC — owned by a group of investors including the majority owners of Charlotte-based Custom Polymers Inc. and Athens, Ala.-based Custom Polymers PET LLC — will open an 80,000-square-foot recycled polyester fiber plant mid-summer 2016. Initially, the plant will produce 40 million pounds of recycled polyester staple fiber per year, with the ability to expand in the future to produce an additional 80 million pounds each year. Custom Synthetic Fibers will hire up to 50 people to staff the facility, which will be led by CEO Joseph Ku.
End products for the recycled fiber include automotive, home furnishings, industrial, apparel and consumer goods.
“We are extremely excited to announce the impending operational start-up of Custom Synthetic Fibers,” said Ku. “Our plant will produce high quality recycled polyester fiber by incorporating recycled polyester raw materials in an environmentally friendly and cost effective manner. Our state-of-the-art technology will enable our customers to benefit from fiber in various denier sizes to meet their stringent quality and consistency requirements.”
Trion, Ga.-based Mount Vernon FR has added Arapaho R, Hopi N2X and Navajo N2X fabrics to its Resilience® line of flame resistant fabrics. Engineered to offer increased abrasion resistance, the fabrics meet all industry standards including NFPA 70E, NFPA 2112 and ASTM F-1506. Arapaho R is a 7.5-ounce cotton/nylon/Kevlar® blend; and 8.5-ounce Hopi N2X and 9.5-ounce Navajo N2X fabrics feature cotton blended with 25-percent high-tenacity nylon.
“Our survey of 400 environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals found that the greatest challenge they experience is the need for more durable flame resistant clothing,” said Mike Woods, vice president of FR fabrics for Mount Vernon FR.
To support the needs and demands of local markets and customers, Denver-based Johns Manville (JM) plans to significantly enhance a glass fiber nonwovens line at its facility in Wertheim, Germany. The upgraded line is expected to be online by the end of 2017. During the construction phase, JM assures customers it will work to provide a reliable supply of product.
“This investment clearly shows the strong commitment our U.S.-based parent company has to the Wertheim plant,” said Heinrich Bein, managing director, JM’s Germany-based glass plants. “I am proud of the JM employees who have worked hard to make this development possible, and I am proud of the way they support our Made in Germany manufacturing process on a daily basis.”
“Johns Manville has decades of experience in the development and production of glass fiber nonwovens,” said Martin Kleinebrecht, leader of marketing and portfolio management for Nonwovens in Europe and Asia, JM. “This line enhancement will help us to further expand our market position.”
Lincolnton, N.C.-based engineered nonwovens producer Tenowo Inc., a Germany-based Hoftex Group AG business, has announced plans to expand its facility in Indian Creek Industrial Park for the fourth time since 2009. The $12.5 million expansion will add 70,000 square feet and includes a new production line, with three additional lines planned in the near future. In addition, the company will transfer Tenowo’s Multiknit technology to the United States from Germany, giving the plant a unique manufacturing technology, according to the company. Multiknit products may be used in place of conventional foam products in automotive applications.
“This technology provides Tenowo Inc. with a unique value-added product to offer to the automotive market and allows the company to diversify our portfolio in North America,” said Chris Peart, president and CEO, Tenowo. “We are excited to be able to deliver this new technology to our customers while adding jobs in Lincolnton and contributing to the local economy. The support that we received from the Lincoln Economic Development Association (LEDA), Lincoln County and the state of North Carolina was critical to moving forward.”
“This location has been very successful for our company over the last several years, and we view it as a key location for strategic growth,” said Dr. Harald Stini, global managing director, Tenowo.
Fremont, Ind.-based Carver Non-Woven Technologies LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of R3 Composites Inc., reports its new nonwoven manufacturing facility will be fully operational by mid-July. The facility will produce high-quality, single- and multi-material nonwoven products for R3 and the wider North American composites industry. The new 165,000-square-foot facility allows for future growth if demand for the products increases.
