Building Trust In Dope-Dyed And Vegetable-Dyed Textiles

TW Special Report

When a consumer buys a clothing or textile product, the choices they make are more affected than ever before by concerns over health, safety and sustainability. They want products that reflect their values, and they are actively looking for evidence that a product is better for society, human health and the environment.

Textile dyeing is now an area of increasing concern. Traditional methods have been wasteful, requiring harmful chemicals and the use of large amounts of water and energy. These harmful chemicals are often lost into the process effluent and dumped into the environment.

Brands and consumers want commercial alternatives that provide improved sustainability, without a loss in quality. Forward-thinking manufacturers are turning to alternative dyeing techniques, such as dope dyeing and vegetable dyeing, to meet these requirements.

Dope Dye

Alternatively known as spun dyeing or coloration, mass coloration or dyeing, or solution dyeing, this technique involves the coloring matter being incorporated into a polymer solution, or polymer melt, before the fiber filament formation. It is an increasingly popular technique for coloring textiles, compared to piece dyeing.

Since the color is incorporated directly into the fiber, it provides exemplary colorfastness and superior coloring matter dispersal. This method also negates dye loss into effluents and ends the need for after-treatments and additional rinsing. However, it is only applicable to manufactured fibers, therefore slow to change and making it difficult to adapt quickly to changes in fashion.

Vegetable Dye

Many brands are also turning to natural dyes to improve sustainability. These dyes are biodegradable, renewable, and have a reduced negative impact on human health and the environment.

As the name suggests, vegetable dyes originate from plants — their seeds, flowers, roots, leaves, fruits, etc. While they are better for the planet, they do also have limitations for the manufacturer — poorer colorfastness and reproducibility of shades and a low affinity for synthetic fibers.

Challenge

These two dyeing techniques offer the textile industry multiple advantages in terms of reducing their environmental footprint while meeting the changing demands of consumers. However, without independent laboratory analysis, it can be difficult to differentiate between textiles that are dyed using traditional methods and those that have been dope or vegetable dyed.

This creates a challenge for garment makers and brands: how do they build trust in their products and demonstrate to consumers and buyers that they have used these alternative methodologies when dyeing fibers?

The solution is independent screening by a third-party service provider and the application of a recognized product mark that both consumers and retailers can understand and trust.

SGS Solution

SGS has developed two dedicated screening services to help manufacturers and brands confirm the dyeing method used in their products:

  • SGS dope dyeing verification service; and
  • SGS vegetable dyed material verification service.

Using an analytical laboratory testing approach that covers colorant type and/or index ingredients, SGS is able to differentiate between vegetable dyes, normal dyes, pigment dyes and dope dyes.

Once the dyeing method has been corroborated, the product can carry the SGS Independently Checked (IC) Mark. This is a clear indication to the buyer that a fabric or product has been independently verified as conforming to agreed test parameters, including dyeing criteria.

To display the mark, a product must undergo:

  • Laboratory analysis to verify dyeing method;
  • Compliance testing against mandatory regulations;
  • Document review and on-site/remote assessment of manufacturing processes; and
  • Restricted substances testing.

The mark also contains a QR code that gives stakeholders access to details of the used test criteria, thereby improving transparency and consumer trust. After all, in the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested.

November 22, 2022

Upscale Your Performance: 100-Percent Color Monitoring Leads The Way

TW Special Report

Profitability is taken to the next level with the best technology on the market. Resource conservation and utilization are — and remain — two of the most important aspects in all manufacturing processes. So, spinners rely on YarnMaster® PRISMA to take them another step towards maximum profitability.

Once again, Loepfe delivers pioneering technology to the textile market. As proven in the latest customer trial, the detection of foreign matter in all colors opens up new possibilities in terms of quality, profitability, optimal use of raw materials and process optimization.

Maximum Performance With 100-Percent Color Monitoring

Seeing is believing. The control and handling of contamination in cotton are some of the biggest challenges in spinning technology. With the introduction of YarnMaster PRISMA, Loepfe has set a new benchmark in quality control, especially for cotton, but also for colored yarns, melange yarns and man-made fibers. Loepfe’s newly developed F-sensor enables 100-percent color management for the first time in the history of yarn clearing. True foreign matter detection eliminates unjustified cuts which directly leads to higher performance and a reduction in yarn waste.

