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Considering the digital transformation of the textile industry
Digital transformation and Industry 4.0 will increasingly impact the competitiveness and economic success of small and medium-sized enterprises in the future. Within this changing work environment, companies face several challenges. Besides the implementation of software and digital solutions, further competences of employees, as well as their motivation and confidence towards digitized processes, need to be …

Student Spotlight: Performance of carbon fiber nonwoven composites in crash tests
Sai Aditya Pradeep is pursuing a Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering in the Materials and Manufacturing Specialization at Clemson University where he is conducting research on the scalable production of thermoplastic nano-cellular foams via supercritical fluid assisted injection molding. Another important area of Pradeep’s research is the characterization of recycled nonwoven carbon fiber composites and development …

Viscose pulp prices at historical lows
The current price of hardwood viscose pulp in China is $650/tonne. This is the lowest price in real (inflation-adjusted) terms in at least the last 20 years, and probably an even longer time period than that. Today’s price is 10% less than the previous lows posted in the fourth quarter of 2002 and the second …

Despite a declining share, staple fibers remain a big piece of the global fiber market
Staple fibers hold a large share of the global fiber market, with last year’s output comprising about 57 million tonnes in a total market size of almost 106 million tonnes. Staple fiber dynamics, however, have been slower than in the filament business, as their position in the market has continuously lost weight in recent decades. …

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, …