The new facility features state-of-the-art technology including the latest developments in fiber opening, blending, carding, cross-lapping, and web drafting, web scanning, and needling equipment as well as a Hyperpunch machine from Germany-based Dilo Group. Carver processes a variety of fiber types including E-glass, bast, jute, carbon, basalt, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene and polylactic acid.
“We’re very proud of the amount of flexibility, new technology, and custom-modified equipment this new facility represents,” said Mark Glidden, president, R3 Composites and Carver Non-Woven. “To achieve this level of competence right from the start, our organization has made a substantial $13 million investment. If our products really take off the way we believe they will, then our five-year plan calls for us to make an additional $20-million dollar investment to expand our operations.”
For 3-D wovens, knits and even nonwovens, the list of markets and applications only continues to grow and expand.
By Jim Kaufmann, Contributing Editor
Depth is indeed the difference. Length, width and depth — or thickness if you prefer — account for the three dimensions inherent to a human’s visual perspective. Fortunately, this also happens to be the distinguishing traits of 3-D textiles, a category growing in significance throughout the textile industry and beyond. The specific recognition of depth is what separates 3-D textiles from traditional 2-D knit, woven and nonwoven fabrics. Granted, it can be argued that everything, yes, everything has a length, width and depth. But since traditional woven, knit and nonwoven fabrics have a very nominal depth when compared to their manufactured length and width, the third dimension is often deemed as irrelevant or inconsequential, therefore, 2-D. Increasingly over the past 20 years or so, the addition of depth in textiles has become more relevant to engineers and designers. The result has been significant growth in the use of 3-D textiles, particularly by the composites industry and more recently in other technical applications, as well as the fully-fashioned or shaped garments marketplace.
To clarify, along with their length and width, 3-D fabrics have a very distinct, clearly defined depth and/or noticeable shape, each of which are visually apparent and measurable. However, in true 3-D fabrics, it is understood that the depth must be fully integrated throughout the textile structure via its design, engineering and manufacturing processes, whether it be a woven, knit or nonwoven structure. Given this definition, 3-D fabric depth does not result from add-ons or multiple layers being sewn, glued or otherwise assembled together after the base fabric has been made.
Truth be told, 3-D textiles or 3-D fabrics have conceptually been around for a very long time, however for the most part, just not recognized as such. As is usually the case given the breadth of textile manufacturing processes, there are a multitude of ways to produce 3-D textiles. Each process offers an inherent list of attributes similar in scope to its traditional 2-D brethren. In general, 3-D knits provide stretch and conformability, 3-D wovens deliver stability and uniformity and 3-D nonwovens offer bulk and tailored density. When jacquard systems are incorporated into either woven or knit fabric manufacturing equipment, individual yarn control and placement are greatly enhanced. As a result, intricately complex woven or knit shapes, patterns and geometries can be realized.
Adding a pronounced third dimension to the textile structure with individual yarn path control that is fully integrated throughout, further diminishes the limits of textile technology and directly leads to enhanced and improved product performance. These enhanced products can range from rather intricate fully-fashioned one-piece garments, to complex near net shape composite preforms, and pretty much anything else the engineer or designer can imagine. Having more yarn systems in play through the thickness or “Z” direction allows the designer to create a complex engineered structure, target and mitigate weak or high-stress areas, enhance flexibility and/or provide foundational support, among other design features. The possibilities may not be endless, but quite a few application engineers and designers representing a wide array of industries and market segments are taking notice of and exploring the potential opportunities that 3-D textiles offer.
The LEAP jet engine family developed and manufactured by CFM Corp. — a joint venture between France-based Safran and Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric — features 3-D woven carbon fiber composite fan blades. Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia.
