year

xiv

nº 4

6 ja

nuar

y 20

14

Secretary of the Governing Council of the European Technology Platform forthe Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP)

Horizon 2020: an opportunity for financing R+D+I in SME’s [p.8]

Experimental Weaving Plant:

nº 4

6 en

ero

2014

Lutz Walter

Institute's new infraestrctures[p.28]

Drop Test Tower [p.16]

AItEx ReviewEnero 2014 número 46

Diseño y maquetación: ENGLOBA Grupo de ComunicaciónDepósito Legal: V-2170-2001ISSN: 2173-1012

La responsabilidad por las opiniones emitidas en los artículos publicados corresponden exclusivamente a sus autores. Se autoriza la publicación de los artículos de esta Revista indicando su procedencia.

AITEX es una iniciativa de la Generalitat Valenciana, a través del IMPIVA en colaboración con las industrias del Sector Textil. AITEX Centro adscrito a REDIT (Red de Institutos Tecnológicos de la Comunidad Valenciana)

Edita: AITEX, Instituto Tecnológico TextilPlaza Emilio Sala, 1 E-03801 Alcoy • Tel. 96 554 22 00 • Fax 96 554 34 94 info@aitex.eswww.aitex.es • www.observatoriotextil.com • www.textil.org • www.madeingreen.comUnidades TécnicasOntinyent: Tel. 962 912 262 • Fax 962 912 081 utontinyent@aitex.esValencia: Tel. 961 318 193 • Fax 961 318 183 utvalencia@aitex.es

Recent years have forced industry in general and our sector in particular, to undergo a transformation and adjust to a new environment. As a result, 2013 left us with an industry characterised by the need to be more compe-titive, flexible and innovative.

Now we can welcome in 2014, which will be packed full of challenges and opportunities which we can face together with initiative, resource and know-how. Our industry has enormous potential, but we must be aware of and adaptable to its new requirements.

Let’s not forget the key role that the technology centres play as a compli-ment to the private sector: the facilities they place at industry’s disposal in the certification of products which generate an added value factor to make industry more competitive on the international stage as well as the research and specialised training services they offer, coupled with the ability to cou-nt on their institutional support. Lutz Walter, secretary to the Government Council of the European Technology Platform for the Future of the Textile and Garment Industries (Textile ETP) and member of EURATEX, will reflect on this in the in-depth interview later in the issue.

This issue will also include a broad analysis of the main aspects of the Ho-rizon 2020 Programme, the successor to the 7th Framework Programme. With a budget of over 70 billion euros, H2020 has three primary objectives; to reinforce scientific excellence, accelerate the development of technolo-gy and respond to political priorities and social challenges such as safety, energy, transport and climate change.

The Programme represents excellent opportunities to increase the com-petitiveness of SME’s and promote internationalisation and technological renewal, among other possibilities. We urge you to take part in H2020 and we are right here for you if you decide to take advantage of the help it repre-sents, or if you wish to receive any more information.

This issue also describes in detail the new research facilities that AITEX has installed recently – which are available to the private sector: the latest-generation experimental weaving plant which allows prototype fabrics to be woven from a single bobbin of yarn - a technological breakthrough - or the drop tower for testing PPE’s designed to protect against falls. This ENAC-accredited facility allows a fall to be recreated from a set height, and makes AITEX the only private laboratory in Spain to have one.

The proactive approach of our members is demonstrated in the 5 new suc-cess stories stemming from applied research, not to mention the recent Novabuild Innovation Award that AITEX’s INNPAT project received, which you can read about in the news section which closes this issue of AITEX Review

Editorial

Índice04 Technological innovations08 Horizon 2020: an opportunity to finance R+D+I in SME’s12 Interview with Lutz Walter: Secretary to the Government Council of the European Technology Platform on the Future

of the Textile and Garment Industries (Textile ETP)16 Experimental weaving plant for the development of prototypes from a single bobbin of yarn20 Improving adhesion using aqueous systems24 R+D on nanofibre-based biomaterials for the controlled release of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of cognitive and

motor degeneration caused by hepatic encephalopathy28 Facilities for the evaluation of PPE’s designed to protect against falls from high places30 Enhanced bicomponent fibres with applications in nets and filters in fishing and fish farming34 The next revolution in the fashion industry38 An analysis of the impact of the technology institutes on companies and the economy40 Producing cationised cotton using a biotechnological procedure42 Ecological textiles based on biofibres and dyeing processes using natural compounds44 Research into sleep behaviour and sleep quality on different types of mattresses46 Biofibre-based fabrics and ecological technical finishing processes48 Smart garments for monitoring the health of babies50 European projects54 AITEX news56 Publicly funded AITEX projects58 ATEVAL news

4

_tecnology news / www.observatoriotextil.com

A selection of recent innovations detected and extracted from the technological textile Observatoryis presented below.Further information at www.observatoriotextil.com

The Comfort Properties of the terry towels Made of Cotton and Polypropylene Yarns Studies of woven fabric comfort properties have aroused the interest of researchers in recent years. The terry-structured fabrics, used in bathroom, pool, sea, sauna and Turkish bath, hold an important place in people's personal lives as end-products. The methods of identifying and improving the comfort properties of the terry-woven fabric structure are discussed in this study. In the process of sample production, the towels were made on a loom and standard finishing tech-niques were applied. Cotton and polypropylene yarns were used in this study, and the properties of woven towel fabrics with alternative weaving constructions were measured and analyzed. The comfort parameters of the gray and finished fabrics such as air-permeability, velocity of water absorption, and vapor permeability were measured under standard laboratory conditions and the obtained data were evaluated statistically. The experimental results show that the use of the

polypropylene fibers for the yarns in high-pile fabrics and the use of the cotton yarn in ground yarns have tend to provide the best comfort.

Autor: Durur, G; Oner, E Referencia: JOURNAL OF ENGINEERED FIBERS AND FABRICS, 8 (2):1-10; 2013

Ultrasensitive visible light photoresponse and electrical transportation properties of nonstoichiometric indium oxide nanowire arrays by electrospinningWe report on the below-bandgap photoresponse and electrical properties of In2O3 nanowi-res fabricated by a low-cost electrospinning technique. The as-prepared In2O3 nanowires show ultra-high sensitivity up to 10(3) to 10(4) with a much broadened response spectrum which is extended to the visible region. The dramatically enhanced photoconduction under below-bandgap light illumination is attributed to the transition from defect levels, which are introduced by oxygen vacancies present in the nonstoichiometric In2O2.68 nanowires. The underlying mechanism is further clarified by the UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra, where an obvious red shift in the absorption edge and a remarkable emission peak covering the visible region are detected. Moreover, electrical characterizations of bottom-

up-assembled field effect transistors (FETs) confirm the intrinsic n-type semiconducting behavior with an increased electron concen-tration, strongly indicating the formation of donor levels which induce the below-bandgap photoresponse. The concept of realizing dual-band photodetection in a single semiconductor system holds great promise in the fields of energy conversion, fire/flame detec-tion and other military applications.

Autor: Huang, SY; Ou, G; Cheng, J; Li, HP; Pan, W Referenca: JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C, 1 (39):6463-6470; 10.1039/c3tc31051e 2013

Dynamic Response of Piezoelectric Material Strips at High FrequenciesThis investigation is focused on the dynamic response of some commercially available pie-zoelectric materials which will be incorporated into textile materials for vibration control with a view of sports brassiere. Ceramic-based piezoelectric fiber composites (PFC), piezoelectric fiber composite bimorph (PFCB) and polymer- based polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) of va-rious thicknesses have been chosen for this investigation. In a typical experiment, one end of each of the piezoelectric strips is fixed to the vibration table of an electrodynamic exciter while the other end is terminated at the cross-beam of a very stiff frame. The strip is placed under tension and made to undergo base excitation using pseudo-random signal from (0-2000) Hz using the electrodynamic shaker. The force output response is obtained using force transdu-cers. The characterization of these piezoelectric materials will determine their behavior when

embedded in the textile material for sports brassiere application.

Autor: Ikenna-Agbeze, N; Oyadiji, SO; Siores, E; Shah, TReferencia: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ASME 11TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DESIGN AND ANALYSIS, 2012, VOL 2, 507-512; 2012

Home textiles

Clothing and

sport textiles

textiles for

protection and

workwear

5

aitex january 2014_aitex enero 2010_

Physical and compressional characteristics of a novel 3D fibrous structure - application in comparison between PU foam and 3D fibrous structure Nowadays it is necessary for car industry to promote ecological methods of development in regard to new consumer sensibility. A new three-dimensional (3D) fibrous structure made of polyester (PET) material has been developed in order to replace PU foam in automotive trim. These new manufactured 3D fibrous structures are laminated with needle-punched and spun-bonded sheets. The sheets are made of 100% PET. Characterization of physical and mechanical properties of these new 3D fibrous structures, testing methods have to be deve-loped. Based on the automotive specifications, a methodology has been set up to test the compression behavior of these new products. In order to answer the issue of replacement, some PU foam products have also been characterized, and comparisons with alternative

products have been conducted. The results of this study show interesting properties of the new 3D fibrous structure in terms of com-pression behavior when compared to the PU foam.

