Innovations enable firms to differentiate their products and becomecompetitive.
An Italian researcher has developed a technique forfeeding elastomers to textile machinery and in the USA a new dyeablepolyolefin yarn is a replacement for cotton.
Healthtex has apolymer-grafted cotton for stain-resistant children’s garments.Liang Haw in Taiwan has devised a method for preventing pilling.
AJapanese innovator is using nanoparticles to prevent pollen fromcontaminating clothing.
Bekaert has a new approach for heatedtextiles, and Rhône Poulenc has a copolymer system to make textilesnon-creasing.
A French organisation offers an aramid fabric to protectmotorcyclists.
Israeli researchers have a highly versatile cleaningcloth.
Uster Technologies has an ingenious way of detecting foreignbodies in textiles.
Milliken immobilises fibres to give a good handleto fabrics.
Malden Mills’ hydrophilic polyester fabric removesmoisture from the skin, and DeFeet’s sports fabric offers moisturecontrol and cushioning.
Johns Manville International has a glass fibretextile for wallcoverings.
Nike’s improved footwear upperincorporates a fusible textile.
Bosch Siemens has an air-tensionedapparatus to press garments.
London College of Fashion builds softcircuits into fabrics, with ingenious spin-offs.
A Japanese robotic suitallows handicapped people to walk and lift objects.
BrunelUniversity’s sports shoes calculate their owners’ entitlement to watchtelevision.
DADA Corporation has produced a novel sweatband.
A USdevelopment shows in advance whether a garment might suit acustomer.
L’Oreal’s new skin composition incorporates fibres.
EXO2offers a heated back support for outdoor workers, including farmers.Massimo Guarducci’s yarns incorporate perfumes or insect repellents.Sicem finds that sulphur eliminates the smell of sweaty feet.
SuisseElectronique Microtech uses bridging to add biological agents totextiles.
Ciba has a rapid ink-jet technique for textiles and also anovel method of producing stone-washed effects.
Clariant can improvethe chlorine fastness of textiles, Dystar has a way of modifying thecolour of dyed textiles, and Procter & Gamble can restore theappearance of faded fabrics.
A German dryer uses a cushion of air tosupport the fabric.
The future of GM rice in China looks promising,but that for GM cotton in India remains debatable.