3-D Possibilities
In many cases, weight savings are the principal driver for the rising interest in 3-D textiles. The aerospace, military and automotive industries, where any reduction in weight translates directly to improved fuel savings and increased performance, are leading the charge, but these industries are not alone. Various other industrial and technical
applications are employing 3-D textiles as well. Numerous rigid and structural composite products based on 3-D weaving technology have demonstrated significant weight savings over incumbent products mostly made from metals, with equivalent or better performance results. One product where 3-D structures are used to reduce weight is the new LEAP jet engine family developed and manufactured by CFM Corp. — a joint venture between France-based Safran and Fairfield, Conn.-based General Electric. CFM incorporates
3-D woven carbon fiber composite fan blades and other components into the engine assembly delivering fuel efficiency increases approaching 15 percent.
3-D Wovens
Aided by the growing acceptance of 3-D textiles and composites in high-visibility and high-performance applications, a trickle down effect has been created driving the use of 3-D textiles into a broad array of application areas as well. Increased recognition along with a growing knowledge and usage database for 3-D textiles also is fostering overall confidence in the technology’s usage, leading to greater acceptance and growth. Densely woven 3-D fabrics are ideally suited for composite applications where they continue to gain in popularity and the design and engineering possibilities can be fully realized. The ability to control fiber placement using 3-D weaving techniques allows for the creation of different cross-sectional shapes including “T”, “L”, “F”, “+” and fully integrated near net-shape structural preforms also can be realized. Near net shape preform structures, different cross-sectional shapes and woven billets exceeding 5 inches — 125 millimeters — in thickness can be produced.
If weight savings is the primary driving factor for development of 3-D textiles, enhanced performance is certainly a close second, if not the leading driver in numerous other applications. Engineers and designers now view 3-D textiles as a tool to address complex challenges and look to benefit from the design and performance attributes the technology provides. Aiding in this growth and acceptance are greatly improved design and engineering tools that generate a better understanding of how 3-D textiles can be applied to enhance performance. This, coupled with 3-D textiles’ innate ability to allow for individual or directed fiber placement and tailored fiber paths that mitigate stress/strain concerns, creates more opportunities to address potentially complex performance challenges. Add it all up and the result is a fully integrated 3-D fabric structure that can improve damage tolerance, resistance to deformation and delamination, while saving weight. Adding in a mentality shift that incorporates the sum of all parts rather than just individual components can lead to results that not only improve performance, but garner cost efficiencies and reduce implementation time as well.
A diagram of a 3-D variable section of a warp-knit tubular fabric
3-D Knits
Not to be outdone, 3-D knitting, created by either warp or weft knit methodologies, offers incredible design and engineering versatility. While some 3-D knit applications may involve rigid composites, the majority of uses are in soft goods. In general, warp knitting typically creates a more physically stable fabric than weft knitting, but the interlocked loops in both techniques create a natural softness, bulk and conformability in the fabric. As such, while 3-D wovens tend to be rather dense and non-pliable, 3-D knits exhibit inherent pliability, flexibility and elasticity. Multi-directional stretch and recovery, depth, density and weight can all be designed into or engineered out of the 3-D knit fabric. Not to mention that for some designs, one pattern construction may be on the front face fabric while a completely different configuration may be on the back. Curves, contours, pockets, and other configurations can be incorporated into fully-fashioned whole garments. Texture, density and thickness can be added or removed, and near net-shape forms can be created. Each may integrate several component cross sections as well as multiple tailored yarn systems fully engineered throughout the shaped preform and resultant product to maximize high-performance efficiencies. Options galore can be realized depending on the application and the creativity of the designer and engineer.
The structural integrity found in knit spacer fabrics, which can exceed 2 inches — 50 millimeters — in thickness and some 3-D nonwoven configurations aid in the filling and stabilization of void areas for specific applications while offering the creation of void areas to improve air flow in seating and mattress pads or fluid flow in others. More comfortable and breathable form fitted and seamless compression garments for medical applications can be realized through 3-D knitting. Form fitting also can be rather desirable in many fashion applications. The bulk provided by several 3-D textiles formats can also improve insulation and acoustic properties for a number of different applications.
