The Editor's Page:

By Max W. Sung

Expanding horizons: The upcoming Techtextil-Avantex-Texprocess show in Frankfurt (June 10-13) and the recently concluded Smart Fabrics conference in San Francisco (April 17-19) bring to the forefront the potential applications of the technology behind technical textiles. It also stimulates the question as to how technical textiles technology can be further utilised in applications which could directly benefit the personal health and well-being of human beings.

What is technical textile? According to the Textile Terms and Definitions published by the Textile Institute in Manchester, technical textiles refer to "materials and products intended for end-uses other than non-protective clothing, household furnishing, and floor covering, where the fabric or fibrous component is selected principally but not exclusively for its performance and properties as opposed to its aesthetic or decorative characteristics" (10th ed., 1994). Or, more succinctly, "textile materials and products manufactured primarily for their technical performance and functional properties, rather than for their aesthetic and decorative characteristics (Zaman and Menon, 2007).

Over the years, a myriad of innovations in technical textiles has been developed through research and used in applications far-flung and also close to apparel textiles. Techtextil, the leading international trade exhibition for technical textiles since its debut in 1986, has provided an end-user classification of 12 application areas. These include traditional technical textile applications in agriculture (AGROTECH), building and construction (BUILDTECH), geotextiles (GEOTECH), engineering (INDUTECH), automobiles (MOBILTECH), waste management and environmental protection (OEKOTECH), packaging (PACKTECH), personal and property protection (PROTECH) and home furnishings (HOMETECH). These applications have revolutionised construction technology for bridges, roads, dams, tunnels, while providing textile solutions for the fishing and agricultural sectors, and personal protection against heat, cold, and missiles in high-risk professions. Technical textile applications for health and personal benefits would fall into the remaining categories, including medical textiles (MEDTECH), functional apparel textiles (CLOTHTECH) and sportswear (SPORTTECH).

An analysis of global technical textiles consumption has shown an increase from 13.97m tons in 1995 to 23.77m tons in 2010, of which the application areas related to health and personal benefits account for 22% (Textile Exchange). A report by De Angelis last month showed the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for technical textiles was reported as over 3% from 2000 to 2010, with BUILDTECH, GEOTECH, OEKOTECH and INDUTECH being the fastest growing segments. Going forward, the major growth areas are projected to be in medical and personal hygiene, sports and leisure, environmental protection, pollution control and filtration, garment and shoe industry. Some of the technological innovations of technical textiles have already been tested and utilised in beneficial applications for human health and well-being.

VivoMetrics's LifeShirt is a wearable vest with embedded sensors which can collect information on respiratory, cardiac, posture and movement of the wearer and transmit the collected data to remote sites. The LifeShirt was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2002, and contracted its first sale to the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in 2004. The LifeShirt was designed for use by first responders, firefighters, Hazmat workers and military personnel.

Vivonoetics, which now develops the ambulatory sensing technology Vivosense, has earlier this year announced collaborations with the Mayo Clinic to monitor mountaineers on Everest expedition. Vivonoetics last month announced collaboration with Amara Health Analytics on R&D of an automated system for predicting potential adverse events for at-risk patients in everyday environment. The system is anticipated to combine wearable sensors, Vivonetics sensor signal processing and Amara's predictive analytics into an integrated solution. The system will be designed for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, heart failure and general clinical deterioration.

Sensatex's SmartShirt is a wearable shirt which incorporates embedded sensors and digital fibres to monitor vital signs of the wearer, including breathing and heart rates as well as body temperature. The SmartShirt began as a project in 1996 financed by the US Navy and was developed at Georgia Tech University for soldiers in combat so that medical personnel could find the exact location of bullet wounds. It has been used later on to monitor infants for sudden infant death syndrome; and it has potential applications for adult patients in hospitals or at home.

