From 18th to 20th May 2010 several significant events occurred simultaneously: AATCC International Conference 2010 and Symposium Techtextil North America as well as three parallel exhibitions: ATME.I MEGATEX 2010 (American Textile Machinery Exhibition – International), Techtextil North America (International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens) and SPESA (Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas). Dynamic new alliance within the textile industry has created a powerful tri-location of events. They were organized concurrently at the premises of World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Three participants from the University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology have actively participated in the International Conference AATCC 2010 with the presentation of their scientific work or with the presentation of recently established Textile Science Research Center (TSRC).
Picture 1: Croatian representatives Prof. Tanja Pušić and Prof. Drago Katović in front of the World Congress Center in Atlanta, USA
AATCC Conference 2010 joined with the exhibition ATME.I MEGATEX 2010 represents the most important event of the textile industry in North America. Symposium Techtextil North America was held parallel with an exhibition in the field of technical textiles and nonwoven fabrics. Another exhibition held at the same time was the exhibition of sewing machinery – SPESA EXPO where several workshops of interesting topics have taken place. In this way three main events in the area of textiles and clothing in North America were held simultaneously in one place on several floors of the World Congress Center. This was a great advantage for the overall textile and clothing industry and on the other hand it was hard to keep track of all the events which took place over these two days.
AATCC 2010 – International Conference
This year’s International Conference AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colourists) was held under the motto: Innovation and Sustainability Bring New Life to Textiles. AATCC has a mission to promote science and knowledge in textiles, materials, finishing processes, dyeing and testing. The task of this association is to promote continuing education and scientific research in textiles. At this year’s conference 65 presentations were held, which were divided into several parallel sections (Applied Chemistry, The Concept of Consumer and Materials) with the student posters and papers presented and awarded in a separate category. In the category of students’ work there were eleven works represented by the students from American as well as other world universities (University of Georgia, Clemenson University, University of Rhode Island, University of California – Davis, North Carolina State University and works with the Indian Institute of Technology and Technical University of Istanbul in Turkey). In the section of Chemical Application there were fifteen lectures divided into several sub-themes.
PhD. Sandra Bischof Vukušić from the Faculty of Textile Technology University of Zagreb held a prominent lecture entitled: Performance of FR Bonding System consisting of Dimethylol (N-hydroxymethyl-carbomoylethyl) Phosphonate (MDPA) and Citric Acid (CA).
The paper examines the possibility of application of citric acid in the flame retardant treatment. The results of the crosslinking of the organophosphorus compounds and CA have been compared to those with melamine formaldehyde.
V. Totolin from the University of Wisconsin – Madison spoke about getting reduced flammability properties of cotton with compounds based on silicon using plasma. M. Goffar from the Technical University of Catalonia spoke about one-bath enzymatic wool treatment. A. Wazed from the Indian Institute of Technology reported a new self-adjusted antimicrobial protection of textile based on chitosan. The effects of alternative methods of ion binding on the physical properties of cotton fabric were reported by P. Hauser from the North Carolina State University.
Ph.D. Tanja Pušić from the Faculty of Textile Technology held a very interesting lecture entitled Microcapsules Quantification Using Streaming Potential Method. Researches have focused on controlling the release microcapsules for moisturizing the skin during washing. The results have showed that this method is acceptable for the optimization of the concentration of microcapsules in the treatment and control their release in washing.
Picture 2: The representatives of the Faculty of Textile Technology and Ken Greeson from the American Company – Cotton Incorporated
K. Choi from the Oklahoma State University reported the smart PCM textiles obtained by microencapsulation. H. Park from the same University he lectured on research regarding changes of the microclimate of the body with a thermal model and wireless sensors. In the section Materials there were 20 lectures in subsection 1) Filtration, 2) Biodegradable / sustainable fibers and technology, 3) Spinning, 4) Geotextiles and 5) Innovative technology.
J. Boeckel from the Georgia Institute of Technology spoke about nanofibers obtained by electrospinning to repair damage to bones, while M. Alcoutlabi from North Carolina State University spoke about nanofibers obtained by electrospinning for energy storage. About getting the fibers and films from soybean was spoken by R. Hogan from the United Soybean Board and M. Jaffe from the New Jersey Institute of Technology spoke about new protein and sugar fibers. M. Drews from the Clemenson Conservation Center spoke about a new generation of turbines driven by wind, whereas there were three papers representing the application and properties of geotextiles in road construction. In the section Concept for consumers there were 19 lectures grouped into sub-sections: 1) The actual and virtual color, 2) Design and printing, 3) Quality control and 4) Ecology and sustainable development.
Techtextil North America Symposium & Exhibition
Held concurrently with the Techtextil North America Exhibition, the symposium contained 13 sessions with more than sixty-five presentations held simultaneously in three theatres. Presented sessions were the following: 1) General Session; 2) Technical textile research (the development of biomedical textiles, energy saving, ecology, highly developed control processes); 3) Natural fibers and sustainable materials in technical textiles; 4) Highly performance narrow fabrics; 5) Military – Developments to impact the industry (ballistics, chemical protection and fire protection); 6) Filtration; 7) Unique fiber and yarn developments; 8) New products development; 9) Protective textiles; 10) Nonwoven technology update, 11 ) Technology for growth; 12) Smart/intelligent fabrics and 13) Medical Textiles and biotechnology.
Dr. Martin Jacobs, the Director of the NTC (National Textile Center), PA, USA presented the latest researches conducted in this center, which are mainly targeted to biomedical textiles, energy saving, environmental protection, and high-technological control process. Prof. Zhang Xiangwu from the North Carolina State University presented his research in the field of electrospinning of composite nanofibers for lithium-ion batteries. By the same University the features and advantages of the use of nanofibers made by electrospinning for materials intended for woundscare were presented. In addition to the Symposium, Techtextil North America exhibition took place parallel. The exhibitors were from the USA, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, France, China, Taiwan and Canada. This exhibition was dominated by composite materials, fabrics and laminated materials and woven fabrics of the new generation.
ATME-1 MEGATEX 2010
This long-established show is the recognised leading exhibition for the textile machinery, equipment, accessories, suppliers and services for the fiber and yarn production, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing and finishing as well as for other nonwoven manufacture industries. The roots of this exhibition date from 1915, held in Greenville, SC, and united in 1969 with the ATME-1 (American Textile Machinery Association) exhibition.
Picture 3: Prof. Sandra Bischof Vukušić at ATME-1 MEGATEX exhibition
SPESA EXPO
SPESA EXPO is the largest and most versatile exhibition event in the fashion industry and industrial sewing equipment in the Western Hemisphere. At the exhibition were shown the devices in the clothing industry, automotive and transport facilities, footwear, home furnishings, safety and protective clothing, leather and other segments in the field of sewing. The workshops organized within the exhibition covered the following topics: Supply chains in the clothing industry, 3D Virtual fashion and technology, Alternative production systems, The most recent computer-aided design and development, The colors in the fashion industry, Determining the appropriate needles, Development of fibers, fabrics and finishing.
From talking to various exhibitors at the Textile and Sewn Products Industry Week it could have been concluded that the textile and clothing industry in North America emerged from the crisis. Number of orders in individual companies has risen to 30% with respect to last year.
Prof. Drago Katović, PhD., the President of the Textile Science Research Center
Faculty of Textile Technology University of Zagreb
Department for Textile-Chemical Technology and Ecology
Zagreb. Hrvatska
E- mail: dkatovic@ttf.hr