Figure 1: RGB color lightning within the clearing channel

The RGB technology used by Loepfe to detect foreign matter and organic components of cotton, is based on detection with the full spectrum of light. The yarn gets illuminated in the full spectrum of light using the additive RGB color model. This unique technology for yarn quality control uses the three primary colors — red, green and blue — adding wavelength to enable full-color monitoring, a globally unique feature. RGB technology makes it possible for the first time to precisely detect all colors, thus scan the whole raw material and classify the unwanted components within it.

 

Optimized reflection and adapted optical technology in PRISMA further results in 360° all-round monitoring. This novel clearing technology achieves unprecedented precision in the yarn clearing of staple fibers.

Figure 2: How foreign matter is seen by the sensors

Production Optimization Through A Cut History Overview

The PRISMA operating system provides a Cut History in which the detected colors are displayed for each cut. This enables data-based decisions on quality–mill management optimization and helps to increase efficiency from the blow room to the winding machine. This unique feature provides important information about 100 percent of the spun yarn and opens up new possibilities in raw material selection, blending, and cleaning.

Figure 3: Foreign matter color mapping

Only The Necessary: Intelligent Organic Filtering

PRISMA’s uniqueness supports increases in efficiency with a holistic approach. The PRISMA software system uses algorithms and statistical models to analyze and draw inferences from data patterns, ensuring recognition of all possible organic matter.

In addition to color management, RGB technology enables color-oriented selection of organic material in the cotton yarn, which does not necessarily have to be removed, as it does not cause disturbances in downstream process steps and is eliminated by other means.

Loepfe has fed the system with thousands of samples of organics, showing what they look like and how disturbing they are. The system can then recognize the organics without following explicit instructions, relying instead on the collection of organics and the patterns it has made from it. Customers can benefit from this intelligent organic filtering which offers an even more accurate detection of organic substances. The filter has learned whether organics need to be removed or not, leading to considerable savings, clearer cuts and higher winding efficiency. Machine learning methods take the organic clearing function to the next level.

Trials with several customers have shown that PRISMA is able to maintain yarn quality while increasing clearing efficiency through a lower cut-rate. This is achieved by the unique combination of software and precise and sensitive sensor technology which allows error-free detection and classification of disturbing or non-disturbing defects.

Focus On Customer Needs: Customer Trial Results

In production, certain parameters are given. The level of efficiency to be profitable and the level of yarn quality to guarantee flawless further production. Various customer tests have shown that the unique measuring technologies of PRISMA enables the producers to achieve a higher yarn quality at a fixed cut-rate, i.e. a fixed productivity level, or vice versa provides a higher productivity (lower cut-rate) at a given yarn quality.

Figure 4: Customer test result

Figure 4 shows a test carried out with a customer in China manufacturing an Ne 60 compact yarn. Since the yarn quality now produced is not always satisfying, the goal was to reach a higher yarn quality while keeping the defined level of productivity (cut-rate).

The on-site test showed that the target — higher quality while maintaining the cut-rate — was met. This important production optimization was achieved by the more precise removal of colored foreign matter and fewer cuts on non-disturbing organic events. This result also achieves improvements in raw material utilization, since a higher quality could be achieved from the same raw material with the same cut-rate. The performance of PRISMA convinced the customer and leaves him room for further optimization of his profitability. This new and trend-setting innovation shows once again how further optimization of spinning mills can be achieved through 100 percent online quality control with the latest technology on the market.

November 22, 2022

Researchers Eye Embroidery As Low-Cost Solution For Making Wearable Electronics

TW Special Report

Embroidering power-generating yarns onto fabric allowed researchers to embed a self-powered, numerical touch-pad and movement sensors into clothing. The technique offers a low-cost, scalable potential method for making wearable devices.

“Our technique uses embroidery, which is pretty simple — you can stitch our yarns directly on the fabric,” said the study’s lead author Rong Yin, assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at North Carolina State University. “During fabric production, you don’t need to consider anything about the wearable devices. You can integrate the power-generating yarns after the clothing item has been made.”

In the study published in Nano Energy, researchers tested multiple designs for power-generating yarns. To make them durable enough to withstand the tension and bending of the embroidery stitching process, they ultimately used five commercially available copper wires, which had a thin polyurethane coating, together. Then, they stitched them onto cotton fabric with another material called PTFE.

“This is a low-cost method for making wearable electronics using commercially available products,” Yin said. “The electrical properties of our prototypes were comparable to other designs that relied on the same power generation mechanism.”

