#Textile chemistry

2025-03-20

PFAS: TÜV Rheinland expands global testing capabilities

TÜV Rheinland is expanding its testing capacity worldwide to meet the growing global demand for testing services for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The testing services provider has seen demand increase by more than 30 per cent year-on-year. PFAS, a group of more than 10,000 known substances, are used in many industries for their functional properties, including textiles, food packaging, furniture and carpet fabrics, as well as mechanical and automotive engineering. However, their potential risk to the environment and human health is increasingly the focus of regulatory and public attention.

In view of increasing demand for PFAS testing services, TÜV Rheinland is expanding its testing capacities worldwide (photo: TÜV Rheinland).

The chemical ban on PFAS in many countries in the world poses new challenges for manufacturers and retailers and requires a lot of development and testing. Companies that manufacture, trade or import products will need to monitor and reduce PFAS. TÜV Rheinland is helping companies prepare for changes in legislation by providing accurate chemical analysis. "This enables companies to adapt to changes in the legal situation at an early stage, establish responsible action as a quality feature and thus remain competitive," explains Steffen Tümptner, an expert at TÜV Rheinland.

PFAS in industry – further restrictions on the horizon

In the EU, several classes of PFAS are already subject to restrictions, for example under the REACH and POP regulations. In September 2024, EU Regulation 2024/2462 was adopted, which will phase in bans on PFHxA (C6 PFAS) in certain applications over a five-year period. This includes a ban on PFAS in clothing, footwear, paper and board in contact with food and in cosmetics from October 2026. From October 2027, the ban will be extended to other textiles and leather products. European authorities are currently considering further restrictions that could cover more and more PFAS in the long term. The US authorities are also taking far-reaching action to restrict PFAS at the national level. In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued nationwide limits for six groups of substances in tap water, making them among the strictest in the world.

Accurate analysis and expert advice from TÜV Rheinland

TÜV Rheinland's testing packages, training and on-site audits provide the tools needed to analyse products, find suitable alternatives and ensure more sustainable production. More information on PFAS for interested parties and companies is available at: www.tuv.com/pfas

Archroma and Lameirinho partner in pioneering deployment of InOneGO single-step dyeing

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, and Lameirinho, a leading home textiles manufacturer based in Portugal, are collaborating to bring InOneGO by Archroma, a new single-step dyeing process, into commercial production. Lameirinho’s first InOneGo bedlinens collection is now available worldwide.

Archroma wins ICIS Innovation Award for sulfur dye breakthrough

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has won a coveted 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation from a Large Company for FiberColors®. These high-performance sulfur dyes are synthesized from pre-consumer wool waste, reducing industry reliance on petroleum-based inputs while contributing to the circular economy by upcycling unwanted wool that farmers would otherwise pay to dispose of.

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.

Coats Digital launches AI-powered GSD RealMotion for motion analysis

Coats Digital has launched GSD RealMotion, an AI-powered solution designed to provide apparel manufacturers with greater visibility into factory-floor operations. By analysing shop-floor video and applying Coats Digital’s GSD methodology, the solution turns video recordings into structured, motion-by-motion method studies.

Reducing development times for technical textiles by accelerated thermo-oxidative aging in a high-pressure autoclave

Synthetic polymers used in technical textiles can be effectively protected against degradation caused by heat, oxygen, and water through the use of stabilizer systems. This enables service lives of several decades, extending to more than 50 years. As the use of durable technical textiles continues to grow, so does the demand for reliable methods to predict their service life within economically feasible testing periods. For the first time the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) developed methods for robust service life prediction for textiles in an IGF research project.

ITA has developed a washable digital smart jacket with real-time feedback and an AI-powered app for rehabilitation

As part of the PhysioTaix research project, the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University is developing a digital smart jacket with integrated sensors. The jacket is washable and reusable; it tracks movements during rehabilitation exercises in real time and transmits the data to an app.