Techtextil-Symposium North America 2008

Techtextil-Symposium North America continues to be the industry's leader presenting the best education forum for high-level technical textiles. Renowned international specialists and leading industry consultants cover the latest technology and market trends in a broad range of topics and a variety of formats. The symposium draws attendance from the highest-level industry professionals eager to learn what the experts have to say.

  Tuesday, April 1, 2008

  Wednesday, April 2, 2008

  Thursday, April 3, 2008

Please note that the 2008 Symposium is still in development, so keep checking back for regular updates

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
101:General Session
Chair: William C. Smith, Techtextil-Symposium North America Director, Industrial Textile Associates, Greer, SC
Presentations relevant to the state of the technical textiles industry.

• Keynote Address
   Alan E. Gant, Jr., President, Glen Raven Inc.,
   Glen Raven, NC
Glen Raven has been described in the national press as part of a “Second Industrial Revolution” as the company prospers in the global economy by focusing on specialty fabrics that require high-tech equipment and technical expertise. The re-fashioning has positioned Glen Raven to profit from what has been portrayed as the mortal threat to the (North American) textile Industry. China now buys growing volumes of the company’s products.

• Trade Issues – Helping or Hurting?
   Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, US Department of    Commerce, Washington, DC
What is the role of trade negotiations and how they impact our industry? What is being done, or not being done, to ensure a healthy industry? What are the prospects for the manufacturing sector?

• Synthetic Fibers in the Global Technical Textiles
  Industry
   Alasdair Carmichael, President – Americas, PCI Fibres,    Spartanburg, SC
A review of major global, regional and local suppliers and related feedstocks to the industry, and the ever changing ownerships as the markets shift. Growth rates of fibers for the technical textiles market will be analyzed, including the latest view on Chinese capacities and demand.  PET, nylon, and some high performance fiber types will be examined where increased demand due to military and security requirements has impacted the market. Some older fibers may have a new lease on life. Trade agreements and political issues will be reviewed and their impact on technical textiles explained.

• Astounding New Applications of Fiber-Based
  Products: A Selective Look at Recent Advances
   P. Radhakrishnaiah, Ph.D.,  School of Polymer, Textile &
   Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
Highly engineered textile structures intended for many unconventional applications, some of which were not even known a decade ago are fast becoming a reality. While material innovations opened the door for the design of the new products, their evolution into commercially viable finished products required extraordinary collaboration between world class-academic institutions, visionary executives of the industry, highly talented engineers and creative designers. This presentation takes a selective look at some of the most innovative fiber-based products developed in recent years for application in aeronautics, space exploration, healthcare, competitive sports, communication, personal protection, agriculture, transportation and civil engineering.

• European Technical Textiles – Business
  Developments and Economic Atmosphere
  Werner Zirnzak, Industrieverband Garne - Gewebe -
  Technische Textilien e.V., Germany
The general economic atmosphere in the European Union (EU) has been steadily improving, with average growth rates of 2.5-3.5 percent in 2006 and 2007. Some technical textile producers in the EU have realized growth rates above 10 percent in 2006 over 2005, with similar trends showing in 2007. Through 2010, the market for technical textiles is expected to grow 3-5 percent per year in Western countries (NAFTA, EU and Australia) and by 5-8 percent per year in Asia and Russia. China, India and Russia currently import 70-80 percent of their technical textiles, especially those of high quality, due to their lack of capacity and technical know-how. The opportunity for the Western countries to penetrate these markets with technical textiles is quite good. BUT, there must be cooperation and respect for intellectual property.
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1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
102: Research by the National Textile Center 
Chair: Dr. Martin Jacobs, Director, National Textile Center, Spring House, PA
Discussion and poster sessions of many of the relevant research projects by the National Textile Center (NTC) consortium researchers.