Autor: Njeugna, N; Schacher, L; Adolphe, DC; Dupuis, RL; Aubry, E; Schaffhauser, JB; Strehle, P; Messaoud, M

Referencia: JOURNAL OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE, 104 (11):1237-1246; 10.1080/00405000.2013.796084 NOV 1 2013

Automotive and

transportation

textiles

technical finishings

Pigment Production by Filamentous Fungi on Agro-Industrial Byproducts: an Eco-Friendly AlternativeThe search for new sources of natural pigments has increased, mainly because of the toxic effects caused by synthetic dyes used in food, pharmaceutical, textile, and cos-metic industries. Fungi provide a readily available alternative source of natural pigments. Almost all fungi were able to grow and produce water-soluble pigments on agro-industrial residues, with the exception of P. vasconiae. The production of yellow pigments was pre-dominant and the two strains of P. chrysogenum were the largest producers. The crude filtrates have potential to be used in the textile industry; nevertheless, additional pigment purification is required for food and pharmaceutical applications.

Autor: Lopes, FC; Tichota, DM; Pereira, JQ; Segalin, J; Rios, AD; Brandelli, A

Referencia: APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, 171 (3):616-625; 10.1007/s12010-013-0392-y OCT 2013

Developing antiviral surgical gown using nonwoven fabrics for health care sectorBackground: Healthcare workers' uniforms including surgical gowns are used as barriers to eliminate the risk of infection for both doctor and patient. Objectives: To develop an-tiviral surgical gown comprising of Polypropylene nonwoven as outer layer, Polytetraflu-roethylene (PTFE) film as middle layer and polyester nonwoven as inner layer and the surgical gown with a basic weight of 70 g/m(2). Results: The trilaminate surgical gown has passed ASTM 1671 viral penetration test which is mandatory for healthcare facilities. Conclusion: The surgical gown exhibits antiviral property which can protect the health care people from human immunodeficiency virus.

Autor: Liu, XJ; Su, XZReferencia: JOURNAL OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE, 104 (11):1258-1267;

10.1080/00405000.2013.796628 NOV 1 2013

textiles médicos, higiene y cosméticos

6

_tecnology news / www.observatoriotextil.com

Electrically conductive lines on cellulose nanopaper for flexible electrical devicesHighly conductive circuits are fabricated on nanopapers composed of densely packed 15-60 nm wide cellulose nanofibers. Conductive materials are deposited on the nanopaper and mechanically sieved through the densely packed nanofiber networks. As a result, their con-ductivity is enhanced to the level of bulk silver and LED lights are successfully illuminated via these metallic conductive lines on the nanopaper. These results indicate that advanced, lightweight and highly flexible devices can be realized on cellulose nanopaper using conti-nuous deposition processes. Continuous deposition on nanopaper is a promising approach for a simple roll-to-roll manufacturing process.

Autor: Hsieh, MC; Kim, C; Nogi, M; Suganuma, KReferencia: NANOSCALE, 5 (19):9289-9295; 10.1039/c3nr01951a 2013

Smart and functional

textiles

Constru-textiles

Research on spun yarn qualities in a modified ring-spinning system using airflow-twisting deviceIn this paper, a kind of airflow-twisting devices which can produce the twist by the high vortex airflow is employed for improving the twist propagation process of ring-spinning system. Firstly, three different kinds of yarns are spun in this modified ring-spinning system with five different airflow pressures and two different swirling directions are measured. Secondly, the images of spinning triangles are captured by using a high speed camera system, and the mechanism of the effects of vortex airflow on yarn qualities is discussed by analyzing the fiber tension distributions in the spinning triangle. It is shown that for the Z' twist spun yarn, the spinning triangle decreases with the increasing of clockwise airflow pressures, whereas the triangle becomes more and more symmetrical with the increasing of anticlockwise air-flow pressures. Meanwhile, the comprehensive qualities of spun yarn are improved with the

increasing of both directions of airflow pressures to a certain extent. However, the hairiness and strength of spun yarn will be mainly improved with clockwise airflow, whereas yarn residual torque mainly reduced with anticlockwise airflow.

Yarns and fibers

Utilization of textile effluent wastewater treatment plant sludge as brick material In the present work, the feasibility of using sludge generated in wastewater treatment plants of textile industry as a partial replacement for clay in the conventional brick manufacturing process is examined. Physico-chemical properties of the sludge and clay were studied. The characteristics of bricks with replacement of sludge (0-50 %) with an increment of 3 % were determined. All the brick samples satisfied the requirements of Indian Standards norms in terms of weight loss on ignition. The bricks with sludge up to 15 % satisfied the prescribed norms for compressive strength and water absorption. Results also showed that the brick weight loss on ignition was mainly attributed to the organic matter content in the sludge being burnt off during the firing process. The characteristics of bricks such as efflorescen-ce, density and weight loss on ignition for bricks with replacement of clayey soil with textile

sludge up to 15 % also satisfied the requirements of the Indian Standard. Thus, textile sludge up to 15 % can be effectively added to make brick material.

Autor: Begum, BSS; Gandhimathi, R; Ramesh, ST; Nidheesh, PV Referencia: JOURNAL OF MATERIAL CYCLES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT, 15 (4):564-570; 10.1007/s10163-013-0139-4 OCT 2013

Capillary barrier dissipation by new wicking geotextileA capillary barrier will form and restrict water flow when two porous materials with differing porous structures (e.g., a geotextile overlain by a fine-grained soil) are in contact with one another. This can be problematic as the capillary barrier may cause undesirable moisture build-up in the overlying soil. A new geotextile has been manufactured to help dissipate a barrier by "wicking" or laterally draining moisture away from the soil. Research at The University of Texas at Austin investigated the unsaturated properties of various versions of this wicking geotextile, under both woven and non-woven configurations. The testing program includes small soil column infiltration tests with moisture monitored by time domain reflectometers. Also, modified hanging column tests were conducted to define the hydraulic properties of the geotextile. Test results illustrate advantages in lateral drainage of the wicking geotextile when

compared to regular geotextiles.

Autor: Ribeiro, LF; Holanda, FSR; de Araujo, RNReferencia: REVISTA CAATINGA, 26 (2):31-40; 2013

Geotextiles,

agrotextiles and sports

777

TANATEXCHEMICALS.COMTEXTILE PROCESSING SOLUTIONS

Are you facing the technical challenge of creating adhesion to

synthetic fi bres for outdoor exposure but with fl exibility

retention? TANATEX Chemicals has the solution: TANA®COAT OMP

and TANA®COAT MTO. These products are especially designed for

coating of synthetic outdoor fabrics. TANA®COAT OMP is to be

applied as soft basecoat and TANA®COAT MTO as medium hard

topcoat. Unique characteristics are: resistant to all weather

conditions, UV and mildew and fungus, shows high light fastness

and good adhesion to PA and PES based substrates.

TECHNICAL TEXTILESSolutions for outdoor exposure

14198 Advertentie.indd 1 10-07-13 11:01

_investigación aitex octubre 2009_

8

What is HORIZONTE 2020?

Horizon 2020 (H2020) is the flagship Programme for Research and Innovation in the EU for 2014-2020 with a provisional bud-get of 77,028 million euros to finance initiatives, research and development, demonstration and innovation projects with a clear added-value factor for Europe.

Horizon 2020 covers and reinforces activities that were finan-ced by the 7th Framework Programme for R+D between 2007 and 2013, innovation activities begun under the Framework Programme for Innovation and Competitiveness (PIC) and ac-tivities by the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT).

The programme was created to support the implementation of “Europe 2020” and the flagship initiative “Union for Innova-tion” which contributes directly to social challenges, creates and maintains Europe’s industrial lead and reinforces scientific excellence, which is vital to Europe’s long-term sustainability, prosperity and health

The programme has three pillars:

• Scientific excellence: to reinforce the EU’s scientific exce-llence worldwide through open initiatives and individual pro-jects.• Industrial leadership: to accelerate technological develo-pment, mainly: information and communications technology (ICT), nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology, ad-vanced manufacturing and transformation and aerospace te-chnology to help European SME’s become world leaders and to facilitate risk finance in research and innovation activities and bring these activities to the marketplace.• Social challenges: to provide a direct response to the politi-cal priorities and challenges identified in the Europe 2020 Stra-tegy, including safety, energy, transport, climate change and efficient use of resources, health and ageing, environmentally-friendly production processes and territorial management.

