Susterra® Biobased Propanediol Used in New Artificial Leather Application

WILMINGTON, Del., January 15, 2014 – DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products today announced that Susterra® 1,3-propanediol (PDO) has been selected by Poliser, a division of the Flokser Group, as the biobased building block material for its new artificial leather fabric containing about 70% bio-content.  The new eco-friendly artificial leather was developed using a polyester polyol based on PDO succinate with the crosslinker being Susterra® 1,3-propanediol.

Susterra® 1,3-propanediol is certified 100% biobased by the US Department of Agriculture, making it attractive for companies seeking to add renewable content to their products. A peer reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates that the production of biobased propanediol offers significant environmental benefits including up to 40% less greenhouse gas emissions and 40% less non-renewable energy used in its production vs. petroleum-based glycols.

“The new artificial leather from Flokser is a unique product, combining biobased technology with the highest standards of performance and quality”, said Steve Hurff, marketing and sales vice president, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. “We are excited about this new Susterra® based material and strongly believe that Flokser, being the industry leader, will make it a big success.”

Ekin Tükek, Flokser Group board member, underlines that careful steps need to be taken to sustain collaboration across the chemical industry and adds; “We believe that the collaboration with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products will develop the industry and bring fresh ideas. Both of our divisions, Sertex and Poliser, are proud to work with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products’ experienced and expert teams.”

Susterra® and the circle logo are registered trademarks of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company LLC.

Posted January 17, 2014

Source: Dupont Tate & Lyle Bio Products

Textile Recycling Progress: Industry Leader Announces 2013 Collections

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – January 14, 2014 — From New York City to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, people relied upon USAgain recycling bins to give a second life to surplus clothing in 2013. According to USAgain, 55 million pounds of textiles were collected last year.

By diverting 55 million pounds of textiles from landfills, USAgain and its patrons saved 385 million pounds of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, over 77 billion gallons of water, and 314,000 cubic yards of landfill space. That’s enough to fill 12,587 garbage trucks.

With more than 14,000 recycling locations nationwide, USAgain provides local communities with a convenient option for discarding their unwanted clothing in an environmentally responsible manner.

“It’s great to see continued progress toward textile recycling and a growing recognition of the importance of keeping textiles out of landfills, which saves our planet’s precious resources, said Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. “Our goal is to make textiles as easily recyclable as glass, paper and plastic.”

Although nearly all clothing and shoes can be re-used, Americans currently recycle just 15 percent of their clothing, with the rest — a total of more than 11 million tons — ending up in the garbage, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“A big picture goal of ours is to partner with more schools, municipalities and businesses to increase the textile recycling rate to 75 percent,” Wallander said. “Doing this would bring tremendous impacts in terms of resources conserved and carbon dioxide sequestered.”

USAgain continued its commitment to the environment by planting more than 200,000 trees around the globe in 2013, most in partnership with Trees for the Future, an agroforestry organization. The trees will serve to sequester carbon emissions and repair damaged ecosystems, helping to make the planet a greener, more inhabitable place.

Posted January 16, 2014

Source: USAgain

The Rupp Report: It’s Not Only Bangladesh

Last year, the Rupp Report informed its readers a few times about the sad situation and the status quo in Bangladesh — the last time in November (See “The Rupp Report: Bangladesh: Will The Story Ever Come To An End?” TextileWorld.com, Nov. 26, 2013). The report began: “It seems that the status quo in the Bangladeshi textile industry hasn’t changed that much. However, the increasing pressure from some international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) through social media and newspapers has caused some changes in the minds of the responsible people in this country.”
 
Now, It’s Cambodia
It began in late December 2013: Hundreds of thousands of textile workers in Cambodia started striking in a dispute over higher wages, which led many textile factories to stop production. “Two-thirds of the approximately 600,000 employees are not at work,” said a union representative. More than 30,000 workers marched in protest. Some factories are on strike; and in others, the factory owners have excluded the workers in protest. The association of textile manufacturers said the strikes forced the entrepreneurs to take that action. The government has increased the minimum wage from US$80 to US$95 per month, but the unions are demanding US$160.
 
Illusive silence
After relative calm over the New Year, protests flared again on January 2, when striking textile workers clashed with soldiers, and several demonstrators were injured. At least 10 activists and workers were arrested, said a spokesman for the military police.
 
Previously, several hundred workers had blocked a road south of the capital, Phnom Penh, by setting tires on fire and throwing objects at the police. Phnom Penh’s deputy chief of police called the protesters anarchists who had destroyed public and private property. After a week of increasing violence, police actions intensified against the protesters.
 
