#Research & Development

2024-05-30

Recycling end-of-life wind turbine blades: DITF are partner in the Rewind project

On May 15 and 16, the kick-off meeting of the REWIND project took place in Valencia. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are one of 14 partners from seven countries. REWIND deals with composite waste in the wind energy sector. It is funded by Horizon Europe and CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency).

The project partners in Valencia. Photo: © 2024 REWIND / DITF

REWIND stands for Efficient Decommissioning, Repurposing and Recycling to increase the Circularity of end-of-life Wind Energy Systems. The project deals with the recycling of wind turbine blades when they have reached the end of their service life. The project partners are developing basic technologies for dismantling the composite material and methods for disassembling and evaluating the material. In the next step, recycling processes and options for reusing the composite materials will be developed. The aim is to make the wind turbine blades recyclable instead of landfilling or incinerating them.

At this first meeting, the research consortium discussed the objectives of the research project and the planning. The task of the DITF is to develop a yarn and a fabric for new components or for repair kits for wind turbines from the glass and carbon fibers recycled by the project partners.

The project is funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) of the European Union under grant agreement no. 101147226.

Partners:

AIMPLAS

TECKNIKER

IPC – Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites

Miljøskærm

Hochschule Pforzheim – Gestaltung, Technik, Wirtschaft und Recht

Deutsche Institute für Textil – und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF)

Alke Electric Vehicles

Suez Group

Bcircular

Composite Patch

TPI Composites Inc

R-Nanolab

CiaoTech-Gruppo PNO

AEMAC

Fabolose: Fabricating vegan and circular leather alternatives from bio-tech-derived cellulose

Fabulose is an EU funded project coordinated by the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF). Its consortium consists of leading research institutes, biotech innovators, and industry stakeholders who aim to create high-performance, biobased and recyclable leather-like fabrics, using efficient biotech production routes for bacterial cellulose, cyanophycin and bacterial pigments

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.

Panty liners prevent bacterial vaginosis

Worldwide, almost one third of women of childbearing age suffer from bacterial vaginosis. This is when the sensitive microbiome of the vagina becomes unbalanced. Such a disorder of the vaginal flora can cause urogenital infections, abscesses on the ovaries or fallopian tubes or premature births. This significantly increases the risk of infertility in women and of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or HIV.

DITF send a signal for climate protection

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have successfully implemented extensive investments in photovoltaic systems at their site in Denkendorf. The systems installed on the roofs of the buildings and covered parking lots have a total installed capacity of 840 kilowatt peak (kWp). The DITF invested 1.6 million euros in this with the support of the state of Baden-Württemberg. The system was ceremonially put into operation on September 17, 2025.

Textilfabrik 7.0 launched: Mönchengladbach becomes a real-world lab for sustainable textile production

With the official kick-off event of the Textilfabrik 7.0 (T7), a major transformation project for the German textile and apparel industry has been launched in the Monforts Quarter in Mönchengladbach. At the “Textile Roundtable,” an event format organized by the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier, representatives from industry, research, politics, and the regional economy came together to jointly lay the foundation for CO₂-neutral, circular, and economically viable textile production in Germany.

STFI presents concepts for the textile circular economy and solutions for a healthy and safe life at Techtextil

Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) has been supporting companies in developing marketable innovations for over 30 years. With a clear focus on sustainability, the environment, health and protection, the STFI offers future-oriented research, textile testing for tailor-made solutions and certification of per- sonal protective equipment. At Techtextil 2026, the institute will present ideas for the textile circular econ- omy and showcase solutions for healthy and safe living.

Cetex: Textile innovations “Made in Saxony” at Techtextil

This year, the Cetex Institut gGmbH is once again not only exhibiting but also organising a joint booth at Techtextil. Together with co-operation partners, textile innovations “Made in Saxony” will be presented on almost 85 m². The spectrum covers everything from textile machine construction and the manufacture of technical textiles to measuring and testing technology, with research and development also having its place.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Shima Seiki showcases WHOLEGARMENT® and 3D knitting solutions for technical textiles at Techtextil 2026

Leading textile technology solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, along with its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will be participating in the Techtextil 2026 exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany next month. On display will be WHOLEGARMENT® and other advanced three-dimensional knitting applications across a wide range of industries besides fashion apparel that are not typically associated with knitting, such as technical textiles using industrial materials and advanced three-dimensional knitting.