Phase Change Materials (PCM) was developed for use in astronaut's gloves and suits to protect them from extreme weather conditions while working outside the spaceship. PCM constitute a whole class of compounds with varying melting points. When incorporated into fabric (either during the fibre spinning process or in the coating/finishing process) PCM can cool the body and store heat when the ambient temperature is above its melting point, and release heat and warm the body if the temperature is below its melting point. PCM is finding its way in all types of textile applications, from car seats and automotive interiors to protective clothing such as Outlast Body Armor to outdoor wear.

After years of experimentation, first with electrical wiring embedded in fabrics, and now with the option of weaving electrical conducting fibres directly into fabrics, e-textiles may be poised for a commercial break. Joanna Berzowska, chair of the Department of Design and Computational Arts at Concordia University, presented the Karma Chameleon at the Smart Fabrics Conference 2013. With this innovation, interactive electronic fabrics can harness power directly from the human body, store that energy, and then use it to change the garments' visual properties. "We won't see such garments in stores for another 20 or 30 years, but the practical and creative possibilities are exciting," said Berzowska.

Technical textiles in Asia: By virtue of its dependence on R&D, strict quality controls and testing requirements, technical textiles production and consumption had remained in the United States and the European Union. In recent years however, both consumption and production of technical textiles have increased in Asian countries such as China, Japan, India, Taiwan and South Korea.

According to China Nonwoven and Industrial Textile Association (CNITA), China's output of industrial textile has increased from 5,443 million tons in 2007 to 9,102 million tons in 2011. This represented an increase of 20% from 2009 to 2010, and 10.8% from 2010 to 2011. Fibre consumption for industrial textile was 15.4% of total output of textile fibre in 2007, increasing to 21.1% in 2011. Industrial textile exports increased 26.3% to 16.3 billion dollars in 2011.

According to a survey by the Italian Trade Commission of the technical textile industry in China, China's exports in 2010 increased by 38% to 8.8 billion renminbi from the year before, while imports increased by only 2% to 2.8 billion renminbi. United States, Japan, India, Vietnam and South Korea were the major markets. These figures suggest that the increased demand for technical textiles in China, which is projected to accelerate due to the emphasis on technology and innovation in the 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015), is being met in large part by domestic output, with the exception of advanced technical textiles not produced in China itself.

For India, the demand for technical textiles is expected to increase 20% year-on-year during the 12th Five-year Plan period (2012-17), according to Sujit Gulati, the joint secretary of the Indian textiles ministry, at the April 20 opening of the regional office of the Indian Technical Textile Association in Coimbatore. Growth in the past five years has been recorded at 11-12%. While technical textiles accounted for about 60% of overall textile industry in the world, it was just 9-10% in India, Sujit Gulati added. Currently 30% of domestic demand in India is being met through imports. The technical market in the country is expected to increase from $11 billion to $27.6 billion by 2016-17.

For Japan, the technical textile sector had declined an average of 5.2% for nine consecutive years, crowned by a 22% drop in 2009. Since then, recovery was seen with 18.7% increase in 2010 and a notably modest 3.1% in 2011.

Technical textiles are expanding their horizons, both technologically in innovations and geographically in production.

In Memoriam: Robert Henry Leary (1924-2013): We are saddened to learn of the passing of Robert H. Leary in Bangkok on 20 March. Mr Leary, Textile Asia's contributing editor based in Bangkok as well as its consulting editor on technology matters, had been associated with the magazine since its inception in 1970. He was its first executive editor, and had assisted the late Mr Kayser Sung in setting up the magazine in Hong Kong. He had since covered most of the international textile machinery exhibitions. His clear and concise reviews of new machines and technologies were de rigueur reading for textile producers worldwide in their quest for efficient and advanced machines for all stages of textile production.

His background and training served him well in becoming a technical textile journalist. Born in Perth, he graduated with honours in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Western Australia in 1949. A year later found him in the Chemistry Department of the University of Hong Kong. After stints of teaching Mr Leary joined the staff of the Far Eastern Economic Review as a writer in 1965. After moving to Bangkok in 1981, he continued covering textile shows for Textile Asia. With his meticulous attention to detail, he was responsible for preparing the annual index for many years.

