Rhodia’s Emana and Huntsman Textile Effects scoop innovation awards
29/10/2014
The awards, organised by market information provider ICIS, praised Huntsman’s AVITERA SE dyes as “a significant scientific advance, and one that goes a long way to answering the textile industry’s sustainability challenge in terms of water, energy and waste reductions”.
The judges said: “We need dyes and textiles but have long recognised that there are problems with water use in this sector. This innovation address a major issue."
The AVITERA SE dyes are poly-reactive dyes that allow processing mills to reduce the dyeing and washing-off cycles and to increase productivity. Compared with current technologies, Huntsman said the dyes reduces water and consumption by up to 50%, salt consumption by 20 and cycle time by 25%.
Emana, a polyamide fibre that emits far-infrared radiation, from Brazilian company Rhodia, was also praised, winning ‘Best Product Innovation’.
Emana is based on specially treated inorganic charges embedded in the polymeric matrix of the microfibre filaments. These charges emit FIR in specific wavelengths, promoting biostimulation in the skin, acting as a fibroblasts growth factor and stimulating nitric oxide synthesis which enhances microcirculation, according to the company.
Also related to the textile industry, Argex Titanium won best innovation by an SME.
Canada’s Argex has developed an alternative to the sulphate and chloride routes used to make titanium dioxide pigment. Its proprietary Argex Technology uses chemical and hydrometallurgical processes in a patented technology to produce TiO2 directly from the ore material, avoiding the need to upgrade it to ilmenite TiOCl2. A pilot is running at Valleyfield, Quebec, where a production plant is under construction.
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