#Man-Made Fibers

2026-02-05

INVISTA, Epoch Biodesign sign MoU to advance development of post-consumer recycled Nylon 6,6

INVISTA, a global leader in the manufacture of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers for the nylon and polypropylene value chains, and Epoch Biodesign, the global leader in enzymatic plastic recycling technology, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing the development of post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6.

The collaboration will combine Epoch’s AI-engineered recycling enzymes with INVISTA’s polymerization expertise and global footprint. The end goal is to produce customer-validated, virgin-quality nylon 6,6 at commercial scale. Nylon 6,6 is a critical material across apparel, automotive, and industrial applications, but scaling recycled solutions that meet customer demands is a major industry challenge.

"INVISTA is committed to exploring innovative technologies that can improve the sustainability and resilience of nylon 6,6 supply chains,” said INVISTA Global Sustainability Director Ethel Garnier. “With this collaboration, both INVISTA and Epoch are applying their comparative advantage to develop solutions to a market need for recycled nylon 6,6. We look forward to working with Epoch to advance this important project and continuing to provide high-quality products that meet our customers’ needs.”

“When your recycling technology is chosen from a global set of options by a company whose heritage is directly linked to the invention of nylon 6,6, it is clearly a defining moment,” said Epoch Biodesign CEO Jacob Nathan. “We are excited to increase momentum towards our goal of global deployment; this is a clear message that one of the largest producers of nylon 6,6 believes in our technology and the need for effective, enzymatic recycling at commercial scale. Working with INVISTA will accelerate real change in the materials supply chain, advancing the industry beyond existing recycling approaches, transforming waste into virgin-equivalent products.”

The MoU represents the beginning of a structured collaboration between the two companies. Technical assessment and polymer qualification are already underway and will be followed by application performance testing.

INVISTA proposes plant closures and production shift to strengthen global competitiveness

INVISTA announced a set of proposed strategic actions intended to strengthen its global operating footprint and position the business for long-term competitiveness. The proposal includes closing its precision machine shop in Martinsville, Virginia; discontinuing production at its Gloucester, England site; transitioning operations to its Kingston, Canada facility, which will continue to serve customers in North America and Europe; and continuing to explore various investment opportunities for expanding capabilities at select advantaged sites, including its Anlon site in Shanghai, China.

CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics forges ahead with launch of next-gen flame resistant fabric solution at A+A

CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics is paving the way for new possibilities at A+A in Düsseldorf with the launch of CORDURA Comfort FR™, its new range of flame resistant (FR) fabric solutions. The CORDURA® team will be exhibiting in Hall 16, A48 where they will showcase how the new fabric marks a significant breakthrough in flame resistant (FR) performance fabrics, thanks to the combination of lightweight comfort, durability, and lower total cost of ownership.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.