Bonar — a Low & Bonar Plc company — manufactures 3-D polymeric mats such as Enkamat® for civil engineering, interior, transportation, construction, agro and industrial applications. Image courtesy of Low & Bonar Plc.
Nonwovens In 3-D
3-D nonwovens can be manufactured via several different methods depending on needs of the application. Denser products such as traditional felts, insulation pads and composite brake rotors are produced using needle-punching techniques. Various insulations and other nonwoven products such as Enkamat® manufactured by Bonar — a Low & Bonar Plc company — are used for creating bulk or air flow and can be produced via melt spun, air-laid or additive manufacturing technologies.
Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3-D printing, may not technically be a textile manufacturing process, but that can be argued elsewhere. From a purely 3-D technology perspective, its inherent ability to precisely place polymer in any location or to any depth to create fully integrated 3-D structures does create a host of interesting possibilities. It does have some detractors, but 3-D printing is still in its infancy. Given a broadening pallet of polymeric materials, some with fiber inclusions, to choose from; and continuing efforts to improve equipment and processing capabilities, 3-D printing should not be taken for granted.
For 3-D textiles, the list of markets and applications only continues to grow and expand. As the design and engineering benefits continue to broaden, new and innovative applications will only continue to promote its greater acceptance. The difference is indeed depth… And then some!
NCSU’s Textile Engineering/Textile Technology Senior Design Program partners students with industry to prepare students for life in the workforce.
By Dr. Jesse S. Jur and Dr. Russell Gorga
Dr. Jesse S. Jur and Dr. Russell Gorga, faculty at the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University (NCSU), are codirectors of the Textile Engineering (TE)/Textile Technology (TT) Senior Design program. The year-long capstone course presents student teams with relevant industrial and/or research problems that require them to leverage prior classwork to create a solution. Company sponsors engage with students to develop new products, understand potential markets, and solve technical challenges. These open-ended problems are defined by the sponsors, and challenge the students to think outside of standard educational classroom learning environment to prepare them for the workplace.
Overarching course paradigms for the fall and spring semesters in the TE/TT Senior Design program
Course outcomes have included patents, new company investments, empowerment of local supply chains, and even the development of an electronic collar for African elephants. Most importantly, the course is at the forefront in design education and principles for the textile industry and beyond, providing students a unique hands-on approach to answering the question “How do I do that?”
Since its inception in 2013, Senior Design at the College of Textiles has graduated 171 students and completed 53 industry/federal agency sponsored projects. Sponsoring companies vary from small to very large and include traditional and non-traditional textile companies such as adidas, American Flocking Association, BSN Medical, Cotton Incorporated, Eastman Chemical, Eterno Bike, Firestone Fibers and Textiles, Gildan, Gryppers, Hanesbrands, Hunter Safety Systems, Johnson Controls, Mann+Hummel, Monterey Mills, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation, Nike, The Nonwovens Institute, Patagonia, Porticos, SAAB Barracuda, Secant Medical, Sector 212, Trig Innovation, the U.S. Army Research Office, Under Armour, WillowWood, and VF Corp.
There Are No Wrong Answers
The Senior Design capstone course serves as the final stage in the students’ undergraduate education challenging them to apply their skills to unique problems. Student entering this course in the department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science (TECS) already have gained valuable expertise in engineering fundamentals, information systems, medical textiles, product development, supply chain management and consumer behavior. The course provides students the opportunity to work with industry to creatively synthesize solutions to relevant problems. The students work on teams to solve technical problems, study commercialization processes, utilize project management tools, think globally, understand/develop intellectual property and apply patent mapping principles. Students in TECS are expected to graduate with the skills necessary to conceive — design and create — specify, implement, test, produce and market complex engineering systems. Often, teaming with other departments’ senior design courses offers an experience that is similar to what they’ll experience professionally after college.