A representative of the Cambodian human rights group ADHOC said that the authorities ordered the military to break down the protests. According to this spokesperson, journalists and activists were injured. The next day, the situation escalated, as the military fired on textile workers. Three persons were killed and several others were wounded, as was confirmed by the police.
 
According to experts, a Cambodian worker today earns about the same amount as in 2001. Because the labor cost is so cheap, some production has shifted from China to Cambodia. Chinese wages are three times higher. Nevertheless, the Cambodian factory owners refused to increase the wages.
 
Important Industry Sector
About 650,000 people are employed in Cambodia’s textile industry, including 400,000 who make garments and other articles for international fashion brands such as Gap, Nike and H&M. The textile sector is important as a source of hard currency for the country.
 
Textiles represent Cambodia’s largest export industry, with revenues greater than US$5 billion and accounting for most of the country’s exports. The authorities tried to intimidate the protesters by their strong actions, said Kong Ahtit of the textile workers union. However, at a recent meeting of the country’s six largest independent unions, it was decided that the strikes will continue until the government declares it is ready to have a new round of negotiations.
 
Ongoing Boycott
A spokesman for the military police told news agencies that the police had used violence after several police officers were attacked and injured in clashes. However, there is also a political impact from the most recent protests. In the past two weeks, it is reported that there have been almost daily demonstrations by opposition supporters in Phnom Penh against the current government. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has rejected the election results of July 2013 and is calling for new elections, citing numerous irregularities — more than 200, according to one Cambodian non-governmental organization — that overshadowed the voting.
 
Government Will Not Back Down
The problems started with the demand to double the minimum wage. The government has offered only a 25-percent increase. A few days ago, almost all of the country’s apparel workers returned to work after the unsuccessful strike. For one of the coming days, the union has announced a new demonstration.
 
All the factories are back in operation, reported the secretary general of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC), and some 90 percent of the workers are back. According to the association, there are more than 400 factories and approximately 600,000 workers, most of them female. Ath Thon, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union, said they are continuing to negotiate with the factories and the government. “However, if we don’t achieve what we are asking for, we will go back on strike,” he added. According to the association of Cambodian apparel manufacturers, the strike has caused more than US$200 million in losses.
 
And Now?
As in the case of Bangladesh, the rest of the world recognizes that “something’s wrong” in the Asian apparel industry and that “something should change.” However, interviews with Western buyers in international retail shops show that people are aware of the facts but are mostly not willing to stop buying cheap products. This behavior goes back some two decades ago, when the Western apparel industry moved toward Asia and buying cheap products became common sense for Western people. It is somewhat strange to see that the same people who are protesting against multinational companies and accusing them of treating their workers like slaves with low wages and high hourly work, are buying the cheap products. Again, it is the same as with the development of children: the way one educates them is the way they behave. And there is an old saying: The shirt is closer to the body than the jacket. To be continued …
 
January 14, 2014

Textile Executive Keith Crisco Announces Run For Congress

Keith Crisco, president and chairman of Asheboro, N.C.-based narrow fabrics manufacturer Asheboro Elastics Corp. (AEC) and a former North Carolina Secretary of Commerce serving under former Governor Beverly Perdue, has announced he is running for U.S. Congress. Crisco, a Democrat, is challenging Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers of Dunn, N.C., for her seat in North Carolina’s Second Congressional District. Both candidates must first win their respective 2014 Congressional primaries, which will be held May 6.
 
“I am running for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District because I believe we need to return to sensitive bipartisan policies, reduce sky-high unemployment and improve educational opportunities for our children,” Crisco said.
 
Crisco and his colleagues founded AEC in 1986. The company today employs more than 160 people, has manufacturing plants in Asheboro, El Salvador and Honduras, and has annual sales of more than $18 million. AEC manufacturers knitted, woven, elastic and rigid narrow fabrics for apparel, automotive, military, medical and home furnishings applications.
 
January 14, 2014

Nilit Introduces NILIT® Heat Yarn

Israel-based nylon 6,6 fiber manufacturer Nilit Ltd. has introduced NILIT® Heat, a warming yarn that conserves and maintains natural body heat.
 
Nilit reports the yarn, which incorporates coffee charcoal created from coffee bean residue, offers superior thermo insulation, antibacterial properties, a strong deodorizing effect, and a sweat-free sensation for comfort and performance that lasts throughout the day. According to the company, the yarn offers the best warming performance when knitted as the inner layer of next-to-skin garments such as base layers, underwear, socks, legwear, sportswear and winterwear.
 