It is completed by:

• The activity of the European Institute for Technology (EIT).• The transversal actions “Disseminating excellence and broadening participation” and “Science with and for Socie-ty” so that the benefits of H2020 reach every EU member and have a positive impact on society.•.

The table below details the distribution of the provisional bud-get for Horizon 2020.

_analysis

HoRIzoN 2020: AN oPPoRTUNITY FoR FINANCING R+D+I IN SME’S

CDTI (the Centre for Industrial Technological Development)

The aim of this short guide, drawn up by the CDTI, is to publish how to participate successfully in the Horizon 2020 Programme

HORiZON 2020 77.028

Scientific excellence 24.441

1. The Council for European Investigation (CEI) 13.095

2. Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) 2.696

3. Marie Sklodowska Curie activities 6.162

4. Research infrastructure 2.488

Industrial leadership 17.016

1. Leadership in facilitating and industrial technologies 13.557

1.1. ICT 7.711

1.2. Nanotechnology, 1.3 advanced materials and 1.5 advanced manufacturing and transformation

3.851

1.4. Biotechnology 516

1.6. Aerospace 1.479

2. Access to risk finance 2.842

3. Innovation in SME’s 616

Social challenges 29.679

1. Health, demographic changes and well-being 7.472

2. Food safety, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and fluvial research and bioeconomy

3.851

3. Safe, clean, efficient energy 5.931

4. Intelligent, environmentally-friendly and integrated transport

6.339

5. Climate and environmental action, resource and raw materials efficiency

3.081

6. Inclusive, innovative and reflexive societies 1.309

7. Safe societies 1.695

Science with and for society 462

Disseminating excellence and broadening 816

The European Institute for innovation and 2.711

Acciones directas no nucleares del Centro Común de investigación (JRC)

1.903

• For more information visit our webpage: http://eshorizonte2020.es/ • The full version of the guide is available at the following link: http://www.eshorizonte2020.es/como-participar/guia-del-participante

_investigación aitex octubre 2009_

9

PRoVISIoNAL BUDGET HoRIzoN 2020

(Millones de euros)What type of projects are funded by H2020?

H2020 finances projects (generally of a transnational nature) in all the phases of the process, from research to marketing: re-search, technological development, demonstration and inno-vation (including social and technological) as well as horizontal research support and innovation activities.

Horizon 2020 also explores new finance instruments such as awards, innovative public procurement and financial capital and debt instruments, to maximise the possibilities that the re-sults of the projects reach the market successfully.

In general, an H2020 project should:

• Provide an added value factor on a European-wide scale and meet an existing need within the EU.

• Be exclusively civil and non-military.

• Be developed along transnational lines in a consortium, with the participation of at least three independent bodies from three member or associate states, although certain ty-pes of projects exist where individual participation may be required. In practice more members are generally involved but this varies according to the project and its scope.

• Fall within specific research and innovation lines detailed in the corresponding work programmes and calls which normally include budget recommendations varying bet-

ween 0.5 and several million euros and lasting between 1 and 5 years.

• Respect the ethical principles and applicable EU and in-ternational legislation

What type of projects are not financed by H2020?

Generally, the following are not financed:

• Those which are not concerned with research, techno-logical development, demonstration and innovation or other activities financed by H2020 and its respective work programmes.

• Are of a local, regional or national character which do not justify a European dimension.

• Do not represent a real advance of existing European knowledge (research projects) or real innovation for the Eu-ropean market (innovation projects).

Who can participate in H2020?

Any registered body in any EU country, a state associated with Horizon 2020 or third-party countries: universities, companies, business associations or groups, research centres, technology centres, the public sector or users as long as they agree to:

• • Invest the necessary time and resources to develop the project.

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

10

• Assume and share the risks associated with the pro-ject and its activity between all the project partners.

• Work as a team, sharing the knowledge between a European consortium (except for certain projects which can be undertaken individually).

• Respect the rules of participation established by the European Commission.

• Accept that the working language shall be English.

What type of financing do the projects receive?

Horizon 2020 will apply a single percentage of finance depen-ding on the type of project, by repaying subsidised costs, in-cluding direct costs and a single rate/payment of 25% of indi-rect costs, for each member of the project.

The percentage rises to a maximum of 100 % of the total sub-sidised costs of R+D projects or coordination and support actions, falling to 70% for innovation projects in the case of profit-making organisations.

In either case, after signing the contract with the Commission, part of the community contribution will be advanced to the par-ticipants to allow them to have positive cash flow throughout the project to meet their commitments. The difference with Ho-rizon 2020 is that up to 8,000€ can be added per researcher per year in non-profit organisations as a direct project cost as

long as it forms part of the usual payment policy of the orga-nisation.

H2020 also offers credit, guarantees and capital investment through its risk finance instruments for research and innovation projects requiring high-risk investment in order to reach con-clusion (as a debt mechanism), and to cover the development and growth of innovating companies (risk capital mechanism).

Who owns the rights to the results of an H2020 project?

According to the rules of participation in Horizon 2020, the results of an R+D+I project belong to the participants who created the results, either individually or jointly. However, par-ticipants may reach an agreement which modifes this without prejudicing access to the results by other consortium mem-bers.

What advantages does participation in H2020 offer?

• Increased competitiveness

• Collaboration with overseas partners and international net-works

• Internationalisation of strategies and markets

• Shared risk in research and innovation activities

_analysis

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

• Access to privileged information and new knowledge on a European scale

• Technological renovation

• Improved company image with greater visibility and prestige

• Privileged financing for research and innovation activities

• Possibility of solving current scientific and industrial pro-blems of increasing complexity and discovering how the sector is evolving

• Opening new markets

oPPoRTUNITIES FoR SME’S

SME’s receive special attention by H2020, which recogni-ses the significant contribution they make to European inno-vation, growth and employment, as they have the necessary potential and agility to provide revolutionary technological in-novations and new services, both nationally and on a Euro-pean and global scale.

Horizon 2020 offers a wide range of measures to support the research and innovation activity of SME’s and their capabili-ties throughout the various phases of the innovation cycle. This commitment is focused on the political objective of dedicating at least 20% of the budget to social challenges and leadership in key technological and industrial activities of SME’s.

This ensures that SME’s can participate mainly on*:

• Collaborative research and innovation projects within the “Social Challenges” and “Industrial leadership” pillars, with active participation in the calls for each challenge and each technology.

• Specific SME projects which are proposed as open to-pics in “Social Challenges” and “Industrial Leadership”. These projects can be individual are financed through the innovation process via a phased subsidy scheme aimed at supporting traditional or innovative SME’s who wish to grow, develop and internationalise through a Europe-wide innovation project.

• The staff exchange activities financed by the Marie Sklo-dowska Curie (Research and innovation Staff exchange) aimed at improving technology transfer between the public and private sectors.

And benefit from:

• • A window to capital and debt within the “Access to risk financing” area of the “Industrial Leadership” pillar, where SME’s will be provided with a range of financial service providers from whom capital, guarantees or con-

tra-guarantees can be applied for from Horizon 2020 for their R+D projects.

• A group of services related to innovation, mainly through the Enterprise Europe Network, which will be des-cribed in the chapter on “Innovation in SME’s” (Pillar 2) to increase their capacity for innovation and meet their diffe-rent needs throughout the innovation cycle and improve competitiveness, sustainability and growth.

*SME’s can also benefit from the Eurostars initiative, co-fi-nanced by member states of Eureka and the R+D intensive COM for SME’s and the Fast Track to Innovation pilot schemes which are expected to begin in 2015.

How do I start participating in HoRIzoN 2020?

Preparing an application for Horizon 2020 is no easy task and needs considerable human and economic resources.

It is often necessary therefore to receive guidance and support throughout the different stages required to complete an appli-cation and there is a range of services offering information, gui-dance and support.

All the necessary information and documentation can be obtained from the Participants’ Portal at (http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal)

11

12

_interview

Lutz Walter

secretary of the Governing Council of the European Technology Platform forthe Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP)

Mr. Walter is a degree holder in business management and political science and has been wor-king in European Affairs since 1998. He joined EURATEX (The European Apparel and Textile Confederation) in 1999 and has been the coordinator of various European collaborative research and networking projects.Lutz Walter is the secretary of the Governing Council of the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) since its establishment in late 2004

You joined EURATEX fourteen years ago, what kind of evaluation could you make about this period, in general terms?