This session, unique to Techtextil-Symposium North America, will feature the latest developments in research related to technical textiles by researchers in the multi-university consortium. Its director, Dr. Martin Jacobs, will lead off with an overview of the NTC work and status of projects. Preliminary topics will include protective clothing, shape memory fibers, fluid flow in textiles, medical textiles, and fiber nanotechnology.

• The Importance of Relationships when
   Expanding Globally - Distribution to
   Manufacturing
   Keith Crisco, President, Asheboro Elastics Corp. Asheboro,   NC
A diversified manufacturer of narrow elastic and non-elastic narrow fabric discusses how they have positioned themselves as a global supplier. They have matched their resources available to meet  customer's requirements. Relationships built up many years of distribution of their products in Mexico and the Caribbean area, combined with the relationships developed from involvement in trade treaty negotiations have been a major help to in setting up manufacturing in the region.

• Invention, Innovation and New Product
  Development:Building Worldwide Partnerships
  for Technical Textile Technologies.
   Dean Blanton Godfrey, NCSU College of Textiles, Raleigh,
   NC
The North Carolina State University (NCSU) has had a theme of the "New World of Textiles" for many years. Much of the focus has been on innovation and the creation of new products.  It is obvious that to accomplish goals they had to build global partnerships with leading companies and universities throughout the world.  Establishment of a Nonwovens Institute, their Industry University Research Center on Filtration, and Textile Protection and Comfort Center provide the infrastructure for worldwide collaborations with leading university faculty, students and industry partners.  NCSU is creating new research programs in automotive textiles, medical textiles and nanotextiles with new university and industry worldwide partnerships to better serve the needs of an expanding global marketplace.

• Expanding Globally - Working with the
  Government to Facilitate International Expansion
  Jim Leonard, Past Deputy Assistant Secretary of
  Commerce, Jamestown, NC 
A veteran of almost 35 years working in the domestic textile industry, with over 20 of those involved in international trade. His goal while in industry was to ensure that at the table - to the extent there was a table - the company’s and industry’s  concerns were heard when the US Government was negotiating an international textile trade agreement.  In many negotiations things were “given away” when there was no one there to argue against being “given away”. When later working for the US Department of Commerce, and intimately involved in many of those negotiations, he was an advocate for the industry. It is critical the industry have people to speak for their own company/industry sector.

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104: High Performance Engineered Flexible Materials and Structures (Nonwovens)
Chair: Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Distinguished Professor and Executive Director,Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center, The Nonwovens Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Nonwovens are a growing and ever more important segment of technical textiles.

• Nanoporous Alumina Membranes
   Roger J Narayan ,Joint Department of  Biomedical Engineering,
   North Carolina State University,  Raleigh, NC

• Carbonized and Activated Cotton Nonwovens
  Yan Chen, School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State
  University , Baton Rouge, LA

• New Surface Finishing Processes For Potential
  Filtration Applications
   Gregory N Parsons , Chemical and Biomolecular  Engineering,
   North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

• Nanofibers With Tunable Electrical Conductivity
  For Hybrid Electrospun/Traditional Filters
   Russell E. Gorga, College of Textiles, North Carolina State    University, Raleigh, NC

• A Realistic Approach for Modeling Permeability of
  Fibrous Media
   Hooman Vahedi Tafreshi, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
   Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

• Computer Program for Filter Media Design
   George G. Chase, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
   Engineering , The University of Akron, Akron, OH

• High Performance Micro and
  Nano Engineered Structures
   Behnam Pourdeyhimi , The Nonwovens Institute,
   North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC


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Topics to be covered include:

• Ballistics protection
• Chemical biological protection
• Flame protection

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202: Composites
Chair: Dr. Sabit Adanur, Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
From airplanes to golf clubs – composites are an important and growing area with many opportunities.

• Lightweight Hybrid Composites Made From
  Carbon and Glass Fabrics With High Modulus
  Polypropylene Fibers
  Brian Morin, Innergrity LLC, Greenville, SC
High modulus polypropylene (HMPP) fibers made through a melt extrusion process are light weight and tough. Because of the extraordinarily low density and high modulus, HMPP fibers can be used with carbon, aramid, and glass fibers in a sandwich ore structure to reduce the weight and increase the toughness of composites. Hybrid composites allow an achievement of composite properties that are better than either component material, while reducing costs.

