#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2023-09-07

Covestro Huafeng and Cyclone collaborate on more sustainable sports kit

Team Sonnenwagen, a student team from RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen, Germany, is committed to more sustainable mobility using renewable energy. With a self-constructed solar racing car, they once again plan to take part in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in October 2023 in Australia. The team also attaches great importance to a more sustainable sports kit. Huafeng, a leader in textile technology, supports this request by providing more sustainably made athletic shoes and shorts for team outfits.

For this purpose, Huafeng used a partly bio-based polyurethane (PU) dispersion from Covestro, the main sponsor of Team Sonnenwagen.

• Huafeng developed more sustainable HAPTIC® textile coating solution based on Covestro’s partly bio-based Impranil® CQ DLS/1 PU dispersion

• New textile coating solution was used to produce official shorts and shoes of Team Sonnenwagen solar car project

• HAPTIC® Art ink solution enables more design versatility and durability alongside significant reductions in environmental impact

• Apparel and footwear fabrics are made by Huafeng based on Cyclone recycled PET yarns, delivering even lower production-related emissions

The new official team equipment provided by Huafeng features shorts and sports shoes with designs using Huafeng’s newly launched HAPTIC® textile coating system, which contains partly bio-based INSQIN® PU dispersions from Covestro. In addition, fabrics for the garments and shoes are made by Huafeng based on Cyclone recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) yarns derived from post-consumer plastic bottles. The shoe upper material is made of 100 percent Cyclone rPET, while the shorts consist of 86 percent Cyclone rPET and 14 percent Spandex for ensuring a comfortable fit.

Lina Schwering, Team Manager of Team Sonnenwagen Aachen: "Our new official equipment looks fantastic – and we’re particularly excited about its sustainability benefits! Combined with its excellent performance, it fits well with our vision for a more sustainable mobility future. We’re grateful for the continued support of Cyclone, Huafeng with its HAPTIC® products, and Covestro as we pursue this vision."

The next generation of textile coating

Developed by Huafeng using Covestro’s partly bio-based PU Impranil® CQ DLS/1, the HAPTIC® Art textile coating system used for the shoes enables especially outstanding aesthetics, improved mechanical performance, and reduced production-related emissions. Thanks to its high solids content and thixotropic properties, the system allows manufacturers to achieve a high coating thickness, making it well-suited for creating coatings with detailed images and sophisticated 3D effects on apparel and footwear.

Images and textures applied using the HAPTIC® Art ink system have undergone a series of tests for properties such as flexibility, adhesion, and resistance to hydrolysis, washing, and abrasion. The excellent results demonstrate that the Art ink is particularly suitable for coating on high-performance sports footwear. In recognition of its excellent mechanical properties, Huafeng’s ink coating system recently received the ISPO Best Product Award.

Dr. Thomas Schmidt, Director of Innovation & Creation at Huafeng: "HAPTIC® Art ink represents an important expansion of our aesthetic coating capabilities, offering exceptional design versatility along with substantial environmental benefits. For example, the new Team Sonnenwagen shoes deliver savings of 260 g CO2e per pair compared to conventionally manufactured sports shoes*. We look forward to developing even more sustainable solutions that help drive the future of textile coating."

Toward a more sustainable sportswear industry

With strong environmental credentials, this new coating system can also help meet the growing demand for more sustainable sportswear. Traditionally, sports apparel and footwear have relied heavily on virgin fossil-based PET materials and PU coatings to achieve the required performance, appearance, and durability. However, by combining Huafeng’s textile coating expertise with Covestro’s partly bio-based INSQIN® PU technology, Team Sonnenwagen´s new equipment proves that a more sustainable approach is possible.

Dr. Torsten Pohl, Head of Global Textile Coatings at Covestro: "This new textile coating system represents a major step forward in terms of both performance and aesthetics. Covestro’s partly bio-based Impranil® CQ PU dispersion plays a major role in the shoe’s strong environmental credentials, contributing around 80 g to the overall CO2e savings*. This technology will enable garment and footwear manufacturers to create products that not only look incredible but also deliver a reduced environmental impact."

*According to internal calculations

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Covestro celebrates decade of innovation and sustainable growth

Covestro celebrates its 10-year anniversary today. Since its carve-out from Bayer in 2015, the company has developed into a global leader in high-performance polymer materials and a pioneer in circular economy solutions. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, Covestro’s materials are now embedded in countless applications worldwide – from mobility and construction to electronics, healthcare, and consumer goods.

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.

Coats to showcase innovative reinforcement and filler materials for leather goods and accessories at APLF 2026

Coats, a world-class Tier 2 manufacturer and trusted partner for the apparel and footwear industries, will be promoting four advanced materials from its ‘Lifestyle Solutions’ portfolio at APLF 2026 in Hong Kong in March. Each innovation has been specifically engineered to help luxury and premium brands elevate the craft, durability, sustainability and creative expression required in the manufacturing of handbags, purses, and other high-end designer accessories.

Design, innovation and sustainability propel VIATT 2026’s expanding role in ASEAN textile sourcing

At its third edition, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) further reinforced its role as a key sourcing and business platform for ASEAN’s textile industry. The three-day fair welcomed over 17,000 visits from 54 countries and regions, and featured over 460 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions across 18,000 sqm. The 2026 edition was marked by the introduction of new international pavilions and zones, broadening the fair’s sourcing scope across new geographies and product categories. The fringe programme, headlined by the debut Trend Forum, further distinguished VIATT as the region’s most integrated textile trade platform – uniquely spanning the entire value chain.

LineONE – Smart performance, smart investment at Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt (April 21–24, Hall 12, Booth C79), AUTEFA Solutions will present its LineONE concepts for cost-efficient nonwoven production. As a full-line supplier for nonwoven production lines, AUTEFA Solutions covers the entire process chain – from fibre opening through to web bonding. With its LineONE line concepts, the company combines proven technologies into well-balanced, cost-efficient turnkey solutions. These concepts are designed for capacity expansions, modernisation projects and new production lines, offering robust design and high flexibility for applications such as filtration, geotextiles and automotive.

EU and Australia strengthen relations with Security and Defence Partnership and Trade Agreement

The EU and Australia have today announced the adoption of a groundbreaking Security and Defence Partnership. They have also concluded negotiations for an ambitious and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world's largest funding programme for research and innovation. With these steps, the EU and Australia are delivering mutually beneficial outcomes and further reinforcing their already close relations in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

DuPont introduces Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, setting a new benchmark for extreme breathability

DuPont (NYSE:DD) announced the launch of the Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, the first in a new generation of extremely breathable disposable chemical protection garments. Manufactured using DuPont™ Tyvek® APX™ groundbreaking fabric, the new garment combines 360° protection and durability with extreme breathability, taking worker comfort and safety to a whole new level.