When I joined Euratex in 1999 the European textile and clothing industry was still quite a bit bigger in sales and especially in the number of its employees than it is today. It was at that time also still partly protected from global competition due to the Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA) which limited imports of signifi-cant textile and clothing product categories into the EU’s single market. Then in the early years of the 2000’s decisive events such as the entry of China into WTO, the enlargement of the EU towards the east and the complete phase-out of the MFA en-forced a strong restructuring and transformation onto the textile and clothing industry in Western and Southern Europe.

Now we look at a smaller, but in my opinion much more com-petitive, more flexible and more innovative industry. Important trends are the exit of labour-intensive and commodity textile businesses, the broadening of textile applications in many technical markets and new business models which combine creativity, innovation, high product quality, flexibility and supe-rior customer service into a unique market offer that low-cost competitors cannot achieve.

I also see an industry that is much more open to collaboration along the supply chain as well as in networks and clusters in order to develop new products and services that a single com-pany cannot realise.

EURATEX is the political voice of the Textile and Clothing (T&C) industry in Europe, what are the new challenges up to 2020?

Most of the challenges that we see are not new such as on-going globalisation and international competition, struggles to access markets and capital, needs to comply with complex legislation, need to strictly manage the cost structure of com-panies.

Two newer challenges which are however also linked to signifi-cant opportunities relate to access to know-how and qualified

(young) staff and to the management of real sustainability in products and processes.

I believe the off-shoring of textile and clothing production from Europe to Asia has largely run its course and I think that the chances for some intelligent and innovative manufacturing coming back to Europe are actually quite good. However for this to happen in a more significant scale we will need above all qualified personnel from operator to management level that are increasing hard to find. Too few young people are willing to seek education and employment in the textile sector and the

13

aitex january 2014_aitex enero 2010_

old generation with the know-how and experience is retiring ra-pidly. We also need good infrastructures, including specialised education and training institutions and research and technolo-gy centres and we need better access to finance.

Sustainability, especially combining clean, resource-efficient and cost-saving processes with a substantiated market com-munication (beyond simple “green-wash”) has a good po-tential in Europe but knowledge and management inside the companies and education of the market and consumer are still formidable challenges.

What is Textile ETP and what are the most immediate for-thcoming objectives, and long term ones?

The Textile ETP is the largest European network dedicated to textile research and innovation. The central objective of this network is to ensure long-term competitiveness of the EU tex-tile and clothing industry through collaborative research and a rapid translation of research results into industrial innovation.

Policy makers from local up to European level increasingly un-derstand that supporting research and industrial innovation is a smart way of stimulating economic development, creating or maintaining good jobs and improving the overall prosperi-ty, sustainability and quality of life. However political intentions don’t always translate quickly and effectively into support ins-truments that meet the needs and capacities of the industries targeted. Therefore the ETP has important relay function cons-tantly telling policy makers at EU levels what kind of research and innovation support the textile and clothing industry needs and on the other hand helping the industry and its research partners to make the best use of the support programmes available.

The Textile ETP offers many information and networking ser-vices for companies and research organisations interested in European collaboration. We inform timely and sector-specifica-lly about funding opportunities. We help partners to build pro-ject consortia and to get direct advice from the managers of the fund-ing programmes. We run a textile technology broke-rage system at European level connecting companies which have technology needs with providers of innovative solutions. We organise expert groups to discuss major innovation and te-chnology trends in the textile sector and we hold public events and conferences for people to present, meet and exchange.

Due to your position, and your career, you are a privi-leged observer of the European textile sector evolution and its continued transformation d last decade. Do you think the European textile companies are best prepared compared to other industries to the next years challen-ges?

All industries face challenges and economic developments are unpredictable so that today’s winners can easily be tomorrow’s losers. In this sense the textile and clothing industry has a big potential to surprise positively, simply expectations from this industry from the general public are very low – and in my opi-

nion much too low, because people do not see the dramatic transformation that this industry has undergone in recent years.

The future is by definition uncertain and often unpredictable and while one can try to prepare and forecast, the best is gene-rally to be vigilant and remain flexible to adapt to whatever new conditions arise. In this sense our industry has a big advantage over many others because many of our companies are deca-des sometimes even centuries old and have been managed through generations across many economic ups and downs. Most companies are conservatively managed, always cost-conscious, have small flexible structures without a lot of inter-nal bureaucracy and take well care of their employees and try to preserve and develop their skills and competences. Textile and clothing companies, especially those in the fashion sector are also used to a lot of volatility in the market and know how to quickly react to sudden demand changes.

In general I believe we in Europe must in-vest in everything that can increase the flexibility, speed to market, resource-efficiency and innovativeness of our companies, especially the smaller ones. So more efficient small scale manufacturing technology, more supply capacities of specialty fibres and specialty chemi-cals, more efficient logistics and all possible information and communication technologies to manage speed and complexi-ty at the same will all be good for Europe’s textile and clothing

Too few young people are willing to seek education and employment in the textile sector and the old generation with the know-how and experience is retiring rapidly

14

_interview

industry. Because this is the game in which we can have a sus-tainable advantage over the cheap mass-producers in Asia.

Nowadays everybody agree an internationalisation stra-tegy is necessary in SMEs. In your opinion, what king of measures should be taken in that sense? What are the most important markets for the European T&C industry?

It is wrong to say that every SME necessarily needs an interna-tionalisation strategy. If a company has built itself a profitable and defendable regional or national market niche, it may survi-ve and even prosper for many years. However as a general rule any company that produces or markets products that can be easily traded and transported across border, which is the case for almost all textile and clothing products, will sooner or later be faced with international competitors that sell better products or similar products at a lower price. Therefore at the least every textile SME needs to have a keen eye on potential international competition and make sure its own products offer at least the same value for money than those of international competitors. Once you can ensure this, it is only a small step to offer your products to potential customers across the borders. For Euro-pean SME’s the most logic first internationalisation strategy is to target neighbouring countries within the EU single market which offers a highly reliable harmonised legal and regulatory environment and generally less cultural and logistical challen-ges than overseas markets. Beyond Europe it can also make

sense to tackle markets in which the same language is spoken. A very positive aspect of the textile and clothing market is its massive size - close to 500 billion Euros in the EU alone – and its sheer endless number of specialised niches with news one being developed every day that any smart SME could find its opportunity.

What is your general opinion about the R&D activities in the European textile and clothing companies? Are they enough? What sort of actions are necessary to be taken in order to increase the R&D figures and results?

The textile and clothing industry in average spends not much more than 1% of its turnover on research and development, which is among the lowest levels within the manufacturing in-dustry. However there are also some companies in highly spe-cialised technical end markets that spend over 10% of turnover on R&D. With the increasing share of technical textile compa-nies in Europe we witness a slow but steady increase of R&D intensity in the sector.

In my opinion the pure statistical R&D intensity of an industry which can be measured in declared R&D expenses of com-panies or numbers of patents or other figures is not so impor-tant. It is much more important that the knowledge-content of products increases. Such knowledge-content does not only include scientific or technological aspects but also the deep knowledge of the customer or end user and its needs and wis-hes which can be quickly and efficiently translated into cus-tomised designs, functionalities, qualities or product-related services.

Therefore I believe we need to make every effort possible to make the textile and clothing industry more knowledge-intensi-ve. We need to improve and facilitate knowledge transfer from research, from related sectors and from the end markets into the industry by investing in education, training, research and value chain collaboration, market intelligence gathering. All this is not easy, especially for SME’s, because it requires strategic vision, it usually costs money, it often brings no quick results and may require competences that the existing management doesn’t have. Therefore public support is needed to make it easier for companies to make this step and to reduce the risk of failure.

Seventh Framework Programme is practically finished, being Horizon 2020 the successor. What are its key aspects? Why Horizon 2020 is important for T&C SM’s and which are the opportunity for them? What are the research topic priorities for Horizon 2020?

The 7th Framework Programme, which finished in 2013, was quite successful for the textile and clothing industry and its re-search community. Over 200 million Euros of EU funding went into some 60 collaborative research projects related to a very wide range of textile subjects. Many textile and clothing com-panies, mostly SME’s made their first steps in European re-search collaboration, generate results that are in some cases already on the market as new products today or led to the crea-tion of many commercial partnerships that without the initial project would have never happened. A big role was played by

aitex enero 2010_aitex january 2014_

15

the European Technology Platform that lobbied successfully for the inclusion of textile research topics into the programme, that helped to create strong project consortia and that help projects to disseminate their results to the industry.

HORIZON 2020, the successor programme for the years 2014-2020 will have an even larger budget that FP7, in total over 70 billion Euros and we hope that with the help of the strengthe-ned European Technology Platform, we can make it at least as successful for the textile sector as the previous programme. HORIZON 2020 will bring some positive novelties such as an increased funding rate of up to 100% + 25% for all types of participants including industry, smaller projects and faster time from application to project start. A specific funding instrument for SME’s called Fast Track to Innovation should be introduced

in 2015 which would be strictly reserved for SME’s and whe-re even single companies can apply. This programme should have a budget of at least 3 billion Euros.