The researchers relied on a method of generating electricity called the “triboelectric effect,” which involves harnessing electrons exchanged by two different materials, like static electricity. They found the PTFE fabric had the best performance in terms of voltage and current when in contact with the polyurethane-coated copper wires, as compared to other types of fabric that they tested, including cotton and silk. They also tested coating the embroidery samples in plasma to increase the effect.

“In our design, you have two layers – one is your conductive, polyurethane-coated copper wires, and the other is PTFE, and they have a gap between them,” Yin said. “When the two non-conductive materials come into contact with each other, one material will lose some electrons, and some will get some electrons. When you link them together, there will be a current.”

Researchers tested their yarns as motion sensors by embroidering them with the PTFE fabric on denim. They placed the embroidery patches on the palm, under the arm, at the elbow and at the knee to track electrical signals generated as a person moves. They also attached fabric with their embroidery on the insole of a shoe to test its use as a pedometer, finding their electrical signals varied depending on whether the person was walking, running or jumping.

Lastly, they tested their yarns in a textile-based numeric keypad on the arm, which they made by embroidering numbers on a piece of cotton fabric, and attaching them to a piece of PTFE fabric. Depending on the number that the person pushed on the keypad, they saw different electrical signals generated for each number.

“You can embroider our yarns onto clothes, and when you move, it generates an electrical signal, and those signals can be used as a sensor,” Yin said. “When we put the embroidery in a shoe, if you are running, it generates a higher voltage than if you were just walking. When we stitched numbers onto fabric, and press them, it generates a different voltage for each number. It could be used as an interface.”

Since textile products will inevitably be washed, they tested the durability of their embroidery design in a series of washing and rubbing tests. After hand washing and rinsing the embroidery with detergent, and drying it in an oven, they found no difference or a slight increase in voltage. For the prototype coated in plasma, they found weakened but still superior performance compared with the original sample. After an abrasion test, they found that there was no significant change in electrical output performance of their designs after 10,000 rubbing cycles.

In future work, they plan to integrate their sensors with other devices to add more functions.

“The next step is to integrate these sensors into a wearable system,” Yin said.

The study, “Flexible, durable and washable triboelectric yarn and embroidery for self-powered sensing and human-machine interaction,” was published online in Nano Energy. Co-authors included Yu Chen, Erdong Chen, Zihao Wang, Yali Ling, Rosie Fisher, Mengjiao Li, Jacob Hart, Weilei Mu, Wei Gao, Xiaoming Tao and Bao Yang. Funding was provided by North Carolina State University through the NC State Faculty Research & Professional Development Fund and the NC State Summer REU program.

November 22, 2022

Arkema Increases Its Bio-Based Offer With A New Range Of Mass Balance* Acrylic Materials

COLOMBES, France — November 21, 2022 — Arkema announces a major step forward in its innovative sustainable offer with the certification of a range of bio-attributed acrylic monomers using the mass balance approach. These monomers enable Arkema to start offering certified bio-attributed specialty acrylic additives and resins for a wide range of applications. This positions the Group as a global leader in the offer of bio-attributed acrylic materials and as a key partner for customers on the market.

The launch of Arkema’s new range** of bio-attributed acrylic monomers and specialty acrylic additives and resins, mass-balance certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification-PLUS (ISCC+) framework, is a key milestone in the transition to a more renewable and lower carbon economy. The replacement of fossil feedstock by bio/bio-circular feedstock will support Arkema’s customers in achieving their climate plan goals by reducing their scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

“The development of these bio-attributed acrylic materials is an important step on the sustainable development roadmap of Arkema and its Coating Solutions segment,” said Hervé Castres Saint Martin, Global Group President Acrylic Monomers. “These innovative products deliver the same high quality and performance that our customers expect from us, while at the same time enabling them to lower their own carbon footprint.”

Complementing Arkema’s leading segregated bio-based offer

Arkema’s use of the mass balance approach in the manufacture of bio-attributed solutions complements the bio-based segregated polymers, resins and additives Arkema is already offering. These performance bio-based segregated solutions are, to name a few:
RILSAN® and Pebax® Rnew® polyamide 11 advanced polymers, SARTOMER® Sarbio UV-curing resins, SYNAQUA® alkyd emulsions, CRAYVALLAC® and COAPUR® rheology additives.

