#Yarn & Fiber

2022-10-06

INVISTA announces the official inauguration of Asia Innovation Center

INVISTA Nylon Chemicals (China) Co. celebrated the full operation of its Asia Innovation Center (AIC) with an opening ceremony held at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) today. Serving as a key capability within INVISTA’s global R&D network and the company’s first R&D center for nylon 6,6 application development in Asia, the AIC is positioned to broaden the possibilities for application development in engineering polymers and provide superior innovative solutions for customers in Asia.

Innovating development of new nylon 6,6 applications to drive growth with partners and customers

With the pursuit of safer and more energy-saving applications in downstream fields, notably automobiles, manufacturers are seeking advanced nylon 6,6 solutions to improve application performance at reduced costs. Staying close to customers’ needs, INVISTA has invested more than 95 million RMB ($15 million USD) to provide cutting edge equipment and professional support to establish local expertise in engineering polymer formulations, applications, design, and testing.

The 2,500-square-meter (over 26,000 square feet) lab is equipped with melt processing capabilities and a wide range of aging and mechanical testing equipment to determine key engineering polymer properties such as tensile and impact strength, hydrolysis resistance and flammability, as well as thermal transitions in polymer, including melting point temperature and crystallization temperature. To accelerate innovative outcomes, the center has also established capability in CAD/CAE to simulate and the behavior of nylon polymer under stress in real part dimensions.

Carrie Parker, global R&D Manager, Nylon Polymer, INVISTA said, “Innovation is core to INVISTA, and the new Asia Innovation Center shall lend a strong support in co-creating new application solutions with our customers through process of material development, component manufacturing and practical applications, enhancing our nylon 6,6 value chain to meet evolving customer demands. Moving forward, INVISTA will continue to work closely with partners to unleash new possibilities for downstream fields.”

Located near INVISTA’s integrated nylon 6,6 facilities, the AIC contributes to INVISTA’s nylon 6,6 value chain, which also includes the new ADN production facility that will deploy INVISTA’s proprietary, butadiene-based ADN technology. In addition to advantages in commercial scale and overall efficiency, INVISTA’s ADN technology and manufacturing process result in up to 60% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to propylene-based ADN and up to 80% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to adipic acid-based ADN *.

Better, faster, bio-based: Functional new Plastic alternatives

How can new bio-based and biohybrid materials with improved features be developed faster? Six Fraunhofer institutes are jointly exploring this question in the SUBI²MA flagship project, using an innovative bio-based polyamide developed by Fraunhofer researchers as a model. Its specific properties make it a promising alternative to fossil-based plastics.

TEXTILCOLOR AG launches strategic collaboration with Alpex, Majocchi, and Trans-Textil in the field of Pyroshell™ flame protection

TEXTILCOLOR AG, a leading provider of innovative solutions in textile chemistry, today announces the start of a strategic collaboration with Alpex Protection, Majocchi, and Trans-Textil. Starting November 1, 2025, the partners will jointly advance the flame-retardant finishing of textiles using the patented Pyroshell™ technology at production sites in Germany, France, and Italy.

Huntsman and Steitz Secura deliver breakthrough in sustainable safety footwear

Huntsman, in collaboration with Steitz Secura, has developed a breakthrough polyurethane (PU) solution that can help improve the circularity of safety footwear. Together, the two companies have created a DALTOPED® polyurethane midsole system that can incorporate recycled content without compromising performance – setting a new benchmark in protective footwear production.

T-CAN – Revolutionizing can transport

In virtually all spinning mills, transporting sliver cans is still done manually. Rising labor costs, lack of operators and increasing quality requirements make this a growing challenge. With T-CAN, Trützschler introduces a practical solution: a fully automated can transport system that will be presented live at ITMA ASIA 2025 in Singapore.

Francois Guetat joins Suominen as COO

Francois Guetat brings over two decades of global experience in operations, supply chain, and manufacturing excellence. Most recently, he served as SVP of Integrated Supply Chain at Kalmar, where he led business across sourcing, manufacturing, logistics and strategy. His leadership has been shaped by 22 years at Volvo, where he held key roles in Sweden, USA, and Poland.