#Textile chemistry

2022-09-08

Sirial TIS NATUR for very soft leathers

As part of the pioneering Pulcra Naturalis® initiative, the Pulcra development team has introduced Sirial® TIS NATUR. The product has been designed as the main fatliquor for very soft leathers with good fullness, sponginess and a waxy feel. Applications range from shoe uppers to garment and sofa leathers.

Fatliquoring with improved eco balance

Sirial® TIS NATUR is based on high-quality fish oil obtained from purified technical varieties that have not been released for human consumption and therefore do not compete with raw material flows for nutrition. Moreover, the fish oil is extracted without endangering wild fish stocks. The high degree of purification guarantees good heat and light fastness. In addition to the fish oil, Sirial® TIS NATUR contains natural humectant components that improve the elasticity of the grain without weighing it down. The proportion of bio-based carbon in Sirial® TIS NATUR is >80%, well above the current industry benchmark. When used with products from the Pulcra Naturalis® portfolio, the bio-C content of the leather is significantly improved. We believe that the best advertisement for the highly sustainable material natural leather is to further reduce its environmental impact.

Pulcra Naturalis®– The Bio-Revolution for Leather Processing is an initiative launched by Pulcra focused on promoting a product portfolio with a high content of bio-based carbon. All products included in this new portfolio contain at least 80?% renewable carbon1.

The use of renewable feedstocks is an important means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacture of chemicals and an important step towards carbon neutrality. Much of the carbon contained in industrial or consumer products, including leather or leather chemicals, eventually enters the atmosphere as CO2. When working with fossil raw materials, the carbon used was sequestered in the earth, so its release means a strongly negative carbon balance. Renewable raw materials, which are based on plant or animal raw materials, have a much better carbon balance: plants bind CO2 from the atmosphere, and animals are fed with natural feed. Switching to renewable raw materials therefore stops the influx of CO2.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

SOKO presents low-impact denim finishing innovations at Denim PV Milan

SOKO will present a range of sustainable denim finishing technologies and collaborative projects at the upcoming Denim Première Vision Milan on 20–21 May in Milan. At booth G27 in Superstudio Più, the company will showcase new chemical solutions designed to combine fashionable denim effects with reduced environmental impact.

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

The RWTH spin-off TERNAfil has developed MAXCarbon, a new high-performance hybrid fibre that combines the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. For this development, TERNAfil was awarded first prize at the PitchMiUp Night in Minden on 21 May 2026.