“We’re very excited about our innovative Nilit Heat yarn and its unparalleled performance,” said Alon Weiser, R&D and technical service manager, Nilit. “The complex structure of the coffee charcoal additive in this incredible yarn effectively captures body heat and keeps it in the garment, to keep wearers warm in any weather.”
 
Nilit will debut the fiber at ISPO 2014, to take place Jan. 26-29, 2014 in Munich, Germany.
 
January 14, 2014

OEKO-TEX® Test Criteria: New Regulations In 2014

ZURICH, Switzerland — January 13, 2014 — At the start of the year, the OEKO-TEX® Association has, as usual, updated the valid test criteria and limit values for product certification in accordance with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. The following new regulations come into force on 1 April 2014 for all certifications, following a three-month transition period:

  • The specifications for perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) will become much stricter. In future, values cannot exceed the following limits:
* Product class I: 50 μg/kg = 0.05 mg/kg (previously 0.10 mg/kg)
* Product class II: 100 μg/kg = 0.10 mg/kg (previously 0.25 mg/kg)
* Product class III: 100 μg/kg = 0.10 mg/kg (previously 0.25 mg/kg)
* Product class IV: 500 μg/kg = 0.50 mg/kg (previously 1.00 mg/kg)
  • Four longer-chained, perfluorinated compounds will also be included in the criteria catalogue with the same limit values as PFOA. Specifically, these are the substances perfluoroundecanoic acid / heni-cosafluoroundecanoic acid (CAS 2058-94-8), perfluorododecanoic acid / tricosafluorododecanoic acid (CAS 307-55-1), perfluorotridecanoic acid / pentacosafluorotridecanoic acid (CAS 72629-94-8) and perfluorotetradecanoic acid / heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acid (CAS 376-06-7). The reason behind this is the inclusion of the chemicals in the ECHA Candidate List with substances of very high concern (SVHC) as part of the REACh legislation. With these two measures, OEKO-TEX® is specifically supporting the “Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC)” initiative of international brands and retailers that have committed to excluding hazardous chemicals from the production process by 2020.
  • All the perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) regulated by OEKO-TEX® will in future belisted in a separate substance category, and not, as previously, in the section “Other Chemical Residues”.
  • For the alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs), the test will be extended to further ethoxylate chains (1-20). The limit values for nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) as well as for nonylphenol ethoxylates (NP(EO)) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OP(EO)) will be significantly reduced in all OEKO-TEX® product classes:
* Sum: NP + OP: 10.0 mg/kg (previously 50 mg/kg)
* Sum: NP + NP(EO)1-20 + OP + OP(EO)1-20: 250.0 mg/kg (previously 500 mg/kg)
* By reducing the limit values, OEKO-TEX® is contributing to the complete exclusion of NP and OP as well as APEOs from textile production, striven for by the industry and also one of the goals of the ZDHC initiative and other campaigns. As a result of the globally introduced company audits as an element of every OEKO-TEX® certification, all the companies participating in the OEKO-TEX® system have also been made aware of these environmentally harmful, problematic substances in aids.
  • As a supplement to pentachlorophenol (PCP) and tetrachlorophenols (TeCP), the OEKO-TEX® certification will in future also include a check on all trichlorophenols (TrCP).
  • Dinosebacetate will also be included in the list of banned pesticides, as the use of this substance is banned in some European countries.
  • Among the regulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), seven substances have additionally been given a specific individual limit value. The total limit value in the respective product classes for all 24 PAHs will stay the same. With this measure, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 once again demonstrates its pioneering role in the testing of textiles and accessory materials of all kinds. The European legislation published in December, and which will apply from 27 December 2015 (Regulation (EU) No. 1272/2013 amending Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACh)), on selected PAH compounds has already been taken into account and implemented in OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, edition 2014.
  • With regard to softeners, CAS number 84777-06-0 will be also added for dipentylphthalate (branched and linear) for the sake of completeness.
  • The existing exemption in OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 for a few selected products for solvent residues will be extended for 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). The exemption now also applies for spun-dyed fibres that are used specifically in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE).

For more information on the new OEKO-TEX® test criteria, please contact the OEKO-TEX® Secretariat (info@oeko-tex.com) or the OEKO-TEX® institutes and representative offices (www.oeko-tex.com/institutes).