• A Novel Three Dimensional Woven-Knit Hybrid
  Fabric for Composite Reinforcement*
   Dr. Sabit Adanur Professor, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
A novel 3-D woven/knit fabric structure was developed and characterized for composite reinforcement. The fabric structure was produced on a patented woven-knit hybrid machine combining the principles of both fabric forming techniques. Knitting is the primary main formation technique. Such a technique can utilize a variety of specially fibers and offer potential for unique composite reinforcement materials.

*Additional topics are in development for this session.

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203: Extreme Fibers
Chair: Terry McKenna, Technical Marketing – Fortron, Ticona, Ocean City, NJ
Fibers with unique and special properties make many products possible or cost effective.

• Poly-ether-ether-Ketone - PEEK Fiber
  for the Future
   Dr. Noel Briscoe, Zyex, UK

• Advances in Weathering Resistance of COPE
   Bruce Mulholland, Global Color Technology Manager,
   Ticona, Florence, KY 
Copolyester elastomers (COPE) are high performance thermoplastic elastomers. Their sensitivity to photo-oxidation restricts their broad use in applications requiring UV stability, including applications such as monofilament for automotive seating fabric, high end office suspension fabric seating or outdoor furniture.  Typical monofilament produced from conventional copolyester elastomers become brittle upon UV exposure, with some losing as much as 95% of its initial ductility in a relatively short time.  Advances in stabilization have allowed monofilament to be produced to maintain 100% of its ductility after a reasonable exposure. This presentation will review the advances in UV stabilization of COPE and potential uses.

• Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) Fibers and Fabrics
   Larry Wadsworth, TANDEC, University of Tennessee,
   Knoxville, TN

• Industrial Applications for Bi-Component
  and Nano-Fibers
   Ed Homonoff - Homonoff and Assoc / Fiber Innovation
   Technologies, Inc

*Additional topics are in development for this session.

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1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
204: Government II -  Multifunctional Textiles for Military Applications
Chair: Eugene Wilusz, Ph.D., Senior NBC Scientist. Warfighter Science, Technology and Applied Research Directorate, Natick Soldier RD&E Center, Natick, MA
From camouflage to intelligent textiles – many materials offer a multitude of use properties.

Topics to be covered include:

• Camouflage
• Cold-weather protection
• Tents and shelters
• Surface treatments
• Intelligent textiles

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205: Technical Knits
Chair: Skip Gehring, President, Gehring Textiles, Garden City, NY
Knit fabrics offer unique design possibilities. An important segment of technical textiles create opportunities in product development


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206: Automotive
Chair: Deborah K. Lickfield, PhD, Lickfield Consulting LLC, Easley, SC

• Navigating the Development Process
  Stephanie Rodgers, Automotive Textile Solutions Inc.,
   Dundee, MI
Ever wonder why the automotive textile marketplace is so tough? Where is the starting point and how can an innovative idea advance down the road? Who is driving the initiative to bring new textile innovations to this marketplace?  What is the next best thing for automotive textiles?  When will greener alternatives be implemented? This paper will review key aspects of entering the automotive applications marketplace with a textile product.

• Material Trends in Automotive Interior Trim
  Theresa Marcantonio, Market Analyst, North American
   Supply Chain and Technology Forecasts, CSM Worldwide,
   Northville, MI
Competition amongst materials used in the automotive interior strengthens as the use of non-woven materials grows and expands into an array of automotive production applications.  Material trends covering seating, floor systems, headliners, package trays, and trunk liners will be presented.

