Research & Development
Medical textiles with infection protection
In collaboration with Heraeus, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are developing fibers and textiles with a novel infection protection system. The basis is an antimicrobial mechanism of action licensed from Heraeus and marketed under the name AGXX. The goal of the collaboration is to optimally integrate the AGXX technology into textile finishes and coatings and to incorporate it into fiber-spinnable polymers. This will provide medical textiles with highly effective and long-lasting protection against microbial infections.
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Kraig Biocraft Laboratories unveils groundbreaking scientific achievement based on caddisfly silk proteins
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, a leading developer of spider silk-based fibers, proudly announces the successful creation of new novel silk, build upon the silk proteins of the remarkable caddisfly. This breakthrough marks a new frontier in the field of engineered fibers and underscores the Company’s commitment to pioneering innovations in biotechnology.
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JEC Composites Innovation Award 2025 for CO2-negative house walls in lightweight construction
At this year's JEC Composites Innovation Awards ceremony, the award in the "Construction & Civil Engineering" category went to the "DACCUSS" project, coordinated by the DITF. TechnoCarbon Technologies GbR, the inventor of Carbon Fiber Stone (CFS), received the JEC Award together with its development partners. The award is for the development of house walls made of Carbon Fiber Stone (CFS), a CO2 negative composite material.
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Textile daylight management when the winter sun is at an angle
When the sun is currently shining, shading textiles face particular challenges. On the one hand, they should allow as much daylight as possible into the rooms during the dark season. On the other hand, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is so low that the light is particularly dazzling - much more so than in summer. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) are using special light measurement techniques to research suitable shading textiles.
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Mimaki to spotlight latest sustainable solution at Heimtextil 2025
Mimaki Europe, a leading provider of industrial inkjet printers, cutting plotters, and 3D printers, announces its attendance at global textile tradeshow, Heimtextil 2025 (Frankfurt, January 14th-17th). The show, as the world’s largest trade fair for home and contract textiles, will give Mimaki the opportunity to demonstrate its latest sustainable innovation, TRAPIS, at its booth in Hall 3.0 Stand B96.
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New DIN SPEC supports the development of textiles with low microfibre discharge
Building on a rapid test for the detection of microfibres in sample water presented in 2023, the sporting goods manufacturer Under Armour, together with the testing service provider Hohenstein and the measuring device provider PPT Group, has now published a standardised test method that enables the determination of microfibre release from textiles under simulated washing conditions. With the help of the new DIN SPEC 19292, apparel/textile companies along the value chain are now able to measure and (e.g. comparatively) evaluate the extent of fibre release of different materials as part of their product development.
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The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) mourn the loss of Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Franz Effenberger
The former head of the previous Institute for Textile Chemistry and Chemical Fibers (ITCF) at the DITF passed away on December 11 at the age of 94.
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STFI is investigating textile applications for PU casting compounds
Polyurethane (PU) casting compounds are classically used as protective and insulating material in electronics and electrical engineering, e.g. in battery modules or on circuits or for embedding LEDs. In addition to their electrical insulating properties, they are heat resistant and mechanically flexible . In addition, the transition from liquid to solid aggregate state is so favorable that these PU masses can be applied with a precise fit.
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Tapes made from recycled carbon fibers for lightweight construction
Due to their excellent mechanical properties and low weight, carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are increasingly being used in lightweight construction applications where high strength and rigidity combined with minimal weight are crucial. However, the growing use of CFRP is also accompanied by large quantities of carbon fiber waste. So far, only processing routes that significantly reduce the properties of CFRP and thus limit the fields of application have been established.
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High-tech textiles give impulses for circular economy and recycling: Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference 2024
The Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference was held in Stuttgart on November 21 and 22. 450 participants from 25 countries and five continents took the opportunity to attend one of the most important European technical congresses.
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Bio-based polyesters for challenging long-term applications
Current bio-based plastics are often only suitable for short-lived applications, such as packaging, because they have inadequate long-term properties. The new project “Bio-based polyesters for challenging long-term applications” from the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF aims to improve the long-term properties of bioplastics through targeted additivation in order to enable their use in technical applications. To do this, the researchers are looking for companies along the value chain that would also like to substitute petro-based plastics with bio-based solutions in long-lasting products.
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Cleanzone Award 2024 goes to DITF and DASTEX
The Cleanzone, the trade fair for cleanroom and purity technology, hygiene and contamination control, took place in Frankfurt am Main on September 25 and 26, 2024. The Cleanzone Award is presented at the trade fair to recognize groundbreaking advances in innovation, automation, sustainability and efficiency in the field of cleanroom technology. This year, the award went to the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and the Dastex Group GmbH for the development of a test method for cleanroom garments - the ReBa2.
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STFI Theme Day: Advancing technologies for a circular textile economy
The circular textile economy is a topic that has garnered widespread attention. However, achieving this goal requires more than ambition—it calls for collaboration and robust networks. Recognizing this, the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) invites partners from industry, academia, and research to engage in a dynamic professional exchange focused on this critical subject.
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Water Hyazinth plant pots
Together with Fiber Engineering GmbH, the DITF presents a process for the production of biodegradable plant pots. The products are cost effective and competitive. At the same time, the production process combats the spread of the invasive water hyacinth, whose biomass serves as the raw material for the plant pots.
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STFI opens technical center for wetlaid nonwovens
On September 17, 2020, the Wetlaid Technical Center was opened at the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) in the Center for Textile Sustainability. For over 30 years, STFI has been dedicated to a variety of fields of application in the textile industry as an innovation partner and service provider. More than 40 invited guests from industry, research and politics attended the opening of the technical center.
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Older News
Research & Development
Fungal mycelium as the basis for sustainable products
Fungi have more to offer than meets the eye. Their thread-like cells, which grow extensively and out of sight underground like a network of roots, offer huge potential for producing sustainable, biodegradable materials. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam Science Park are using this mycelium to develop a wide range of recyclable products, from wallets and insulation to packaging.
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ITMF International cooperation award 2024 goes to the DITF and RBX Créations
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) announced the winners of the ITMF Awards 2024 at the ITMF & IAF Conference 2024 held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 8-10 September. In the "ITMF International Cooperation Award 2024" category, the DITF received the award together with the French company RBX Créations for the introduction of a newly developed hemp-based pulp and its further processing into filament-spun cellulose fibres.
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17th Symposium TEXTILE FILTER of STFI - Call for Papers open
The Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) is organizing the 17th Symposium TEXTILE FILTER on March 11-12, 2025 in Chemnitz. The symposium will look at innovative, high-performance textile filter media for various applications and systems for air, gas, liquid and particle filtration against the background of changing technology. The conference offers the opportunity to intensify cooperation between R&D and industry and to take up new impulses for filter media design.
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