Source: Innovationintextiles
As innovative materials for future applications took centre stage at the special Living in Space exhibition area at the event, the topic of sustainability and environmentally friendly solutions also dominated the trade show, evident both from the wide range of green products on display and from the Techtextil Symposium programme, discussing latest trends in technical textiles.
Green coating technology
Trans-Textil, Europe’s leading laminating, coating and printing specialist, showcased its natural fibre laminates and environmentally-friendly Topaz Dots coating technology aqueous formulations at the fair. Topaz Dots coating technology has been recently used by Puma. According to the company, it has been successfully used as a spacer system in high-quality fire service clothing. The technology is based on environmentally-friendly aqueous formulations and is said to offer a wide range of possibilities in function and design, the company reports.
Belgium based Europlasma, presented its latest generation of resource saving nanocoating solutions under the Nanofics and PlasmaGuard brands. Nanofics 110 coatings, for example, are highly water and oil repellent fluoropolymer type of nanocoatings, completely free from PFOA and PFOS. PlasmaGuard coatings are durable water repellent coatings completely free from halogens. Compared to traditional wet chemical methods, the company says its coating technology offers 80% reduction in use of coating chemicals, 100% reduction in water waste, and 50% reduction in energy consumption and emission of CO2.
Sustainable finishing
Baldwin Technology Company, a leading manufacturer of process-automation equipment, showcased its state-of-the-art Spray Applicator for textile finishing at Techtextil. Designed to increase productivity by generating cost savings, reduced downtime and healthier working environment due to the minimised exposure to chemicals, Spray Applicator is said to reduce water and chemistry consumption by up to 50%.Launched back in 2015, the demand for Baldwin Spray Applicator has been slowly growing, said Lee Nanney, Product Line Spray – Textiles, Sr. Sales Executive – The Americas. The contactless spraying system is suited for applying fabric softeners for water repellency or any other low viscosity water-based chemistry, making it ideal for wet-on-wet application, the company reports.
Optimised dyeing process
DyStar promoted its econfidence programme with Cadira Polyester and Cadira Reactive dyeing process optimisation concepts at the event. With Cadira Polyester, the company offers environmentally friendly exhaust processing of polyester fibres, offering reduced energy, water and chemical consumption. With Cadira Reactive, the company offers an optimised dyeing process of cellulosic fibres with improved dye fixation, resulting in reduced costs and waste water pollution.