Apart from these positive points, there will be also some old and some new challenges for our sector in HORIZON 2020. Like in previous programmes there will be no dedicated pro-gramme for the textile and clothing sector so we will need to find relevant topics in largely cross-sectoral research and te-chnology subjects in which we will have to compete with other sectors that may be viewed as more promising or more high-tech than the textile industry. There is of course a lot of potential in cross-sectoral cooperation especially for technical textiles companies, but this means we need to build contacts and wor-king relationships with players in these other sectors at Euro-pean level. This is in fact one of the priorities of the work of the European Textile Technology Platform and over the years we have built excellent relations with other European Technology Platforms in sectors like machinery, chemistry and biotechno-logy, construction, protection and safety, footwear and sport goods etc. In HORIZON 2020 we will exploit these collabora-tions for more textile-related projects. And we also use them for joint showcases to improve the perception of our industry with policy makers that still see our industry too often as tradi-tional and low tech, having no clue how many advanced mate-rials and technologies textile companies use today and in how many applications and end markets one can find advanced textiles nowadays.

And finally, could you please give an advice to the T&C SMEs?

If you have never participated in a European project try to use HORIZON 2020 to widen your horizon in this sense. Do it to-gether with a trusted partner that has sufficient experience in such programmes, such as AITEX. Make it very clear from the beginning what your expectations from the project are – it should not be the funding! – and follow the project develop-ments very closely to make sure your objectives and those of the other partners in the project remain aligned. Give one em-ployee in the company, perhaps a young one, the clear goal and the freedom to use the project to explore and discover new

useful knowledge and contacts that can help the business of the company in a 2 to 3 year timeframe

The textile and clothing industry in average spends not much more than 1% of its turnover on research and development, which is among the lowest levels within the manufacturing industry

16

Experimental weaving plant for the development of prototype fabrics from a single bobbin of yarn

The globalisation process undergone in recent years in communication and industry has brought with it important aspects in client-supplier relationships, where the instant availability of information and the ability to purchase from anywhere in the world has made companies ever more competitive, regardless of where they are based. This massive rise in competitiveness and fast communication means that companies need to have a wide range of highly innovative products and samples available. To achieve this, they must be able to offer outstanding products quickly and be flexible and versatile to allow the supplier to meet the needs of the client in terms of quality and lead times.

Technical Fibre and Nanotechnology Research Group - AITEX

Functional textiles: a business opportunity within the reach of the SME’s

This requires that functional products with new properties can be developed which satisfy the needs of the user, and that re-quires a research and development process which is both fast and efficient enough to adapt to the global situation at the time. The textile industry must develop new fibres and textile structu-res faster than ever before in order to be ready to move into a niche as and when it appears and to ensure that the products meet with the client’s needs.

Keeping this context in mind and having detected the need for efficient tools for the development of new textile products,

AITEX has installed a new experimental weaving plant, incor-porating the most cutting-edge technology which is available for manufacturers to obtain high-performance samples and fa-brics quickly. The plant can work with a wide range of materials, structures and designs.

Infrastructure for research covering the entire value chain

The experimental weaving plant has three elements (sizing unit, warp beam and loom) which work together to create a fabric from a single yarn with one or more designs which can be pre-sented to the client or taken to a laboratory for characterisation. This facility, coupled with AITEX’s other facilities means that the Institute can offer global solutions to manufacturers, covering the entire textile value chain.

_research

Posibilidades de Investigación en la cadena de valor textil.

17

_innovación www.aitex.es aitex diciembre 2012_

This means that the equipment’s versatility and the flexibility it allows when developing samples combine to provide a fast and efficient means of creating new products. Reengineering allows each step of the process to be analysed to improve the next step and to allow changes to be introduced to improve the final product.

The advanced capabilities of this cutting edge facility

The experimental weaving plant has many advantages in sim-ple development, and as well as those already mentioned, one of the most outstanding is the ability to create a sample from a single bobbin of yarn, reducing costs. This saving is not only achieved through the use of minimal material but also by the fact that a manufacturing line does not have to be dedicated to running several metres of fabric to provide a single sample.

A description of the modules

The difference between this line and a conventional one is that the modules have been designed to work with any type of de-sign quickly and with minimal raw materials, and is therefore ideal for creating samples or researching new products.

Experimental sizing plant

The first module is the sizing unit, which provides cohesion and strength to the yarns. Sizing must be performed whether a yarn is single ply or a blend to improve strength and reduce breaka-

ges during weaving. The yarn is impregnated with oils or res-ins, according to the fibre type, by immersion where the yarn is submerged in a hot or cold vat. The yarn is then fed through a roller to eliminate excess resin and then dried by infrared to fix the sizing agent. The coiled yarn is then ready for weaving.

The process is vital to avoid breakages or knotting on the weave triangle caused by loose fibres getting caught up in the shuttle.

Experimental warping plant

Once the yarn has been perfected, the next stage is the warp beam. The experimental plant is equipped with a Hergeth warp beam which is able to create a warp from a single yarn bobbin; its rotary mechanism and yarn positioning system means that it can create a beam with the minimum of yarn, doing away with the need to feed dozens or hundreds of cones, as is the case with conventional systems. This is very important when offering the necessary versatility as a large range of material is no lon-ger required to develop samples and identify if a material’s pro-perties or appearance are appropriate to what is being sought. This means that a wide range of yarns can be tested and eva-luated relatively cheaply, as well as this, the programme allows beams to be created with more than one yarn to create bands of material or interweave different yarns in a single sample using different colour warps to create the required design

Experimental weaving plant

The last unit is the heddle loom, which allows woven fabrics to be developed. It can weave conventional fabrics such as taffe-ta, twill or plain weave, as well as technical structures including

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

Esquema y fotografía de la planta experimental de encolado.

18

double or triple weaves as shown below, as it is equipped with an auxiliary system with an external beam which can accept different materials in the warp. The software programme is flexible and allows changes to be made during simple weaving to increase or decrease the density of the weft and change the pick within certain limits.

Relevant properties of the facility

Sizing unit Warp Loom

- Electric heaters with electronic control.

- Speed regulation.- Yarn breakage detection.

- Infrared drying.

- Drum length 360 cm

- Maximum warp density 90 yarns/cm.

- Max. beam width 50 cm.

- Unlimited number of yarn types on the beam

- Fabric length 200 cm.

- Max. fabric width 50 cm.

- 22 frames + 2 frames for the edge.

- Up to 8 weft insertions.

- Double beam.- Variable weft density.

- Weving speed 40 – 75 passes / min.

- Electronic

_research

Tafetán. Sarga Batavia. Raso.

Doble tela: tafetán-tafetán Doble tela: Sarga-Raso de la reina

Planta experimental de tejeduría.

Planta experimental de urdido.

Esquema de algunos diseños que se pueden hacer con la planta experimental de tejido

19

aitex octubre 2009_

20

The demand for technical textiles has increased continuously over the last decade and the expectation is that this will conti-nue for the coming years. But what is considered to be a tech-nical textile? A technical textile is a product based on textile or nonwoven which is produced for non-aesthetic purposes but where functionality is the primary criterion. Functionalities in that respect can be protection, sealing, separation, isolation, repellency, stabilization, storage, etc. The required functionality need to be translated in the performance of the article. This performance is measurable. Think about flame-retardency ac-cording to many different norms. Think about the resistance to hydrolyses (degradation by water), light, UV and/or weathe-ring. Furthermore properties like (cold) flexibility, the ability to withstand water pressure as well as chemical- and mechanical resistance (scratch and abrasion) are very important.

The main objective of the development of a technical textile is to create new articles with new properties which could be applied in new application areas. The current newly introduced materials in the automotive industry are innovative technical textiles. In many cases to comply with the most important de-mand; weight reduction. Above mentioned properties are pri-marily integrated into the textile or nonwoven by the application of one or more coating layers.

The principle of coating, still a relatively new technology in tex-tile processing, is applying a layer of film forming products on the textile substrate.

Adhesion

The adhesion of the coating towards the textile is one of the most important parameters and plays a major role in realizing the required properties of a technical textile. It also determines how the final product performs in further processing steps, the resistance to ageing during the life cycle of the product and finally the suitability of the product for the specific application. In the early days the industry had a broad range of (aromatic) solvent based binders and crosslinkers available to cope with this problem and thus improve adhesion. Nowadays the usage of these products is prohibited or limited and we have to choo-se from a range of (sustainable) water based products. This makes it even more challenging.

