ITMF’s International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) is designed to trace the implications of the growing capital intensity in the primary textile industry. This publication describes manufacturing and total costs of yarn/fabric broken down into various cost elements at different stages of the textile value chain. The 2018 edition adds the segment “Finishing” to the historical cost analysis in spinning, draw texturing, weaving, and knitting. For the first time also, the geographic coverage counts Pakistan and Bangladesh besides Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Rep., Turkey, U.S.A., and Vietnam. Continue reading ITMF’s International Production Cost Comparison (IPCC) in the Textile Industry →

“I have inherited a beautiful world which was inherited by my parents by their own. There is so much beauty in the world and it cannot be lost because of ignorance or inaction by the people consuming it. We live in a world that is constantly evolving and we need to account for our compassion for the environment towards the growth factor in our lives because foregoing it will only have long term adverse effects no matter how great the shortfall gains are. Continue reading NatureTech Enviro Protection Ltd. →

Naturetech Enviro Protection Ltd., a leading Surat-based environmental solution provider, has been offering an array of latest technologies dedicated to managing and treating wastewater, and sludge handling in the most sustainable manner. The company is offering a novel biological treatment technology called IFAS (integrated fixed-film activated sludge) Cleartech to enlarge existing domestic Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP). “With CETP, WWTP and STP as our areas of expertise, we offer state-of-the-art machinery and provide our clients with cutting edge technological solutions to win the fight against pollution,” assures the company in a statement.  Continue reading Naturetech Enviro Protection Ltd. Offering Cleartec Technology for Textile Wastewater Treatment →

Textile & Allied: Industrial Licences Issued in November 2018

Smart-Indigo™: High sustainability; Reduced health hazards; Savings in wastewater treatment and energy; Better colour consistency and performance; More ecological and economical; Easy to handle and more efficient

During one year over 15 billion meters of denim fabric are produced. Most of the production takes place in countries like China (52%), India & Pakistan (15%), Mexico & Brazil (13%), Europe & Turkey & Middle East (7%), USA & Canada (4%), rest of the world (9%).

The demand for denim continues to grow, with each of us already owning four or more denim fashion items. 66’000 tons of indigo powder is needed to produce 15 billion meters of denim fabrics to different shades of blue. The famous blue indigo is a powder which needs hazardous chemicals to make it water soluble for the dyeing process.

After dyeing, tons of wastewater containing these chemicals is discharged into the environment often without treatment. The excessive damages caused by those chemicals and heavy metals, like cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, and copper are harmful to humans, animals and the environment.

Furthermore chemicals left on the denim fabrics after industrial washing can still effect our skin. Imagine wearing denims which are contaminated with chemicals! The denim dyeing process is one of the major pollution problems within the textile industry.

Time for a change.

Smart­Indigo™ will resolve these issues. This Swiss invention which utilises a 100­year­old discovery (A. Brochet, 1917) becomes reality. Tons of leuco­indigo can be produced without chemicals.

Smart-Indigo™: Because It Makes A Difference

“Smart Leuco­Indigo” is produced in an electrochemical process consuming considerably fewer resources than existing methods. Using only indigo pigment, caustic soda, water and electricity. This technology is the most environmentally friendly process to dye denim. Smart­Indigo™ is a global innovation and will markedly reduce the ecological footprint.

Behind this technology are experienced specialists in the dyeing and finishing industry. Located in Switzerland, represented globally, with established and innovative products selling all over the world. Time to market for this development, replacing chemicals with electricity was 5 years in the making. Two years longer than originally planned “-Nothing good comes easy- kept us awake more than once through desperate nights.” Mr. Herbert Guebeli, managing director says. This resulting clean technology now speaks for itself. It makes a difference.

Smart-Indigo™

Smart-Indigo™ stands for an industrially proven technology, which will make a difference by bringing a revolutionary change to the global denim dyeing industry. Combining benefits for the environment, the people and the producers of denim items.

Makes more from less

This revolutionary leuco-indigo process opens up a whole new range of opportunities.

• Electricity instead of chemicals
• High sustainability
• More ecological and economical
• Reduced health hazards
• Better colour consistency and performance
• Savings in wastewater treatment and energy
• Easy to handle and more efficient

The adaptive textile façade green.fACade, developed from Aachen researchers, is installed in front of a building like a second skin and can permanently reduce nitrogen oxide pollution in cities.

The researchers have achieved the reduction of harmful nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) by coating the facade with titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide acts as a photo catalyst and enables the oxidation of nitrogen oxides to form washable nitrate (NO3-). The green colour of the facade also contributes to the conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen by photosynthesis. It also creates an optical resting point in the cityscape and reduces urban heat through evaporation cooling.

green.fACade is part of the innovative research project “adaptive textile facades”, which uses the special properties of textiles. Thanks to its design, textiles can let sunlight and air through, thus contributing to a modern, aesthetic building design. A new feature of the research project is that further elements such as the titanium oxide coating or sun protection elements are integrated into the textile facade and placed in front of the existing building facade. The adaptive textile facade acts independently and thus reduces energy consumption through the positive climatic effects on the building facade.

“Adaptive Textile Facade” is part of a current research series with the aim of developing innovative facade constructions that are climate-neutral and increase the comfort of local residents. The research team consists of the three RWTH fields of architecture (Faculty of Architecture, PhD student architect M.Sc. Jan Serode), medicine (University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Clinic for Ophthalmology, Prof. Dr Walter) and textile technology (Institut für Textiltechnik, Prof. Dr Gries) for applying shared expertise in the best possible way.

