#Associations

2022-10-20

Gang Sun receives 2021 Chapin Award

In recognition of his outstanding service to the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, AATCC named Gang Sun the 2021 recipient of the Harold C. Chapin Award. The award was presented at the recent AATCC Textile Discovery Summit in Charlotte, NC., USA. His achievements for AATCC are outstanding.

AATCC Involvement

A member of the Association since 1995, Sun has been active in AATCC as an educational speaker and paper presenter. He has also been very involved with AATCC publications and has authored numerous peer reviewed papers published in AATCC Journal of Research, AATCC Review, and their predecessors. One of his papers received the 2006 J. W. Weaver Paper of the Year Award. Sun also contributed a chapter in the AATCC publication, Analytical Methods for a Textile Laboratory, 4th Edition.

In 2017, Sun joined the AATCC Publications Committee. He has been a part of AATCC Journal of Research since its inception in 2014, first as a dedicated Associate Editor, and as the Editor in Chief since 2019. Under his leadership, journal submissions increased and have been cited frequently, strengthening the value and rank of the Journal among textile research publications. Not only has he overseen the standard issues of AATCC Journal of Research, Sun also oversaw three special issues created in conjunction with national and international conferences.

As an academician, Sun has trained and introduced AATCC to countless textile professionals. Sun’s promotion of AATCC to students and colleagues nationally and internationally has led to the recognition of AATCC and its publications as valued, credible resources for textile professionals. He was the 2016 recipient of the Olney M Medal for outstanding achievement in textile science and presented this year’s Medal during the Textile Discovery Summit awards luncheon.

Professional Accomplishments

Sun is a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. He received his BS and MS degrees in Materials Science and Fiber Engineering at Donghua University. Ten years after this, he completed his PhD in Chemistry at Auburn University, and in 1995, began his career as an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis. Sun has published more than 320 peer reviewed articles, co-written 24 book chapters; and has 18 US patents, with five provisional patent applications pending.

Chapin Award

The Chapin Award was established in 1958 in honor of Harold C. Chapin, professor of chemistry at Lowell Textile School, who served as national secretary of AATCC for nearly 25 years.

To see past recipients, or to nominate a future recipient, visit:

www.aatcc.org/chapin.

AATCC announces 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition winners

The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) recognized the winners of the 2025 Herman & Myrtle Goldstein Graduate Student Paper Competition. Founded in 1982 to give student members the chance to conduct and present original research, the competition was renamed in 1994 in honor of Herman and Myrtle Goldstein, following their US$60,000 endowment. Their gift is a lasting remembrance of their dedication to young people in the textile industry.

New funding available for textile research

The AATCC Foundation Student Research Support Grant Program provides financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing textile-related projects. Students may submit proposals now for funding to be awarded January 2026. Applications must be submitted by October 1, 2025, to be considered.

Waste2Fashion: FTTH Committed to advancing Circular Fashion in the Mediterranean

As an official partner of the Waste2Fashion project, the Tunisian Federation of Textile and Apparel (FTTH) participated in the Kick-off Meeting held on 10–11 December in Spain. The event brought together project partners from across the Mediterranean, including Spain, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, to align on a shared vision and initiate the first implementation steps.

SIMTA joins ITMF as Corporate Member

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

Businesses urge European Commission to allow continued sale of products already lawfully placed on the market before the Empowering Consumers Directive’s application to avoid unnecessary waste and costs

EDANA, the voice of nonwovens, alongside a coalition of leading European business associations, has issued a joint statement urging the European Commission to introduce a "grandfathering clause" to the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive. The coalition warns that without transitional provisions for products already lawfully placed on the market, the new rules could inadvertently lead to massive waste and economic disruption.

Innovation center for textile circular economy inaugurated

Just over eight months after the foundation stone was laid, the new Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy was officially inaugurated today at TITK Rudolstadt. Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt, TITK Director Benjamin Redlingshöfer, and other guests of honor cut the ribbon to the modern building complex and viewed the premises, which are now ready for occupancy. The “DICE – Demonstration and Innovation Center for Textile Circular Economy” is TITK's largest single investment to date. The Free State of Thuringia supported the total cost of €11.5 million with €8 million in GRW and FTI funding.

Sustainable design of Geosynthetics and roof underlayments made from recyclates

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project.

Yanpai expands nonwovens capacity with two new ANDRITZ needlepunch lines

Zhejiang Yanpai Filter Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yanpai”) has placed an order with international technology group ANDRITZ for two high-performance needlepunch lines. The equipment will be installed at Yanpai’s headquarters facility in Tiantai County, China. Commissioning is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.