Before discussing the factors that influence the adhesion it is essential to look in more detail into the definition of adhesion. Adhesion is the force needed to separate two different type of materials, particles or surfaces from each other.

Not to confuse with cohesion which is the force needed to separate two similar type of materials from each other. Or in other words the (internal) adhesion of atoms, molecules inside the material. This has to be considered when conclusions are made after testing. Figure 1 shows the differences between ad-hesion and cohesion ruptures after a tear test. It is clear to see that both adhesion and cohesion influence the total bonding strength. The total bonding strength is equal to the strength of the weakest component. Useful to mention is that there are

_research

ADHESIoN IMPRoVEMENT WITH WATERBASED SYSTEMS

The continuous demand for technical textiles with increased performance combined with sustainability leads to an increased focus on a phenomenon such as “adhesion to textile substrates”. This article elaborates on the parameters which influence the adhesion of coatings and finishes towards the most commonly used textile substrates made of polyamide and polyester.

By Theo Breugelmans, Global Business Line Manager Technical Textiles of TANATEX Chemicals.

Figure 1. Rupture types and rupture of coatings.

21

different mechanisms of adhesion to bond one material to the other. Each mechanism has its specific influence on the bon-ding strength.

Adhesion can be realized:

• Mechanically. Think about the most obvious examples as sewing and “hook and loop” (Velcro). Coating of rough and irre-gular surfaces (painting sanded wood).

• Chemically. When the two materials react with each other and form covalent bonds.

• Dispersive. Bonding takes place through o.a. Vanderwaals for-ces and/or hydrogen bridges.

• Electrostatic. By moving electrons to form a difference in elec-trical charge at the join

• Diffusive. E.g. sintering.

Pretreatment of fabrics

When developing and finally producing a technical textile with eco-friendly, water based coatings and finishes, the first issue to think about is the substrate. The required properties of the end article will determine which type of fibre and construction of the fabric is needed. The fabric will influence e.g. the tear strength and/or tensile strength of the end article. Because of its excellent properties, like strength and elongation, polyester is often used. Another commonly used fibre is polyamide. When the fabric ne-eds to be coated it should be ensured that the surface of the fabric is clean.

When the fabric still contains some residues this could lead to insufficient wetting. Wetting is an important parameter to ensure the generation of adhesive forces between two materials. It de-termines the condition at the textile interface (see figure 2) i.e. the contact area between coating and fabric. Wetting properties are influenced by the surface tension of both materials. When the

surface tension of the fabric is (much) lower than the surface ten-sion of the coating, the wetting properties are reduced. In case of equal surface tensions the perfect wetting condition is created

With special equipment it is possible to measure the contact angle between the a drop of coating (liquid) and the substrate (imagine a drop of water in a Teflon coated pan or a drop of mer-cury on glass). The smaller the angle the bigger the difference in the surface tension of the materials. This phenomenon is espe-cially of influence and plays a major role when coating with water based products. Solvent based coatings are in this respect less affected. There are possibilities to change the surface tension of a substrates by e.g. the use of plasma- or corona treatment.

Crosslinking

A very commonly used mechanism to improve adhesion and the properties of the coating as well, is crosslinking. The crosslinker is a chemical substance which links different or equal materials to each other by covalent bonds (chemical adhesion) and will lead to improved chemical- and physical properties of the single mate-rials and consequently of the whole.

Crosslinking will lead to a much denser network which supports the necessary modification or improvement of different properties of the polymeric binder. Crosslinking will make films more rigid and “shorter” as it reduces the elongation of the film and increases the 100% Modulus. This leads to increased strength and hardness which will have a positive influence on scratch- and abrasion re-sistance and chemical- and hydrolyses resistance. And ultimately it will improve the adhesion towards the substrate. In figure 2 a visual interpretation of the crosslinking mechanism is given.

There are many different types of crosslinkers available. A well-known crosslinker, polyazeridine, is not in this overview as this pro-duct is very harmful and not recommended. Melamine resins are very effective crosslinkers; very low addition is necessary compa-red to other crosslinkers. They are often used for their reaction with available functional hydroxyl groups in the polymer but they also react with acid groups (-COOH). The created networks result in very rigid and hard films with reduced flexibility. The disadvantage is the generation of formaldehyde during the crosslinking.

21

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

Figura 2. Tipos de ruptura y ruptura de recubrimientos.

Figura 3. Sección de corte transversal de un tejido recubierto.

22

Polyisocyanates react with functional groups like amines and hy-droxyl when present in the polymer chain. Through the reaction with water they have the ability to crosslink themselves and form a so-called interpenetrating network which positions itself within the crosslinked polymeric binder network. There are generally two types of polyisocyanates; reactive isocyanates (cold cure: starts reacting with water immediately when in use) and blocked isocya-nates. The blocked isocyanates are characterized by the fact that the functional NCO group is blocked by a “blocking agent”. This blocking agent prevents the NCO to react with water or functional groups.

Only at a certain temperature the blocking agent will be removed and the functional NCO groups are set free to react as any other isocyanate crosslinker. TANATEX has developed the most eco-friendly blocked isocyanate crosslinker. ACRAFIX® PCI is free of catalysts and will not cause any emissions due to absence of co-solvents and non-volatility of the blocking agent. The blocking agent will not cause yellowing and de-blocking already starts at 120 °C. Polycarbodiimides react with carboxylic acid groups pre-sent in the polymer chain. The crosslinking results in a typical 3D network like polyisocyanates. Due to their high reactivity crosslin-king starts at relatively low temperatures. The disadvantage of po-lycarbodiimides is their limited functionality and their position at the high end of the market.

Figure 3 shows an overview of the different crosslinkers with their characteristics and properties.

Crosslinking always needs to be considered as an improve-ment and not as the solution to an adhesion problem. It is es-sential to look at binder systems which already have the right properties to ensure a good adhesion to substrates.

Polymer selection

All polymers have their specific and unique properties. Polyu-rethanes are commonly known for their versatility and their affi-nity towards different substrates (dispersive adhesion and a.o. dimension and structure of the polymer).

There are different types of polyurethanes available with diffe-rent properties.

Polyester based polyurethanes are known for their good adhe-sion towards PVC, their elasticity and elongation in combina-tion with a relatively good abrasion resistance.

Polyether based polyurethanes are known for their cost effec-tiveness and their resistance against hydrolyses and washing. Polycarbonate based polyurethanes are positioned at the high end of the market and well known for their weather-, UV- and solvent resistance..

Adhesion to polyamide

Which polyurethane is the best to be applied on a difficult subs-trate like polyamide to produce a cost effective coated article with good scrub-adhesion properties after washing? Conside-ring the costs, the first choice would be a polyether polyuretha-ne and an acrylic. The test also include TANA®COAT OMP, a polyester based urethane.

Figure 4. Results of scrub-adhesion test of differently coated fabrics

Figura 4. Resumen de sistemas de reticulación.

_research

Melamina Isocianato (bloqueado) Isocianato (curado en frío) CarbodilmidaACRAFIX®ML ACRAFIX®PCI EDoLAN®XCI EDoLAN®XCCReacciona con: Reacciona con: Reacciona con: Reacciona con:

OH

NH

COOH

OH

NH2

NH

OH

NH2

NH

¡¡¡Agua!!!

COOH

¡¡¡Agua!!!

+Vida útil +Vida útil +Alta reactividad +Reacciona a 20ºC

+Barato +Alta reactividad +No formaldehído +Baja toxicidad

+No formaldehído +Baja temperatura +Mezcla

- Alta temperatura +Estabilidad duradera (120ºC) +Reticulación retrasada +Mejora adhesión

- Formaldehído +Buen coste - Vida útil corta

- Estabilidad duradera - Costoso

- Endurecimiento de la película - Alta temperatura - Vida útil corta

- No mejora la adhesión (

23

coatings and dried. Afterwards a polyurethane foil is laminated, under pressure, onto the coating at a temperature of >180 °C.

In figure 4 the results of the scrub-adhesion test (according DIN 5981) are shown. On the samples of the top row is clear to see that before washing the adhesion of both the polyester- and polyether urethane is still O.K. but that the performance of the acrylic is already lacking. After five home laundry washes at 40 °C the acrylic is completely separated from the fabric. Although unexpected the polyester urethane performs better than the polyether urethane.

The resistance to washing of the pure polyether urethane film is better however, due to the fact that the adhesion of the polyes-ter urethane towards the polyamide is so high, the water could not get a grip on the film. This is an indication that a good ad-hesion could have a positive influence on other properties of a material. This specific performance can be realized by incorpo-rating selective functionalities in the backbone of the polymer. TANA®COAT OMP has such functionalities and is therefore known for its good adhesion towards polyamide.