Posted January 14, 2014

Source: Oeko-Tex Association

Arahne Partners With “Pattern Design” To Help Weavers

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — January 10, 2014 — Arahne, developer of textile CAD/CAM for weaving has partnered with PatternDesigns.com, to help weavers access wide range of new designs at an affordable cost.

How is this different from simply going to one of the well known stock image web sites, and buying it from there? Pattern Design offers a monthly subscription for weavers, under very special terms. A weaver can download over 3500 designs as PNG  images  in  600×600 resolution, already in seamless repeat and with reduced number of colors. So they are immediately usable in a jacquard CAD system: assign a weave to each color, and you are ready to weave. Any image can be used for free during sampling period. It no longer costs a fortune to create a vast collection of fresh new designs. Once a weaver has the order for a particular design, he or she needs to actually buy the design. With the purchase of the design, a weaver also gets the image in 2400×2400 pixel resolution, and a vector image in SVG format and as EPS, PDF or AI if requested. All designs are non-exclusive and include unlimited production license. Vector images can be imported in ArahPaint5,  and scaled to any resolution without any quality loss, depending on the weaver’s jacquard width.

ArahPaint5 is a free jacquard drawing program developed by Arahne, and it can be downloaded from  Arahne’s  web  page: http://www.arahne.si/download/software-demo.html It is available for Linux, Windows and Mac OSX operating systems.

“Arahne  has  always included some free sample pictures with the Arahne CAD. We were surprised to find most of them woven, when we visited the customers. And best of all, even if fabric originated from the same picture, it was different in all  the cases. Every company used their own density, yarns, weave structures. So the fabric looked original and fresh, not a copy of somebody else’s work. We noticed certain hunger for design ideas among the stressed-out designers in factories. We have partnered with Pattern Design to create this special offer and help the weavers.” explained Mr. Dušan Peterc, the owner of Arahne.

“By offering our diverse design range to weavers, Arahne introduced us to a whole new group of clients. We realized that especially these companies crave for a design solution like ours, which does not replace internal design structures but enhances them. Our design portfolio grows daily. Currently,more than 200 design partners all over the world create high-quality designs inspired by our particular trend briefings. Our internal design team ensures that every one of our designs meets our design standards — otherwise they won’t get offered.” explained Martina Stadler, Head of Design and founder member of Pattern Design.

Before offering Pattern Design for weavers to the general public, Arahne made a test run with a limited number of forward thinking weaving mills in Italy, and five of them immediately applied and started using the service. To get access to Pattern Designs for weavers, you need to register at this site: http://www.patterndesigns.com/ArahWeave/.

Posted January 13, 2014

Source: Arahne

Cray Valley Introduces Ricobond® 7002 and Ricobond® 7004

EXTON, Pa. – January 10, 2014 – Cray Valley has launched Ricobond® 7002 and 7004, two aqueous dispersions of functionalized low molecular weight polymers. The polymers are dispersed in water to produce low viscosity, stable dispersions with small particle size. They can be formulated with other emulsions for improved adhesion to different polar and non-polar substrates.

Ricobond® 7002 and 7004 have demonstrated excellent performance in textile (fabric and single-end cord) to rubber adhesion as well as adhesion to other substrates such as metal and PET film.

Ricobond® 7002 has shown utility in filler treatment to improve dispersibility and overall properties of the thermoplastic resin.

Adding these dispersions to standard latexes such as SBR and VP emulsions can improve adhesion, water-resistance and mechanical properties. Ricobond® 7002 and 7004 may also be used as additives in other water-based formulations such as adhesives, coatings, paper sizing, construction materials and composites.

Posted January 13, 2014

Source: Cray Valley

Suominen To Acquire Ahlstrom’s Paulinia Plant In Brazil, The Deal To Be Financed Through A Convertible Hybrid Bond

HELSINKI, Finland — January 10, 2014 — Suominen and Ahlstrom have entered into agreement on the sales of the entire stock of the Brazilian Ahlstrom Fabricação de Não-Tecidos Ltda to Suominen. Formerly, the unit was part of Ahlstrom’s Home and Personal business area. The enterprise value of the transaction is MEUR 17.5 and Suominen aims to finance the deal through a convertible hybrid bond, which will be treated as equity.

Suominen acquired the Home and Personal business area of Ahlstrom in November 2011, but the transfer of the Brazilian unit of the acquired business was prolonged due to delay in receiving approval from the authorities and consequent renegotiations.