It was a fitting close to his textile journalism career that his last assignment was to cover the annual Bangkok International Fashion Fair and the Bangkok International leather Fair, held on March 13-17. In fact, he was sitting down to write his review of the shows three days later when he passed away in the arms of his beloved wife, Savitri.

Special Reports

• Canada-S. Korea free trade talks: Will it be concluded this year?: The free trade talks that began some eight years ago is still carrying on while South Korea as a market for Canadian agri-food products has slipped from the fifth to the seventh place and trade gap between the two countries remain heavily in favour of South Korea. At the same time, Canada's conservative government with its aim to create new jobs and improve the nation's economy would want a new generation of trade agreements with the high growth countries of Asia and Latin America because such agreements will open new markets and opportunities for growth to Canadian exporters. How free trade agreements can affect flow of trade is evident in Canada's agri-foods trade with South Korea. In 2011 Canada exported over $1 billion worth of agri-food products to South Korea, making it Canada's fifth-largest market for agri-foods exports. But in 2012 it was down to just over half a billion dollars and South Korea dropped to 7th place in Canada's export destinations. The reason for the trade loss, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance claims, is the free trade deals that South Korea concluded with key Canadian competitors such as the EU in 2011 and the Unites States in 2012. Under these deals South Korea will eliminate over the next few years tariffs on virtually all agri-food products from the EU and the US, thus leaving Canada at a distinct and significant tariff disadvantage.
  
  There is now renewed interest in Canada in moving the free trade talks with South Korea at a faster pace. For example, Canada's governor-general, David Johnston, in Seoul earlier this year for the inauguration of Park Guen-hye as the new South Korea president said: "I think the weakest link (in the relations between the two countries) would be the absence of the FTA."
  
  While it is believed that the FTA can usher in many new possibilities for collaboration between Canada and South Korea, it remains to be seen whether the main sticking points between the two countries can be resolved through negotiations.
  
  By Swee C Goh, Ottawa
  
  
• Where does China buy cotton from?: In the decade between 2001-02 and 2011-12 US cotton exports to China increased by 25 times to 1.3 million tons; but it was beaten by India which sold 1.94 tons. Now, by midway through this season, Australia has overtaken India by selling 577,867 tons to China. At the same time, Africa has exported 482,749 tons to China - almost half of it coming from Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Benin. .

Prime Source Forum

• At the nexus of new insight: Allowing for a degree of self congratulation, the organisers, having vetted the attendees' feedback and in addition launched a series of related regional events, chose more of the same, arguably more depth, and a different venue for the 8th edition of the annual meeting of the global fashion industry. In place of the earlier 'workshops' on the subject, there was the sustainability event held the day before at the Clothing Industry Training Centre, Hong Kong. In case this half-day event did not do justice to important issues, representatives of the relevant think tanks and not-for-profit agencies participated in the 2-day forum, with of course the focus on latest technologies, logistics, and overall communications to give due recognition to the global supply chain and its reliance on production sites around the world to sustain the complex business network required, at the end of the day, to clothe all of us. In fact, in its 8th edition Prime Source Forum presented a new format but better ideas!
  
  By Gail Taylor

Merino Wool Contest

• New Zealand ranks top in Merino wool contest: It was a day to remember for both New Zealand and the global wool industry. For New Zealand - a nation of some 4.5 million people and seven times that many sheep - it was the 2012 winner, after many years, of the Loro Piana Challenge Cup, the annual contest that Loro Piana, the Italian manufacturer of superfine wool fabrics and the largest single purchaser of fine wool from Australia and New Zealand, holds among Australian and New Zealand Merino wool growers. For the global wool industry, 2012 was a milestone year that saw the finest bale of Merino wool, 10.6 micron, in the entire history of the Challenge Cup. The proudest of all was Anna Emmerson, the owner of Lindis Ridges farm that delivered the winning bale. The competing Australian bale from Pamela and Robert Sandlant's Pyrenees Park farm ranked par with the 2011 Australian record - 11.1 micron.
  
