#Yarn & Fiber

2022-09-08

Avient completes acquisition of DSM protective materials (Dyneema®)

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), a leading provider of specialized and sustainable material solutions, has completed its purchase of the protective materials business of DSM (including the Dyneema® brand), which will now be called Avient Protective Materials and reported within the company's Specialty Engineered Materials segment.

"We proudly welcome our newest associates and valued customers joining us today," said Robert M. Patterson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Avient Corporation. "This next step in our specialty transformation expands our material offerings to provide solutions that require the highest level of performance in applications where failure is not an option."

The foundation of Avient Protective Materials is the renowned technology and globally admired brand of Dyneema®, the World's Strongest Fiber™. The ultra-lightweight specialty fiber is 15 times stronger than steel and is used in demanding applications, such as ballistic personal protection, marine and sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, industrial protection and outdoor sports. The business includes six production facilities, four R&D centers and approximately 1,000 employees located around the world.

"With the addition of the Protective Materials business, we have significantly increased the size of our fastest growing platform and firmly established Avient as a leader in the advanced composites space," said Chris Pederson, President, Specialty Engineered Materials, Avient Corporation. "We look forward to collaborating with our customers to deliver on the ever-increasing requirements of product performance, achievable through innovation and material science."

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.