Fibres

Biomimetics has helped researchers in Japan to create a device that spins artificial spider silk that closely matches natural spider silk which is biodegradable and ideal for biomedical applications, such as sutures and artificial ligaments.

Neolast, the latest ' new material' in the market, promises the apparel industry with a high-performing alternative to elastane for performance stretch fabrics, unlocking the potential for end users to recycle such fabrics.

Jute finally gets a formal collective identity in India with an assurance on origin and quality for traditional jute and jute-diversified products with launch of the Jute Mark India logo.

Swedish gamechanger TreeToTextile was recently awarded the ITMF Start-up Award for creating a biobased textile fibre through an innovative chemical process that refines cellulose from wood and other cellulosic sources. Chief Executive Officer Roxana Barbieru talks alternative fibres.

Without a rapid transition to “preferred” fibres and raw materials, including significantly reducing reliance on virgin fossil-based synthetics, the textile-fashion industry is unlikely to meet the 45% GHG emissions reduction target for raw material production by 2030, warns the just out 'Materials Market Report' by nonprofit Textile Exchange.

The Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix (PFMM), designed to assess the performance of standard systems within a material category, has been made publicly available for the first time.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has launched the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres that promises to strengthen productivity and competitiveness of the advanced manufacturing sector and place the country at the forefront of a global shift towards functional and sustainable materials.

Wood-based specialty fibres major Lenzing Group has launched the Lenzing Ecovero with Refibra technology which identifies the fibre at every stage of the supply chain, ensuring traceability and transparency, and empowering brands and retailers to enable consumers to make informed purchases.

The spider’s web-spinning process has been used by researchers at the National University of Singapore to develop strong, stretchable, and electrically conductive soft fibres that can be used to make smart, functional textiles.

Sustainable forest management has become increasingly critical as the role of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) gains currency as preferred materials that play a vital role in the textile-fashion industry's efforts to embrace environmentally responsible and socially accountable approaches. A whitepaper by PEFC or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification equips brands and retailers on how to advance the traceability of MMCF materials.