#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.

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.