The ultimate goal of the TE/TT Senior Design program is to teach students how to solve an open-ended question. This may be quite obvious for someone in industry where products and solutions to process challenges are continuously being developed and solved. But for a student graduating college, solving a question in which an answer is not known is a big challenge as prior instruction has involved solving directed questions in which a single answer exists. The reality is that the world provides many solutions and pathways to get to that solution.
Project teams at work in the TE/TT Senior Design lab at NCSU’s College of Textiles. All photographs courtesy of Amanda Padbury
Project Selection And Teaming
The course starts officially at the beginning of the fall semester, but in reality, the course planning starts much earlier. During the late spring and early summer, program directors meet with companies to define all of the projects and build a mutual understanding of the course expectations. Experience has shown that a project’s success has very little to do with the project topic or the name of the company, but is strongly correlated to the commitment the sponsor has to interacting with the student team. If the sponsor has a strong commitment to communicating including providing feedback, answering questions, and generally being responsive to the team, the project has the highest probability for success. Therefore, the program directors have developed screening tools to aid in sponsor selection and provided guidelines and guidance to the sponsors once selected to help ensure a successful sponsor/team interaction.
“We need to teach the students to think creatively while coming up with new solutions. They need to challenge conventional wisdom and address their assumed constraints. To do this well, they need to learn to ask a lot of questions, no matter how obvious the questions may seem.”
— Dr. Russell E. Gorga, codirector NCSU’s TE/TT Senior Design Program
In addition, the directors use assessment tools to develop student teams based on diverse skill sets, leadership preferences and the students’ interest in projects. By mid-summer, a list of potential projects has been identified and the project summaries are delivered to the students, who choose five unranked projects and provide a suitable justification for their interest in the project. Setting expectations in this way prepares students to take their place on teams on the first day.
A project sponsored by Gryppers Inc. explored new cost-effective options for materials and manufacturing for an innovative replacement for athletic tape or gloves.
Engineering Design
The engineering process is essential to providing a roadmap for creative problem solving for the team projects. With the project description in hand, criteria and constraints are defined and a state of technology report is made to gain a thorough understanding of the relevant prior art or materials. Based on this background, the directors guide the teams through an ideation process, where dozens of ideas may be generated and then narrowed down to match the criteria and constraints. The final result is two to four primary ideas. The ideation process is not only the most enjoyable part of the class for most students and project sponsors, but is also the most challenging. The ideation exercise allows for the development of a creative skill set that is often not explored in a technical educational curriculum. The next step, creating the first prototype, also can be challenging for some students. For these reasons, a diverse set of skills are needed when the teams initially are defined.
Through the second semester, the teams develop their skills in creative problem solving and their abilities to design experiments and fabricate and test prototypes. Often, new materials are employed in the project and new test methods are needed to appropriately benchmark the material or product.
Project Scope – Think Big
Sponsors often underestimate how talented, resourceful and creative the undergraduate TE and TT students are, especially when all of the resources are provided for their success. During initial meetings with a prospective sponsor, collaborators are encouraged to think big and the students will too. Likewise, in initial meetings with student teams, they are told to think big and their sponsors will follow.
As the program has grown, so have the expectations. This past year, 18 out of 21 teams developed their products at NCSU using the five labs run by the College of Textiles’ Zeis Textile Extension, directed by Dr. Jon Rust. Six of those teams started their process by spinning new yarn blends, and all of the teams developed novel textile structures on weaving or knitting machines. Some teams trialed their processes on their sponsors’ production lines or utilized new or existing vendors to develop a trial run. One team even had its product evaluated at the NCSU football team’s spring game. Upon entering the class, the students are one year from being degree-holding engineers and technologists. By the end of the class, they are graduates with real-world experience.
“The Engineering design process is an engaging way to put structure around how to solve complex problems. With this skill, students are able to make themselves and their future employer more competitive.”
— Dr. Jesse S. Jur, codirector NCSU’s TE/TT Senior Design Program
Entry Into The Real World
Feedback from the students sums up the program best. “The course was extremely fun and is a great learning course,” said one student. “I have learned more in this course due to hands-on experience than many other classes. This class makes you think and it makes you do.” Said another student: “Although this course is the most frustrating and time consuming, it is the one course that has prepared me most for the real world.”
