#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-04-09

Way out for mask shortage under Covid-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic is straining health systems worldwide. In order to solve the shortage of mask, industry experts have developed different types of masks for the mass. The ShanghaiTex textile machinery exhibition stands with Industry against COVID-19 and has rounded some innovations.

Graphene Face Mask with 10 Times Longer Life Span

A Beijing-based institute has developed a new type of graphene face mask with stronger antibacterial properties and better breathability, which can be used for up to 48 hours. Graphene can form a natural 'nano knife' on melt-blown cloth, which under the action of natural respiration, destroys the cell walls of germs and plays a good bactericidal role.

Silver-Plated Fiber Mask that Provides Antibacterial & Deodorant Functions

A Japanese wearable company has launched a ‘high-performance’ mask that can be washed and used repeatedly. With silver-plated fiber ‘agposs’, a proprietary technology applied in the mask, it provides both antibacterial and deodorant functions.

3D Printed Mask Developed by Healthcare Professionals

In the US, some healthcare professionals used 3D printers to make reusable plastic face masks alleviating the shortage of surgical masks. While one regular surgical masks could be cut into six to ten pieces and clipped into the plastic mask to serve as filters.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

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.