Adhesion to polyester

Regarding adhesion towards polyester the best results are ob-tained by crosslinking with polyisocyanates. However this is rela-tive and is illustrated by the next example. TANA®COAT KP is a functional aliphatic polyester urethane with a high initial adhesion strength to polyester. When used in combination with an isocya-nate crosslinker the product can compete with the commonly used solvent based, aromatic polyurethanes. Fig 5. clearly shows the outcome of the test. A polyester fabric is coated with different

aitex octubre 2009_

Figure 5. Results of scrub-adhesion test of differently coated fabrics

Figura 7. Vista al microscopio (transversal) de dos superficies textiles adheridas mediante un proceso de recubrimiento.

Figura 6. Adhesion of differently cross-linked coating systems to a polyester fabric.

aitex january 2014_

24

O. Cauli and V. Felipo (Príncipe Felipe Research Centre)Technical Finishing, Health and Environmental Research Group: AITEX

_research

R+D of nanofibre-based biomaterials for the controlled release of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cognitive and motor deterioration in patients with hepatic encephalopathy

Introduction

The aims of the study were to produce nanofibres of a biodegra-dable polymer which incorporate slow-release pharmaceuticals.

One of the technologies involved is the electro-spinning of na-nofibres from polymer solutions. The technology uses the appli-cation of an arc between two electrodes to create fine fibres from a polymer solution in contact with one of the electrodes. The resulting nanofibres have dimensions of between 50 and 500 nm, a high surface/mass ratio and extremely high porosity.

For the study, ibuprofen was introduced into the nanofibres du-ring the electro-spinning process and by varying the polymer type and concentration of the ibuprofen, the breakdown time of the veil can be controlled to control the delivery and dose of the drug.

The delivery of the drug into the body is faster the smaller the ac-tive ingredient support structure. The nanofibre veils achieve de-livery to the right place and at the right dose, reducing treatment time and side effects.

Hepatic encaphalopathy (EH) is a neuro-psychiatric syndrome present in patients with hepatic disorders, mainly cirrhosis. EH covers a range of neuro-psychiatric disorders from sleep disor-ders to cognitive degeneration and also affects motor functions, personality and awareness leading to coma and possible death. 40% of patients with cirrhosis without displaying evident symp-toms do have Minimum EH with slight cognitive deterioration, attention disorders and slow movements which affect their qua-lity of life, increase the likelihood of falls and traffic accidents and which can develop into full-blown EH with life-threatening results. The EU has around 2,000,000 sufferers making EH an important social, medical and economic problem.

There is currently no specific clinical treatment to stop the cog-nitive and motor deterioration in EH patients but early treatment can improve quality of life, prevent the progression into clinical EH, prolong life and reduce hospitalisation costs.

Animal testing has demonstrated that inflammation of the bra-in is responsible for cognitive and motor deterioration in EHM and that treating it with ibuprofen restores the cognitive function (Cauli et al, 2007) and motor function (Cauli et al, 2009).

Continued treatment with slow-release ibuprofen from a nanofi-bre veil could be useful in the treatment EHM patients as well as sufferers of other types of brain inflammation.

Experimental

Solution

In order to produce slow-release nanofibre veils, 3 compo-nents are necessary: a polymer, a solvent and a pharmaceuti-cal compound.

25

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

The solvents used to make the solution that will produce the nanofibre veils in the electro-spinning process are evaporated during the process and form no part of the resulting veil..

The pharmaceutical introduced into the nanofibre structure is a commonplace non-steroid anti-inflammatory.

Method

The electro-spinning process applies a high-voltage current bet-ween two electrodes, one of which is in contact with the polymer solution to establish an electrostatic field which overcomes the surface tension of the electrically-charged solution to form fine jets which, once the solvent has evaporated are deposited onto a sur-face in the form of non-woven nanofibres.

The technique produces veils with a 0.5% ibuprofen load by weight.

In order to evaluate the release of ibuprofen from the fibres, small samples of around 1cm2 are cut and suspended in containers holding physiological serum with a pH of 7.0 at 37ºC and agitated slightly to accelerate the release of the ibuprofen in the liquid.

Samples are taken regularly at (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 120, 144 and 168 hours) every time the solution is assayed to determine the quantity of ibuprofen released, an equal volume of new solution is added to maintain the volume throughout the release test.

The samples are freeze dried to concentrate the ibuprofen and then they are suspended in water to measure the ibuprofen concentration using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Once the kinetic release study has been completed on each sam-ple, the quantity of ibuprofen remaining on the material is measu-red by hydrolising the textile in NaOH 2M in ethanol for two days. 1mL of the solution is neutralised with HCl and centrifuged. The remains are collected and freeze-dried and the ibuprofen concen-tration is measured using HPLC.

Results

Nanofibre veils

The resulting nanofibre veils display the following morphology and have an average fibre diameter of 311 nm:

Ibuprofen release

A) The kinetics of ibuprofen release

PoLYMERPolycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with a low melting point (60 ºC) and a glass transition temperature of -60 ºC. It has a high breakdown time, good mechanical properties and is highly elastic..

SoLVENTN, N – Dimethylformamide (DMF) is an organic com-pound with the following formula (CH3)-N-CHo.Chloroform (CHCl3) chloroform is a useful agent be-cause of the polarisation of its bonds C−Cl.CHO.

The pharmaceutical compound

Ibuprofen: acts by blocking the formation of prostaglan-dins in the body by inhibiting the formation of the enzyme cyclooxygenase. Prostaglandin is produced in response to an injury or certain illnesses and causes pain and swelling.

Creación de un velo de nanofibras mediante la tecnología de electrospinning.

26

_investigation

Each of the 8 samples were analysed in duplicate and the fo-llowing table and figure shows the average ± of the 16 values obtained for each experiment time at 37ºC.

TIME (HoURS)

IBUPROFEN RELEASED (μg)

total Per gram of textilePer gram of textile

per hour

0.5 1.3 ±0.5 27 ±10 88 ±22

1 2.0 ±0.5 30 ±9 25 ±7

4 3.0 ±0.3 58 ±19 26 ±11

8 3.6 ±0.4 59 ±21 16 ±8

24 5.9 ±0.7 91 ±39 9 ±5

48 6.0 ±0.9 101 ±40 4 ±1

72 7.6 ±1.6 122 ±44 2 ±1

120 13.0 ±3.6 128 ±36 2 ±1

144 12.6 ±3.4 126 ±37 1 ±0.5

168 12.7 ±3.1 126 ±31 1 ±0.5

B) Ibuprofen released and remaining in the textile after the test

total quantity of ibuprofen released: 13±3 μg

Quantity of ibuprofen remaining in the textile: 295±91 μg

total quantity of ibuprofen: 308±90 μg

Percentage of ibuprofen released: 4±1%

C) Total ibuprofen (released and remaining in the sample)

The total quantity of ibuprofen found in the PCL nanofibre sam-ples, combining that released into the medium and that remai-ning in the textile was 80±3% of the expected theoretical total (0.5% of the weight of textile).

Conclusions

. The results indicate that PCL nanofibres are useful in the slow release of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of a range of di-sorders.

. Ibuprofen was released continuously for 5 days.

. The release of ibuprofen measured corresponds to an initial short-term treatment. In this case, the ibuprofen on the surface of the nanofibres was released (4%), the remaining 96% stays in the textile.

. A further 2 stages are foreseen, at medium and long-term: the first due to the diffusion of the compound through the fi-bres and the second during the erosion and degradation of the nanofibres.

. On-going treatment with ibuprofen released via nanofibres may be useful in the treatment of cognitive and motor deterio-ration in encephalopathy patients.

References

Cauli, O., Rodrigo, R., Piedrafita, B., Boix, J. and Felipo, V. (2007) inflammation and hepatic encephalopathy: ibuprofen restores lear-ning ability in rats with porto-caval shunts. Hepatology 46, 514-519.

Cauli, O., Rodrigo, R., Piedrafita, B., Llansola, M., Mansouri, Mt and Felipo, V. (2009) Neuroinflammation contributes to hypokinesia in rats with hepatic encephalopathy. Ibuprofen restores its motor acti-vity. J Neurosci Res. 87(6):1369-1374

Photo: SEM image of a nanofibre veil of polycaprolactone with ibuprofen

Curva de la liberación de ibuprofeno al medio de un velo de nanofibras.

aitex octubre 2009_

High-rise work represents a risk for the operator, and if the necessary precautions are not undertaken a fall could result in serious injury.

Legally, every operator must be equipped with personal pro-tection equipment. A PPE is that which has been designed to attach the operator to an anchor point to avoid the risk of falling or safely arrest the fall, should it occur.