This class is a lot of work for the teams, but the students, sponsors and faculty all buy in. It is rewarding for the students to see the growth in themselves and feel confident about going to get that first job. The soft skills they develop round out the edges of the technical skills they have acquired and are the key to success. This includes a wide interpretation of communication from texting, writing and drafting emails to interpersonal communication both in teams and in presentations. The students are continuously assessed and receive direction from faculty and peers.
NCSU 2015-16 Research Projects
Temperature Regulating Activewear Clothing (TRAC)
Develop a temperature-regulating garment with both warming and cooling features to adjust to external temperature variations between 50 and 95°F.
Team: Voulitsa Koloustroubis, Fernanda Diomede, Garrett Hill and Halie Price
Sponsor: Hanesbrands Inc.
Innovative Flame Retardant Space Apparel
Create novel flame retardant apparel to be used on NASA’s Orion spacecraft within an environment that has 30-percent oxygen.
Team: Tori Hausman, John Schwind, Haley Callahan and Nadeen Abdelhamid
Sponsor: NASA
3-D Fabric For Prosthetic Liner
Research and develop different options to create 3-D fabric materials and designs that improve the breathability and flexibility of prosthetic liners, in order to provide the best comfort for all amputees.
Team: Dessy Tio, Ross Mason and Erin Quinn
Sponsor: WillowWood Co.
Canine Biometric Undershirt
Develop a textile enclosed electronic device for canines that is capable of detecting and quantifying stress levels.
Team: Kelly O’Donnell, James Schaefer and Kate Mestelle
Sponsor: U.S. Army Research Office
Advanced Camouflage Surface Treatments
Explore ways to improve the multispectral performance of Saab Barracuda’s current camouflage systems by investigating more efficient conductive surface treatments and reducing the weight of the camouflage system, with additional goals of improving camouflage coloration and durability.
Team: Whitney Brown, Joshua Humphrey and Bobby Keefe
Sponsor: Saab Barracuda LLC
Energy Harvesting Shade Unit
Incorporate energy generation modules — such as solar and thermal — into flexible, lightweight and durable textiles used in military shade units.
Team: Brian Iezzi, Casey Kivett and Jamie Barbuto
Sponsor: Saab Barracuda LLC
Causes and Solutions to Torque in Apparel
Examine the entire manufacturing process of Gildan T-shirts and identify factors within this process that cause torque.
Team: Ciara Oden, Rachel Foote
Sponsor: Gildan Activewear Inc.
Next-Gen Grypper Technology
Explore new cost-effective options for materials and manufacturing based in the United States for a Gryppers athletic glove replacement technology that helps to improve athletic performance by providing tackiness, fit, and knuckle support.
Team: Shannon Tart, Jamie McLean and Desirae Scruggs
Sponsor: Gryppers Inc.
Porticool Cooling Vest v2.0
Explore integrative strategies for regulating the cooling in an innovative vapor-based cooling vest.
Team: Peiheng Feng, Jordan Lohn, Emily McGuinness and Emily Price
Sponsor: Porticos Inc.
Auxetic Structures In Garment Construction
Evaluate a design of experiments for outlining the structure-property relationships of auxetic yarns as well as identify a potential market and prototype an innovative product.
Team: Leena Godbole and Mitch Hicks
Sponsor: Hanesbrands
Novel Paint Transfer Materials
Introduce new technologies to current the paint roller design that will improve the pick-up of the paint from the paint pan to the roller and improve the dispersity of the paint from the roller to the wall.
Team: John Joyner, Spencer Boykin and Charles Suaris
Sponsor: Monterey Mills
Fabric Durability Optimization
Assess durability and comfort of existing materials in Patagonia’s technical and lifestyle product lines, as well as construct a new optimized textile product that can be integrated into Patagonia’s supply chain.