“Engaging in both complementary approaches of mass balance and physical segregation accelerates our innovation in renewable materials for our customers and partners, to help them achieve their own sustainable development targets,” said Richard Jenkins, senior vice president, Arkema Coating Solutions. “In line with Arkema’s newly reinforced commitment to the Paris Agreement, we are working diligently to reduce our environmental footprint while developing innovative materials for a more sustainable world.”

* Mass Balance : Mass balance chain of custody is designed to track the total amount of the content in scope through the production system and ensure an appropriate allocation of this content to the finished goods based on auditable bookkeeping. Property conservation principle is set to ensure that the total certified output does not exceed its original input and take into account the appropriate conversion losses and production / assembly ratios.

**Arkema plants newly certified are Carling (FR) for acrylic monomers, Genay (FR) for specialty acrylic additives and Zwickau (GE) for specialty acrylic resins. In further development phases, the production of certified bio-attributed acrylic materials will extend in Europe and other regions. This dynamic promises great potential for customers and partners to develop next-generation sustainable market solutions with Arkema.

Posted November 22, 2022

Source: Arkema

Sustainability And Circularity In Dye-Sub Printing

TW Special Report

Nowadays Textile Printing industry faces a huge challenge: to carry out a sustainable production chain, thus ensuring a cost-effective printing output. Textile industry consists of an extremely complex and lengthy supply chain, which involves many different processes and various partners. Manufacturers and retailers have been focusing in reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry, still sustainability and circularity require a lot of shared commitment of the players involved in every single stage of the process.

This positive evolution of the full production chain requires time. We find ourselves to be at a turning point as different technologies rise such as  textile printing with pigment inks. In the meantime, there are some immediate and effective actions to do, one of them is to consider dye-sub printing.

Dye-sub is an opportunity for digital textile printing and numbers confirm this statement. Dye-sub enables around 40-percent gas saving and around 20-percent electricity saving1 thanks to: a short process, no-padding, dry heat, no-washing and no-steaming. That’s why dye-sub formulas will continue to be extremely popular. In 2026 this ink type is forecast to be the dominant one with more than 6,000 metric tonnes2.

In 2020 the annual production of around 57 million metric tons3 of polyester had a market share of approximately 52 percent of the global fiber production. Recycled polyester is a fast-growing trend, with an increase of around 500 percent from 2019 to 20224. Dye-sub printing enables around 99 percent water savings, because around 98 percent of the water used in paper production is recycled after being used. Recycled polyester is an almost closed virtuous circle, whose effectiveness is demonstrated by the public commitments of Textile Exchange members. Various globally known brands are already committed to recycled polyester, many more are on a path leading to the use of recycled polyester or polyester coming from more sustainable sources, accordingly to the data provided by Textile Exchange Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report 20215.

Paper is an almost completely virtuous circle. Paper can be 100 percent recycled after the use and this alone is a huge advantage. In addition, using low weight paper reduces the carbon footprint of 40g/m2. In order to produce paper, you need 3.7L/kg, but around 98 percent of the water used in the process is re-used6. It’s a circular process inside another circular process. So, in dye-sub printing: two of the main raw materials involved have a relatively low environmental impact and they have an almost ideal circularity in their processes.

But this is not all that is necessary. To carry out a sustainable production chain it is important to manage and track the suppliers and the chemicals by partnering with suppliers and by removing hazardous substances from the manufacturing process, and the increase in talks about traceability seems to confirm this tendency.

This is exactly what J.K. Group does for its inks, which are environmentally friendly, since we put a lot of effort in research and development to innovate more and more and reach top-tier certified quality, complying with regulatories (such as GHS), ZDHC MRSL PARAMETERS L3, brand owners’ standard MRSL lists, ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®, together with constantly updating already existing inks’ formulas to always be aligned with regulatories.

MS Printing Solutions also puts a lot of effort in carrying out a sustainable production chain, choosing a supplier that understands the importance of sustainable machinery certification is essential to achieve an energetical and environmental performance, an eco-efficient value of the machine and a lower carbon footprint in working condition. MS Printing Solutions is perfectly aware of this, that’s why it joined the “Sustainable Technologies” project launched by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers. The gold standard of this project is the Green Label: a voluntary declaration by Italian textile machinery manufacturers designed to highlight the energy and/or environmental performance of a given machine, calculated in reference to a production cycle defined by the manufacturer for labelled machinery. Without internationally recognized standards for classifying energy and/or environmental performance for textile machinery, Italian manufacturers highlight some machinery performance data.