In the case of a fall, the PPE must respond appropriately bea-ring in mind that during the fall, the body’s acceleration under gravity is directly related to the body mass of the operator

In order to ensure that the use of the PPE is safe, it must undergo rigorous quality testing in a laboratory to ensure its suitability and adherence to legislation and safety standards. Selected PPEs must conform to established test procedures in the relevant technical standards which specify the perfor-mance and characteristics required. The drop tower can per-form free-fall or guided drop tests to reproduce a realistic fall from a particular height.

Evaluating the support capability of the harness

When working at height, a full body harness is worn, although a chest harness can be attached to a waist harness to create a full harness.

The aim of the harness is to support the operator but it is not an energy-absorption system: this is provided by ropes and other components.

The test is performed using standardised torsos weighing 100kg, equipped with the harness and anti-fall devices. The test specifies that the harness must withstand two successive 4-m falls to conform to EN 361 (one with the mannequin feet first and the other head first) without the mannequin falling out of the harness. After each fall the mannequin must come to rest head up at a maximum angle of around 50º

In compliance with ANSI/ASSE Z 359.1:2007, when a full body harness is subjected to a dynamic performance test, the maxi-mum stopping force must not exceed 8 kN, and the fall must be arrested within a suspended deceleration distance not ex-

28

Facilities for the evaluation of the protection offered by protective gear against high-rise falls

Textile Physics Laboratory: AITEX

_innovation

Any work carried out at heights of above 1.8 metres above floor level (or less, when a fall could result in serious injury) and where there is a risk of falling is considered to be high-rise work.

Maniquí normalizado.

29

ceeding 1.067 mm. after the fall has been arrested, the angle of rest must not deviate more than 30 degrees from vertical.

Measuring the properties of the rope as a PPE

Standardised ropes for vertical work must comply with UNE-EN-1891, while the standard which describes the safety requirements for dynamic ropes used in climbing is UNE-EN-892:2004. Both standards establish minimum require-ments that the rope must comply with to guarantee the safety of the operator and both stipulate a free-fall test, called dy-namic behaviour tests, which enable both the number of falls the rope can withstand as well as the maximum stopping force they exert on the wearer to be measured.

Ropes used in vertical work must withstand a maximum stop-ping force of 6KN. The test is performed by suspending an 80 kg mass for Type B ropes and a 100kg mass for Type A ropes; the mass is raised 600mm and dropped in free-fall, and the maximum force exerted is recorded. The dynamic performance of the rope is also measured, and it must withstand 5 falls with the mass attached.

The test procedure for climbing ropes is conducted using a guided fall where the mass moves freely along rails, measuring the maximum stopping force experienced during the first fall which must not exceed the following:

• 12 kN for single ropes (a single length)

• 8 kN for double ropes (a single length)

• 12 kN for twin ropes (a twin length)

Double and single ropes must both withstand 5 consecutive falls without breaking, and twin ropes 12 falls.

AITEX facilities

AITEX has one ENAC-certified drop test tower with two test zo-nes; one for free-fall tests and the other for guided fall tests and AITEX’s Laboratory Control Body is an accredited testing facility for these types of PPE’s.

AITEX is Spain’s only private laboratory equipped with this faci-lity and with the capacity for performing dynamic performance tests on climbing ropes.

aitex january 2014_aitex enero 2010_

Imagen de detalle de la Torre de caída para evaluación de equipos de protección.

30

Bicomponent fibres with enhanced properties for use as fishing nets and filters in the fishing and aquaculture industries

The fishing, aquaculture and filtration industries face serious problems regarding the maintenance of fishing nets and water treatment filters and membranes because of the high levels of obstruction by algae, bacteria and molluscs which lead to bio-fouling and chemical incrustations such as salts and silicate in nets and filters, shortening their life.

It in this context that the Institute’s in-house project “BAFNET” is being developed: the project aims to develop heat and UV-resistant anti-fouling technical yarns for fishing and agricultural netting. The project falls within AITEX’s global strategy which aims to cover a range of technological developments taking place in the scientific community and which have applications in the technical textiles sector.

The initiative has been working on developing bicomponent fibres with antifouling properties, improved mechanical per-formance and enhanced UV resistance for applications in the fisheries, agricultural and filtration industries.

The monofilament yarns are manufactured in bicomponent structures and have innovative functional properties achieved by incorporating new additives to the melt-spun technical fi-bres.

The current state of the market: the disadvantages of existing solutions

The problem of biofouling is currently only addressed by fre-quent cleaning of nets and filters, with the associated costs this represents. Incrustation is not even solved by cleaning as the process irreversibly weakens the netting.

In general, the term biofouling refers to deposits of living orga-nisms on a surface. However, technically there are three types:

1. Biofouling

Every membrane houses a host of bacteria and other microor-ganisms, which develop and multiply when the conditions are ideal and a food supply is abundant. The performance of a membrane with biofouling deposits is gradually reduced.

2. Organic material

Organic material is a problem is a problem often associated with biofouling as in many cases this material originates from the breakdown of the biofouling itself and in other cases the

biofouling receives its nutrition from the organic material, redu-cing filtration efficiency.

3. Calcium phosphate

The deposition of calcium phosphate in filters is becoming increasingly common, particularly in the case of waste water treatment. Until now, the only way of avoiding build up was by eliminating the phosphate in pre-treatments or by keeping it dissolved by adjusting pH levels: new research is looking at antifouling products specifically designed to combat the pro-blem.

Biofouling, organic material and calcium phosphate deposits affect performance in three ways:

. Restrict water exchange due to the build-up of organisms which cause occlusion in the filter or netting which in turn leads to lower oxygen concentration in the water and difficulties in eliminating ex-cess nutrients and dirt.

. Risk of infectious diseases due to the deposition of harmful mi-croorganisms. In addition, the lower oxygen concentration increa-ses the stress on fish, reducing their ability to resist disease.

. Deformation of cages and structural fatigue due to the added weight of the incrustation.

Chemical incrustation, such as calcium salts also reduces the performance of a net or filter and shortens its lifespan.

The following are the most common chemical deposits in nets and filters:

Calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate crystals grow quickly due to their high rate of kinetic precipitation.

This type of incrustation leads to the immediate loss of perfor-mance in terms of flow, increased salinity and pressure diffe-rence.

Calcium sulphate

This is becoming increasingly common, as water treatment plant operationally performance increases. Its effects are si-milar to those of calcium carbonate, but it is more complicated to eliminate.

_research

Technical Fibre and Nanotechnology Research Group: AITEX

31

Strontium and barium sulphate

Barium and strontium are both common in sea water and trea-ted water and are sometimes found in wells and drinking water. Even at low concentrations, they lead to increased precipita-tion, affecting flow rates and drastically reducing the filtrate quality.

Silica

The problem of silica is frequent in treatment plants dealing with brackish or sea water and it progressively reduces output flow, quality and plant performance.

Existing methods for reducing biofouling in filters and netting are based on impregnating or treating the material with additi-vated antifouling polymer resins containing CuO, tiO2, Ag, etc. However, the problem with this type of antifouling treatment is that it is not permanent and loses effectiveness over time; in addition, they are mercury and other heavy metal-based treatments or use tributhylestane, which are highly effective but extremely poisonous and environmentally-damaging.

New monofilament yarns, functionalised with bicomponent structures

BAFNET aims to develop and introduce new competitive te-chnical yarns which can be used in the manufacture of netting and filters which provide viable solutions to this present pro-blem.

The project will produce functionalised or additivated monofila-ments using nanoparticles of Ni, Cu, Ag and others in polymer matrices which prevent or reduce the deposition of micro and macro-organisms and incrustations which reduce filtration effi-ciency.

At the same time it is hoped that the mechanical performance and stability of the polymers can be improved in terms of UV re-sistance through the use of environmentally-friendly materials.

This will be achieved through the development of a new bi-component monofilament composed of two polymer materials, one of which contains additivated antifouling nanoparticles or agents.

AITEX has the facilities to produce different bicomponent yarn cross-sections in a variety of formats according the desired performance characteristics, which are defined by the final application: “core/sheath”, side by side, “island in a sea”, seg-mented, etc.

These cross-sections are achieved by using spinnerets which channel both materials simultaneously through independent extruders to create the desired effect.

aitex octubre 2009_aitex january 2014_

32

aitex octubre 2009__análisis

Competitiveness and advantages

BAFNET is working closely on core-sheath structures, which have been identified as the most appropriate, with a core of vir-gin polymer and a sheath of functionalised polymer. The choice of structure was arrived at for the following reasons:

Process optimisation: the additive prevents incrustations ad-hering to the surface of the monofilament when in contact with water. As the na