Team: Dominique Koontz, Patrick Balogh, Trishna Patel and Lizzie Johnson
Sponsor: Patagonia Inc.
Strategies For Active Jeans
Design new strategies for improving the waistband and seams of jeans to better the comfort and performance, while keeping the process simple and cost effective.
Team: Callen Burril, Maggie Arnold and Dezerae Barnes
Sponsor: VF Corp.
Cellulose Acetate Spun-Yarn Technologies
Create an innovative cellulose acetate yarn and fabric, as well as explore the use of that material in the garment market.
Team: Jade Luna-Ramos, Vernon Holman and Courtney Reiman
Sponsor: Eastman Chemical Co.
Quick-To-Market Textile Product
Analyze Under Armour’s process and propose a fully U.S.-based supply chain that can reduce a garment lead time to between three and six weeks.
Team: Adam Barksdale, Lauren Weichinger, Michaela Snavely, Jon Duncan, Robert Wright and Ivana Mbullah
Sponsor: Under Armour
Liner For Use With Prosthetics
Using seamless knitting designed to develop a liner used in the junction of the prosthetic that is comfortable for the user, but does not compromise the stability of the prosthetic.
Team: Zach Dean, Colleen Kaiser and Lindsay Peden
Sponsor: WillowWood
Reflective Garment & Analysis
Explore commercially available materials to produce reflective athletic clothing at minimal cost and design a reflective garment for safety and visual appeal.
Team: Symone Woods, Marvin Graser and Kaitlyn Kramer
Sponsor: Hanesbrands
Textile Composite Support Structure
Define a composite textile replacement for traditional steel structures that offers improved product lifetime and lower weight.
Team: Vishal Rutanen-Whaley, James DeCoster, Bradly Tull and Sam Stout
Sponsor: Firestone Fibers & Textiles
Cool Cotton
Engineer a cotton based fabric that changes its structure to provide increased ventilation and air circulation in response to rising temperature of the wearer or environment.
Team: Tiffany Kelly, Kassi Wehbie, Kale Whetstone and Marcus Zeigler
Sponsor: Cotton Incorporated
Biometrics Feedback Shirt
Develop a launderable, multi-sensor garment designed to increase access to biometric data for athletes at all levels.
Team: Mandy Hall,
Nate Weiner, Hunter Hendrick and Katherine Barrows
Sponsor: ASSIST Engineering Research Center & Hanesbrands
Wading/Submersion Fabric Durability Optimization
Create a test method for fabrics that will determine whether or not the fabric will stay waterproof through use and then developing a prototype fabric that is able to meet required criteria.
Team: Chelsea Lloyd, Jesse Noble, Chris West and Ken Everhart
Sponsor: Patagonia Inc.
Interested? To learn more about the program and the recent projects, visit textiles.ncsu.edu/tecs/student-experience/senior-design/ or visit the NCSU booth at IFAI Expo 2016 in Charlotte in October. The College of Textiles currently is soliciting projects for the 2016-2017 academic year. If you are interested in sponsoring a project this year or in the future, please contact Dr. Jesse Jur, jsjur@ncsu.edu; and Dr. Russell Gorga, regorga@ncsu.edu.
Charlotte-based DyStar LP, a subsidiary of Singapore-based DyStar Global Holdings (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., has entered into an agreement with Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based Emerald Performance Materials LLC to acquire its Specialties, Polymer Additives and Nitriles specialty chemical units. In a secondary, separate transaction, DyStar will sell the Polymer Additives and Nitriles units to China-based Jiangsu Sinochem Technology Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sinochem Group. DyStar will retain the Specialties unit, which adds three new manufacturing sites to DyStar’s U.S. business.
“We are enthusiastic about the growth that the combination will foster,” said Ruan Weixiang, the Chairman of DyStar group. “This high quality acquisition will significantly strengthen DyStar’s position in the chemical industry and we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the new revenue growth and synergy opportunities.”
