Raw Materials
COVID, trade disputes & the global cotton market
COVID-19 is the macro event of our lifetimes, affecting the life and business of virtually everyone on the planet. For the global economy, the speed and depth of the pandemic’s effects represented an unprecedented shock. Global impact In their report released near the end of January, the International Monetary Fund was predicting 2020 would be …
The Fiber Year 2020 – Rising investments in manmade fiber feedstocks
World fiber supply was balanced between natural and manmade fibers a quarter of a century ago but the latter considerably gained momentum afterwards, holding a current market share of more than 70% in recent years. Consequentially, corresponding feedstocks have been expanded likewise. Massive investments in Chinese industry will increasingly impact today’s major supplying nations. Nylon …
COVID-19 adds urgency in the move toward technology with remote capability
For the past few years now, Industry 4.0 concepts have been introduced by the leading European suppliers of technologies for the production of synthetic fibers and nonwovens. In 2020, some of these new ideas have been tested to the full. Most notably, remote support services to customers have not just been in demand, but proved …
At CIMFC, long-term investment and innovations fuel the future
At the 26th China International Manmade Fiber Conference (CIMFC 2020), September 8-9 in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China, experts and executives said that the manmade fiber industry’s long-term strategy, technological innovations and industrial upgrading were strong responses to the challenges brought by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Attendees & event details The CIMFC 2020 was for …
Next generation of non-phthalate Ziegler/Natta catalyst for polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP) is widely used in textile applications such as carpets and diapers. The end-uses and production processes require polymers with the highest purity. PP is produced using a Ziegler–Natta catalyst (also called a heterogeneous catalyst), which is not 100% isotactic – it typically contains 3% atactic/amorphous polymer. Our new generation of non-phthalate Ziegler–Natta catalyst …