The plant to be transferred to Suominen is located in Paulínia, Brazil, approximately 120 kilometers to northwest from São Paulo. It is the only nonwovens plant utilizing modern spunlace technology in manufacturing wiping products in the country, and the plant is technically capable to supply also industrial nonwovens. Paulínia plant is built in 2008 and employs approximately 40 persons. All employees will be transferred to Suominen in connection with the closing of the deal, which is expected to take place by the end of February 2014.


“Finalizing the acquisition of the Paulínia plant marks an important milestone for Suominen. The deal provides us a foothold in the South American markets where we see very exciting growth opportunities. We further strengthen our position as the global leader in the nonwovens for wipes, as we will become the only manufacturer of nonwovens for wipes with plants in Europe, North America and South America. Suominen will become truly global, which enables us to serve our globally operating customers even better than before. We are extremely happy to welcome the Paulínia team to Suominen and really look forward to capture the market opportunities with the local team of experts, having an excellent understanding of the market”, says Nina Kopola, President & CEO of Suominen Corporation.

“We are very pleased that the transfer of Ahlstrom Paulínia and consequently the divestment of our wipes business to Suominen will now be completed,” says Jan Lång, President & CEO of Ahlstrom Corporation.

The deal to be financed through a convertible hybrid bond treated as equity
A precondition for the execution of the transaction agreed today is that the purchase price is funded by the issuance of a MEUR 17.5 hybrid bond. Ahlstrom Corporation has committed to subscribing for the bond for the parts other investors do not subscribe for. The bond includes a right to convert the principal together with the potentially accrued capitalized interest thereon into new shares in the company or into existing shares held by the company.

With reference to the hybrid bond arrangement described above, the Board of Directors of Suominen Corporation has decided to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting and proposes to the General Meeting that the General Meeting authorize the Board to decide on granting of stock options and other special rights entitling to shares referred to in Chapter 10, Section 1 of the Companies Act (the “Special Rights”). The Board of Directors may grant the Special Rights all at once or through a series of multiple grants. The Special Rights carry the right to receive against payment new shares of the Company or the Company’s own shares held by the Company. The right may also be granted to the Company’s creditor on condition that the creditor’s receivable is used to set off the subscription price.

Suominen Corporation has been informed about the commitments made between Ahlstrom and Ahlström Capital Group regarding the financing arrangement. Ahlstrom Corporation describes these commitments in more detail in its Stock Exchange Release of 10 January 2014.

The notice for the Extraordinary General Meeting of Suominen Corporation, to be held on January 31 2014, will be disclosed today as a stock exchange release.

Posted January 10, 2014

Source: Suominen Corp.

SML Group Announces the Opening Of Its EMEA RFID Technology And Innovation Center In The UK

LONDON — January 09, 2014 — On Thursday, December 12th, 2013, SML group opened what is to be the first of its three global RFID Technology and Innovation Centers. The center is located at Corby, Leicestershire, a town 75 miles north of London and home to SML’s UK operations. The group has plans to open a second center in the USA and a third in Hong Kong by 2014.

The UK Technology and Innovation Center has a large RFID laboratory and will enable SML to develop new RFID inlays and tags that will address the growing demand for RFID Tickets and Labels in the retail apparel and textile markets. Specialized equipment will enable SML RFID engineers and SML customers to collaborate on innovative development that will also be aiming at new markets, including cosmetics and food.

In addition to opening the Technical Center, the UK facility will now produce RFID inlays and convert RFID Tags, Tickets and Labels in order to meet the demand for RFID in retail chains across Europe.

In his opening address, Shane Clarke, General Manager SML UK, stated that the Technology and Innovation Center would be at the disposal of all SML customers. “We encourage all of our customers to use our laboratory and testing facilities whenever they wish and free of Charge. If you simply require the use of our anechoic chamber for a few hours or want to run a week of product testing by category, we encourage you to make use of this facility.”

“It is SML’s desire to design and build the most innovative RFID products across the world,” Philip Calderbank, SML VP of Global RFID, told the audience, but in addition we are also determined to work closely with our customers in both the retail stores and throughout the retail supply chain.

“We see big demand for RFID products and solutions across the supply chain and in the store.” Applications such as On Shelf Availability, Auto Audit in Scan and Pack Operations, Omni Channel and EAS/RFID are all points where RFID technology can produce very big benefits for Retail, Brand Owners and Suppliers. Coming soon we will see RFID on Cosmetics and Food.

“We aim to be at the forefront of this market development and these Technology Centers will enable our teams to pursue technology innovation and ensure that our customers are well positioned to take full advantage of the RFID technology.”

Posted January 10, 2014

Source: SML Group

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