End-Use Markets
COVID-19 Update: Texas Tech researchers author study using new standardized mask filtration testing to evaluate effectiveness of alternative facial coverings
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading worldwide, International Fiber Journal is tracking stories relevant to the textile fiber industry. Facemasks, personal protective equipment, medical supplies and wipes are among the fiber-intensive technologies particularly relevant to the COVID-19 response effort. And as manufacturers of these technologies and others struggle to meet global demand in the face of the …
The cutting-edge of clean – understanding residual sanitization and disinfection
Germs are spread in a multitude of ways – from person-to-person, from food-to-person or from surfaces-to-person.1,2 When people visit public areas outside the home, such as foodservice facilities, they can come in contact with many surfaces, including tabletops, menus and highchairs. All of these surfaces are sources of moderate to high microbial contamination.3,4 Germs can …
Coatings & treatments for PPE and protective apparel
Coatings and treatments at the fiber level are primarily utilized as a process aid. These ingredients can be used to heat stabilize the fiber while it is spun and stretched. They can also make the fibers easier to convert into the final fabric, and they can even be washed away during the process. Meanwhile, coatings, …
The Fiber Year 2021 – Most see double-digit declines in textile and apparel exports
The Fiber Year, now in its 21st edition, includes textile and clothing trade data for 60 countries, of which the vast majority contracted at double-digit rates. Just two industries out of the 20 largest exporting nations, with the European Union viewed as an entire region included, managed to grow their export values. China’s surging facemask …
Getting color right – digital color management for textiles and fibers
While digitalization has become increasingly valuable over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for a fully digitalized supply chain throughout the textile and fiber industries, especially as critical business decisions must now be made quickly and remotely. A digitalized supply chain is a necessary building block in the process of …