This summer the research team was supported for the first time by the Munich architectural office Auer Weber, represented by managing director Philipp Auer: “For us architects, developments in the field of textile outer shells are a special challenge. Here, highly developed textile materials and processing methods are combined with the lightness and grace of fabrics. Adaptive textile facade elements will increasingly turn the “building shell” into a “building skin”, a system that not only offers weather, heat and sun protection, but is in constant intelligent exchange with its environment”.

Prof. Dr Gries from the Institut für Textiltechnik sums up: “As textile researchers, we see a great opportunity to develop concrete solutions for our urban living spaces together with renowned experts from other disciplines. I’m sure we can make the urban climate more pleasant and reduce pollution.”

Mould, mildew, fungus, yeast, and bacteria (microorganisms) are part and parcel of our everyday lives. Thousand of species of microorganisms are found in the environment, on our garments and on our bodies. Substances added to fibres, such as lubricants, antistatic agents, sizing agents, thickeners etc and dirt act as a source of food for microorganisms. The microbial growth is influenced by relative humidity and temperature. The microorganism’s growth on textiles causes a range of undesirable effects, not only on the textile itself but also on the user. These effects include stains and discoloration, generation of unpleasant odor, reduction in mechanical strength, and a risk of infection to user. The microbial growth on textiles, overall decreases functional, hygienic and aesthetic value of the textiles.

Microbial attack on textile is of great concern in textile worn next to skin, such as, apparels, socks, intimate wear, aprons, uniforms etc.; Home furnishing such as carpets, shower curtains, mattress ticking and upholstery as well as for industrial fabrics that are exposed to varied or harsh weather conditions such as filter fabrics, fabrics used for awnings, screens, tents, tarpaulins, ropes, etc. Mould and mildew are major cause of damage to outdoor textile. Many antimicrobial technologies viz. Silver, Silane, Chitosan etc are available for textiles. Out of these Zinc pyrithione based product act specifically against Fungi.

Zinc pyrithione was first developed in the 1930s for its antifungal and antibacterial properties, and it is still commonly used today as a main ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos, and as an over-the-counter treatment for seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, athletes’ foot, ringworm and other medical conditions. Zinc pyrithione is also used in paints, polymers and textile products to inhibit the growth of fungi as well as bacteria on susceptible surfaces.

Zinc pyrithione mediated growth inhibition is due to increased copper uptake. Zinc pyrithione in presence of copper forms copper pyrithione which is exogenous (outside microbial cell). This copper pyrithione is then transported inside cell (endogenous) which eventually targets Iron-Sulphur(Fe-S) proteins in microbial cell. Fe-S proteins play key role in microbial metabolism. Deactivation of these Fe-S protein leads to stop in microbial metabolism eventually leading to cell death.(Fig.1)

Looking at demand’s of industry for antimicrobial finish exhibiting antifungal as well antibacterial finish for indoor as well as outdoor application such as Home textile, Sport textile and Technical textile etc, Sarex has developed antimicrobial finish Zoroguard-ZP based on Zinc pyrithione chemistry.

Most detergents, cosmetics, and clothes, to name just a few products, are manufactured using petroleum, making such everyday items anything but eco-friendly. It is now possible to produce the bio-based and CO2-neutral basic chemicals for such articles with the help of fungi. Fraunhofer research teams are developing fermentation techniques and manufacturing processes to produce them on an industrial scale.

If you find a layer of blue-green mold covering your bread, fruit or something else from your pantry, you’ll quite rightly end up throwing it out with the garbage – fungi are after all harmful to your health. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart, however, are particularly keen on molds, and in particular the genus Aspergillus. They’re also enthusiastic about yeast and smut fungi. Why? “Fungi have long been indispensable for antibiotic production or in the food industry. The fungi we employ help us to synthesize a variety of chemicals in a CO2-neutral way. They’re the basis for detergents, emulsifiers, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and plastics,” says Prof. Steffen Rupp, deputy director of Fraunhofer IGB and head of the Department of Molecular Biotechnology.

In contrast to petroleum, extracting chemicals from renewable raw materials doesn’t release CO2 into the atmosphere. And using fungi as production organisms has another major advantage: The pool of potential production organisms is almost inexhaustible, as is the range of renewable raw materials they can convert. As the fungi employ a host of different metabolic pathways, they produce an astonishing variety of products, which can be used in a wide range of applications.

The Excise & Taxation Commissioner, Haryana, Panchkula, on March 22, issued a clarification in the case of M/s Jasch Plastics India Ltd., Kundli, Sonepat. The company had sought clarification under section 56(3) of the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003 on the following question:

“Whether, the non woven fabric is tax free under entry 51 of Schedule B of Haryana Value Added Tax Act?”.

The main extracts from this clarification are produced here for the general information. Continue reading Non-woven Fabric is NOT a Textile Item →

ALE has been involved in the manufacture of Functional Topographic surfaces for more than 25 years. This privately owned, company has provided leadership through innovation in the sector of laser engraving machine manufacture. These machines are used to place micro-textures onto rollers. To date, ALE has supplied more than 300 systems worldwide. Our machinery is used in an extensive range of industries having the commonality of requiring laser engraved micro-structures to provide value and function through topography.