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Student Spotlight: Morphological structure of wool from different breeds
Subhadeep Paul is pursuing his Ph.D. in Technical Textiles at the Technical Textiles Research Centre, University of Huddersfield. Paul came to Huddersfield after completing his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Textile Engineering and Textile Chemistry, respectively, in India. In his master’s project, Paul developed a multi-functional protective textile that could be used as a UV-resistant, …
Legislation poised to boost demand for Lenzing’s lyocell fibers
In June 2019, Lenzing announced plans to establish what will be the largest lyocell cellulosic fiber plant in the world, with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons. To be located in Bangkok, Thailand, it will become operational sometime in 2022. In addition, the Austrian company has established offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a view …
Bio-based fibers with improved properties for clothing applications
Most fabrics currently available on the market are made of natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, and polyester (PES) blends. With the aim of finding a more sustainable material to produce clothing, polylactic acid (PLA) has been used to replace PES. PLA is biodegradable, compostable and obtained from renewable resources. It is also suitable for obtaining melt-processable fibers. PLA’s …
Graphene offers significant promise for fiber applications of the future
Graphene is a wonder that I believe represents the next phase of nanoevolution. It is, in fact, my new favorite material. Graphene is one single atomic layer of carbon. Graphite is many layers of graphene stacked. Separating the layers in graphite by various processes (termed exfoliation) is the way most commercially available graphene is made. …
How the US-China trade dispute is affecting cotton markets worldwide
As has been the case in many financial markets, the global cotton supply chain has been distorted by the U.S.-China trade dispute. At the fiber level, the dispute has interfered with flows between the world’s largest exporter and the world’s largest importer. Since July 2018, U.S. cotton fiber exports to China have been hit with …