• Silicone Rheology and the Impact on
  Airbag Coatings
   William R. Blackwood, Dow Corning Corporation,
   Midland, MI
Film formation of liquid silicone rubber onto woven fabric by knife or transfer coating has been addressed over the years by achieving a delicate balance of blade design, fabric tension and coating rheology. The most critical applications are those requiring a reduction in gas permeability through the coated fabric as well as thermal protection of the fabric. One such application is in the coating of airbag fabrics for airbags and inflatable curtains where thermal protection and pressure retention are part of the life saving features of the system. This presentation will show the impact of shear rheology of the silicone polymer as it passes under the coating knife with an emphasis on the film formation and impact on properties.  

• Tuff Times Ahead for Tufted Automotive
   Floor Carpets?
   Ed Cerne, President, EPCCO, Durham, NC
An industry veteran reviews the outlook for automotive applications for nonwovens, especially floor covering. Will needled products replace tufted carpeting?

• Adhesives Systems for Automotive Interiors
  William Asmann Automotive Account Manager, Collano, Inc.
  (Switzerland), Greenville, SC

• Mechanical Rubber Goods – Vital Components
  for Longer Life
  Joey Smith, Account Manager, Mechanical Rubber Goods,
  Highland Industries, Greensboro, NC


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• Application of Nanotechnology
  to Fiber and Fabrics
  Dan Hayes, President and Founder, NanoHorizons, State
  College, PA
Materials improvements in textile applications based on applied nanotechnology have been pursued for several years. Top issues encountered in these efforts have included manufacturability, consistent quality, cost, and materials safety concerns.  This paper shows how nanoscale engineering enabled one company to address challenges that have plagued companies trying to create new antimicrobial fibers. An overview of the assessment of nanotech safety concerns will also covered.

• Nanotechnology – Enabling Multifunctional
  Environmentally Friendly Textile Finishes
  Joseph F. Bringley, G3 Technical Innovations, LLC,
  Pittsford, NY
Nanotechnology, arguably, is entering its second decade of applications in textiles and in many other markets.  The main barriers to adoption of this technology are the inability to transfer laboratory discoveries to the manufacturing floor, and cost. This paper will discuss efforts to develop a nanomaterials manufacturing platform that enables the large-scale, low cost production of multi-functional nanomaterials. Emphasis is on a platform to develop a water, oil and stain resistant finish for textiles utilizing the principle of nano-roughness and reduces, by as much as 90 %, the need for potentially harmful buildup of fluorochemicals currently being used in stain resistant textiles finishes. 

• Photostability Improvement of Nomex®
  with Titania Nano-coating
  Shugin Wen, Master Candidate of Textile Science,
   Department of Human Ecology, University of Alberta,
   Canada
DuPont’s Nomex meta-aramid heat and flame resistant fiber has been used across a diverse rand of uses where high levels of mechanical, chemical, and electrical integrity are required. While highly resistant to high temperatures, it is deficient in UV degradation. Nano-sized TiO2 particles, transparent in the visible range have been found to block UV light effectively, thus giving treated fabrics good protection from UV radiation. This paper discusses efforts to coating Nomex fabrics by TiO2 and the resultant improvement in properties.

*Additional topics are in development for this session.

• Proposed NIJ 0101.06 Standard for
  Soft Body Armor
  Speaker from NLECTC/NIST (NIJ)     

• Needle-Punch Felts In Ballistic
  Applications                              
   Speaker from Tex Tech Industries,
   No. Monmouth, ME                                           

• Micro-denier Staple fabrics in Puncture
  Resistance Fabrics       
   Speaker TBD                               

• Air-Activated Resin-Based Trauma
   Reduction Devices
   Speaker TBD

*Additional topics are in development for this session.


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303: Enhancing Value by Finishing
Chair: Jim Kauffman, Principal, Novacomp, Inc.
Mohnton, PA
Surface modification and fabric finishing create special properties in fabrics, making many products possible and/or effective.

• Functional Finishes and Surface Modification
   Dr Phil Brown, School of Materials Science and
   Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Looking towards the future, new ideas and technology will allow fabrics with improved properties and added value

*Additional topics are in development for this session.


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