New times call for new strategies and today, more than ever before, a sustainable approach must be adopted in every stage of the entire supply chain. We find ourselves at a tipping point and we must act for our industry’s green future.

References:

1 Data source www.sublitex.com
2 J. Link, Ink market review forecasts modest contractions, WTiN, 2 September 2022, on www.wtin.com
3 Textile Exchange, Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report 2021 on www.textileexchange.org
4 Data Source LARIOTEX
5 Data accessible on www.textileexchange.org
6 Data source www.beaverpaper.com

This sponsored content was provided by JK Group

November 22, 2022

Hygienix™ Connects 500 Absorbent Hygiene & Personal Care Industry Professionals

CARY, N.C. — November 22, 2022 — INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry convened 500 absorbent hygiene and personal care professionals from 30 countries and throughout the supply chain to participate in the eighth edition of Hygienix™ — the premier event for absorbent hygiene & personal care markets — held in New Orleans, La., November 14-17.

The successful three-day conference delivered premium content, educational workshops, networking opportunities, awards, and a lively welcome reception in the French Quarter.

“The energy and excitement at Hygienix centers on the thriving developments in the absorbent hygiene and personal care industry. Hygienix gathers those most relevant in the supply chain in one place to advance the nonwovens and engineered materials business,” said Tony Fragnito, INDA president.

The program kicked off with recycling approaches for disposable absorbent hygiene waste, followed by business impacts of period product legislation and regulation, new menstrual products, consumer trends, and three finalist presentations for the 2022 Hygienix Innovation Award™. “The program was excellent — it built upon the need for sustainability and developed to demonstrate the required innovation,” said Krzysztof Malowaniec, Independent Consultant, KDM Management Consultancy Firm.

The event also included presentations from 18 other industry experts along with 13 hours of scheduled face-to-face networking, and 50 tabletop display exhibits and banquet receptions on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

“The tabletop exhibits provided a great platform to connect with our customers and prospects. Exhibiting with INDA gives our prospects and partners confidence to do business with us. We’re here for the third year,” said Saravanan Palani, director of Sales, Luwa Pneumafil Inc.

“The contacts I’ve made at INDA have been super helpful,” said Dawn Hunter, chief innovation officer.

Program presentations also included economic outlooks on the global, and the North American economy, consumer perceptions of hygiene and sustainability across five generations, ingredients and product labeling, industry merger and acquisitions, sustainability and improved absorbent hygiene resources.

One highlight of the event was the presentation of INDA’s prestigious Hygienix Innovation Award™ to Egal Pads for Pads on a Roll™ a wrapped super-thin absorbent period pad that dispenses like toilet paper in public bathroom stalls. The product aims to prevent the personal embarrassment of not having a menstrual product when needed. For Penelope Finnie, CEO of Egal Pads the award was gratefully appreciated: “Egal and “Pads on a Roll” are honored to have been chosen as the Hygienix Innovation Award winner. We are passionate about gender equity and our part can be to provide a period product. All biological functions need to be treated equally, and INDA and Hygienix are the perfect entities to help move this vision forward.” Other finalists included Kimberly-Clark’s Kotex® Pantyliner with pH Indicator, and Sposie Kids’ Sposie® Dribbles® Potty Training Pads.

Education

Other highlights included two separate educational workshops: an absorbent hygiene workshop which provided participants the latest global trends, regional product launches, and differentiations in diapers, baby pants, and adult underwear, plus an introduction to the absorption systems for absorbent hygiene products.

Recognitions

INDA President Tony Fragnito presented the 2022 INDA Lifetime Service Award to Dave Rousse, INDA President Emeritus, for his long-established service to the nonwovens industry and INDA. Rousse led the acquisition of the INSIGHT conference, and combined the INDA Vision Conference to launch the Hygienix conference for the absorbent hygiene and personal care market in 2015, and initiated the purchase of INDA Media.

Hygienix™ 2023 will be held November 13-16, in New Orleans at The Roosevelt Hotel.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

India ITME 2022 – Revolutionizing South East Asian Textile Industry

NEW DELHI — November 21, 2022 — India ITME 2022, this awaited mega technology and engineering B2B exhibition for textiles is hosted every four years in India to cater to the machinery and technology requirements of textile industry of India, neighboring South East Asian and Middle East countries. The 11th edition of India ITME 2022 will be held from December 8-13, 2022; first mega event post pandemic.

This highly anticipated event is India ITME 2022 is being held for the first time in Northern India at a world class venue IEML Greater Noida, a well-designed Exhibition Venue in the National Capital Region and one of the largest in India spread across 235,000 sq mtrs area. IEML is strategically located at Greater Noida which is an Industrial Area is located at the intersection of the Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors and is also the gateway to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). It lies within the National Capital Region of India’s capital – New Delhi and is adjacent to Noida, one of the largest industrial townships in Asia.

Showcasing 1600 + machines, 68 countries, 1000 + Exhibitors geared upto creating a high voltage goal oriented interaction at this B2B Event to attract business leads, new opportunities in a vibrant and large sized market – India!

“Slow and Steady” has been the growth story of Indian textile industry.  India’s textile industry has strived to build modern capabilities alongside nurturing age old tradition and skills to stay strong and proud;  facing challenges from speed,  cutthroat price competition,  youthful/instant fashion industry  brought  on by advent of modern technology.

India ITME Society has played a significant role in facilitating technology access to nation’s textile industry from across globe enabling textile segments to upgrade its manufacturing technology and export capabilities. ITME exhibitions from 1980 onwards was specially a boon for small companies who could view and access engineering advancement in textile machinery from across globe without bearing high cost. Over the time, India ITME events became a prime event for South-East Asian countries as well as focused on developing their own textile industry.

‘India ITME 2022’ has brought a rich array of concurrent program, workshop & conference offering action packed week for industry members.

Key topics for further growth of Indian textile industry with latest technology and Government Policy Vision for boosting textile machinery manufacturing will be discussed at ‘CEO Conclave.’

To seal the collaboration, an agreement was signed for RBSM between India ITME Society & EEPC. Ms. Seema Srivastava, Executive Director, India ITME Society & Mr. Adhip Mitra, Addl. Executive Director, EEPC signed the agreement at the Press Conference on 18th November 2022 in the presence of assembled Industry Members, Media, Journalists and Guests.

India ITME Society jointly with EEPC as B2B partner is organizing Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) during INDIA ITME 2022. This Buyer-Seller Meet is a unique platform to connect major buyers with sellers of the textile engineering sector in order to facilitate textile engineering businesses in accessing global opportunities. This is one of kind initiative for the textile industry by India ITME Society & EEPC. International buyer delegations from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Poland, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Bhutan, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Fiji, Guatemala & Kyrgyzstan and many more countries primarily to assess their business prospects shall visit India ITME 2022. The strategically matched B2B meetings / RBSM are focused on resulting in the highest amount of conversions.

India today offers the most reliable, stable and   trusted business environment to global business.  Indian textile industry offers a large growing opportunity and India ITME 2022 is the gateway to this vast data of potential customers and business partnership.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: India ITME Society

Hyosung Presents Continuous Innovation And Sustainable Textile Solutions At ISPO Munich 2022

SEOUL, South Korea — November 21, 2022 — After nearly three years, Hyosung is looking forward to gathering once again at ISPO Munich November 28-30 where it will introduce its latest textile solutions that bring significant benefits across the entire value chain. Over the course of three days, show attendees can find out which materials and styles major apparel brands will be incorporating into their collections at Hyosung in Hall A1, booth 312.

Hyosung will highlight the following:

From Nature to Performance Fiber

As the first company to commercialize bio-based spandex, Hyosung will present its range of textiles and finished garments made with SGS certified creora® bio-based spandex. The yarn is made by replacing petroleum-based resources with bio-derived materials derived from responsibly grown industrial field corn.

On November 28 at 2:30PM in ISPO Hall B2 Future Lab, Claire O’Neill, Hyosung European marketing manager, and Patrick Van Waes, PDO Global marketing director, CovationBio will present an interesting discussion on the growing importance of bio-derived materials that includes their provenance, positive impact, processing, and product development/application in sportswear.

“While recycled fibers have made great strides in the development of sustainable materials, there is a need to add diversity to the textile fiber market,” O’Neill said. “By replacing petroleum-based raw materials with renewable corn-based feedstock, Hyosung’s new 3rd-party certified creora® bio-based spandex lowers the carbon footprint and reduces reliance on non-renewable resource — complementing the company’s rich portfolio of recycled sustainable solutions.”

Sustainable Textile Solutions for an Interconnected Future

Hyosung’s Fashion Design Center (FDC) has surveyed progressive brands and retailers, spanning the US, Europe, and Asia. FDC’s mega-trend is that of an Interconnected Future, which can be summarized under four sub-trends: Sport Smart, Exploration of Outdoors, Practical Aesthetics, and Science of Comfort. FDC will present its FW 23/24 findings along with concept garments made with textiles featuring Hyosung multi-function yarns below.

  • Ocean Protection Initiative — Saving the Oceans while Providing Textile Solution — Hyosung’s Mipan regen ocean nylon is GRS certified, 100-percent recycled nylon made from discarded fishing nets and other reclaimed nylon waste. The company conducts an extensive collection, chemical recycling, and creation process to produce this exceptional quality yarn which will meet every brand’s expectation. A special collection of PLEATSMAMA apparel and accessories made with Mipan regen ocean will be on display.
  • Beyond Strength — Mipan robic and Mipan regen robic — Durability is a number 1 priority when it comes to rugged backpacks and outdoor gear. Hyosung’s Mipan robic high-tenacity nylon and its 3rd-party certified 100-percent recycled Mipan regen robic nylon are what leading outdoor brands are choosing to make their top-of-the-line gear with. Samples of these premium packs will be on display.
  • Mechanical Stretch — xanadu and regen xanadu — Performance apparel with a more business-casual style is emerging, and textiles made with Hyosung’s xanadu mechanical stretch fiber are helping brands achieve this aesthetic.

Hyosung xanadu is a multi-functional fiber made from a blend of PET and corn-based materials. The company also offers an eco-friendlier version — regen xanadu — made with a blend of recycled post-consumer PET and corn-based materials. Xanadu’s spring-like structure is the secret to providing comfortable stretch and recovery. Its additional fiber benefits include rapid moisture transport and quick drying. Xanadu is also wrinkle resistant and retains its color, making it the perfect fiber for long-lasting, easy-to-care-for apparel.

ISPO Textrends Top 10

Two of Hyosung’s specialty fibers made the stringent ISPO Textrends jury’s top ten list — its regen xanadu outer layer twill, and 100-percemt recycled regen askin polyester/creora regen spandex with an ottoman texture. The two fabrics along with eight additional Textrend fabric submissions made with Hyosung’s numerous multi-function 100% recycled polyester and nylon yarns and creora bio-based spandex will be on display at ISPO.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: Hyosung

Arvind, PurFi Global Partner To Combat Massive Textile Waste Problem In A Giant Leap In Textile Circularity

GUJARAT, India and TULSA, Oklahoma — November 21, 2022 — Arvind Ltd., India’s largest textile to technology conglomerate, and PurFi Global LLC, a sustainable technology company specializing in rejuvenating textile waste into virgin quality products, today announced a joint venture to reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfills.

Significant transformations across the fashion industry have led to a dramatic rise in “fast fashion.” The textile industry generates more than 64 billion pounds of post-industrial textile waste and 284 billion pounds of post-consumer waste annually. Yet only 12 percent of textiles globally are recycled, and about one percent are upcycled. As the fashion industry has embraced calls for more circular and sustainable supply chains, PurFi’s proprietary technology — supported by more than 30 patents and 400-plus registered trade secrets — has emerged as a proven and complete solution for rejuvenating textiles back into virgin-like fibers.

“Sustainability and innovation are key pillars of our strategic growth. We have always centered our approach on innovative ideas and sustainable initiatives” highlighted Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Ltd. We share the common value system and excellent working relationship with PurFi Global, and this partnership will not only provide an innovative solution to deal with the issue of textile waste but will also strengthen our motto of being Fundamentally Right. We look forward to working with these technologies to fuel the next set of growth in textile manufacturing and at exceptionally less environmental impact.”

“Partnering with PurFi will enable Arvind to expand on our decades-long commitment to extending sustainable practices into every aspect of our business,” affirmed Ashish Kumar, president and CEO, Arvind. “For more than 25 years, PurFi has been developing and investing in state-of-the-art technology to rejuvenate industrial textile waste. Unlike the traditional ‘one-and-done’ recycling approach, PurFi’s technology can rejuvenate waste materials into virgin-like fibers 17 times, and it can be done at scale. Working together, we believe we can lead the textile and fashion industries into a new era of sustainable practices, transforming textile manufacturing into a truly closed loop cycle.”

PurFi and Arvind will locate the first in a series of planned fiber rejuvenation facilities near one of Arvind’s manufacturing facilities in India. This facility will process textile waste — white cotton, colored cotton, denim and man-mades — into virgin-like fibers for reuse from two lines, where each line will have a 5,500-ton capacity per year with plans to expand over the next five years. The investment for these two lines is envisaged at Rs. 200-250 crores. Expansion plans include an additional production line that removes elastomers from fabrics utilizing another of PurFi’s proprietary technologies. Currently, 85 percent of the world’s apparel contains elastomers, which make it very difficult to recycle or rejuvenate. PurFi’s technology is the first commercially viable technology proven to safely remove elastomers without the use of toxic chemicals and preserve the host fiber while having the ability to recycle the elastomers that were removed. The joint venture is slated to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2022 with full production expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.

“We are thrilled to partner with Arvind as they share our values and have a rich history of innovation, superior textile manufacturing capabilities and commitment to sustainability,” said Joy Nunn, founder and CEO of PurFi Global. “Arvind immediately understood the value and promise of our technology and will increase efficiencies in their production with rejuvenated fabric. In addition, our unique tracers that are specific to PurFi rejuvenated fibers provide customers with a clear line of sight to the origin of the fibers they source. This authentic product identifier is of great value to manufacturers like Arvind, who are committed to providing transparency into their sustainability practices and understand that rejuvenated materials have moved from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’ in their product offerings. We look forward to partnering with Arvind as we continue to innovate to create a more sustainable planet and contribute to the circular economy.”

The circular economy is being embraced by those who are conscious of their carbon footprint, especially younger generations who want to associate with brands that share their values. The textile industry seeks to combat the environmental concerns created by “fast fashion” and the take-make-waste model with a goal of creating a system where clothing and textiles are reused and not thrown into landfills. To fulfill their commitments to 100% recycled or sustainably sourced materials within the next decade, many in the textile and fashion industries, including global stalwart brands, are looking for alternative materials and efficient processes.

PurFi’s technology requires significantly fewer resources than the production of virgin textiles. When compared with manufacturing virgin polyester, nylon or cotton, PurFi fiber manufacturing uses up to 96 percent less water and 90 percent less energy. The process also generates 85 to 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

PurFi’s Proprietary Technology

PurFi fiber maintains the original quality and integrity of the input fabric and can integrate additional properties to make it even better. PurFi teases apart the fabric back into the original yarn, and from the yarn back to the original fiber. This process ensures the length is maintained and any resulting short fibers are filtered out. Source materials never touch unfiltered air or human hands once entering a rejuvenation line and are then penetrated by PurFi’s patented and trade secret technology to achieve a reverse spinning technique.

The fibers have the option to be treated with a purification technology prior to being baled into fiber. This technology can embed the rejuvenated fibers with additional characteristics, including hydrophobic, hydrophilic, odor control, fire retardant and others. Additionally, PurFi can blend fibers together to make customized fabric compositions. All of this is done at the fiber level instead of at the yarn or fabric level, which withstands washings and wear-and-tear much longer. PurFi fibers can be used in meta-aramid and para-aramid textiles as well. Importantly, textiles can be produced with 100 percent PurFi fibers whereas recycled fibers must be blended with virgin fibers.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: Arvind Ltd./PurFi Global LLC

Hohenstein Partners With AI Startup, Sizekick

Sizekick co-founders David Oldeen and Jacob Lydon

BÖNNIGHEIM/MUNICH, Germany — November 19, 2022 — Hohenstein reports it has invested in AI technology startup Sizekick. The collaboration will enable accurate decisions on apparel size, improving online shopping experiences, reducing returns and preventing the associated CO2 emissions.

Hohenstein’s 1.3 million euro investment in the 2022 startup will drive growth in the Sizekick team and enable the 2023 launch of its smartphone app for online shoppers. The technology will enable online shoppers to find the right clothing size in a few seconds via smartphone.

“The strategic partnership with Hohenstein enables us, as a new AI solution, to meet the high demands of the market right at the start and to take on the role of technology leader. Our artificial intelligence is already learning thanks to the comprehensive Hohenstein database of 3D body scans. This is an extremely big advantage for our AI,” highlighted Jake Lydon, CTO at Sizekick.

Hohenstein CEO, Dr. Stefan Mecheels added: “Sizekick enables brands and retailers to help their online apparel customers make informed sizing decisions. This is an important step for the entire fashion industry in making online retail more sustainable.”

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: Hohenstein

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