  By Alpana Shrestha
  
  
• Marco Polo of the wool industry: Loro Piana, now two centuries old, is considered the Marco Polo of the wool industry, the pioneer making superfine wool fabrics of uncompromising quality for men and women of exquisite test. The company was founded in 1812 as woollen merchants. By 1960, it started exporting high quality wool to Japan and other markets; and in 1980 began purchasing the finest bales of wool. In 1997 it succeeded in processing single bales of the finest wool into fabrics that begets 40 bespoke suits and began awarding the farmers in Australia and New Zealand who produced the finest bales of the year - The Record Bale. Loro Piana is about uncompromising quality wool fabric made entirely in Italy.
  
  "To achieve the highest quality of merino wool, we start with the finest material and check every step of the production process," says Mr Loro Piana. "We are proud to offer products made in Italy of uncompromising quality using wool from New Zealand and Australia, cashmere from China and Mongolia and vicuna from Peru". Loro Piana goes all over the world in search of the best.
  
  By Vicky Sung

Products & Technology

• Winder for carbon fibre: Oerlikon Barmag, a leading supplier of spinning systems and texturing machinery to the manmade fibre industry has developed a winder called WinTrax especially for the production of carbon fibre that has application in many areas from aeronautics and aerospace industry, wind power plants, automotive industry, safety technology and in high-quality sports equipment such as racing bicycles, tennis racquets, skis and boats.
  
  
• Space and manpower saving drawframe for quality yarn: Rieter has introduced a double-head space- and labour-saving drawframe called the SB-D 22 that guarantees "maximum machine efficiency" with a unique can-changer up to 1,000 mm and ensures outstanding yarn quality.
  
  
• OCS to replace OE as labelling tool: Textile Exchange and Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) have jointly released a tool - the Organic Content Standard (OCS) - for companies to follow organic raw materials through production line to end product. It will replace the OE standards (OE 100 and OE Blended) which were developed in 2004 to track organic cotton, and will allow certified organic input of not only cotton but any material.
  
  
• A novel mannequin to fit any shape and size: Mannequins are essential to fashion designers for perfecting their designs to exact fit. As mannequins come in fixed size and shape designers need different mannequins to make clothing suitable to people of different body structure. That is now going to change. Researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have created a computer-controlled mechanical mannequin that designers will find hard not fall in love with.
  
  
• Cost-efficient spinning machine: An energy-saving and cost-efficient machine for making two-fold twisted high bulk acrylic yarn for sweaters, jumpers, hats, gloves, socks and blankets has come on the market. Made by Macart Textiles Machinery of Britain and called eco-SpinTwist, it can deliver as much as 230 metres of yarn a minute. Besides, it consumes less electricity, needs less factory space and workers and generates less waste than conventional ring spinning, winding and twisting machines, says Macart.
  
  
• A new anti-stain and rain treatment for textiles: A special range of fluorine-free hydro polymers that can protect textile products against rain and every day stain from ketchup and red wine to mud and grass has been developed by Huntsman Textile Effects, a division of Huntsman Corporation. It is called Phobotex.
  
  
• Olea, a viscose fibre for functional clothing: The German viscose specialist Kelheim Fibres has introduced a new viscose fibre that is said to be the first "intrinsically hydrophobic" and ideal for functional clothing. Called Olea, this latest addition to Kelheim's speciality fibre range combines the typical properties of a viscose fibre such as softness, skin-friendliness and wearer comfort with water repellency.
  
  
• Three new tools from Datacolor: Datacolor has recently released three software products - DC Tools 2.0 for quality control of colours, Datacolor Guardian for monitoring existing instruments to give predictive maintenance, and Datacolor Match Textile to help dyehouses in colour-matching and batch correction.
  
  
• Stork Prints' latest for textile printing: The Netherlands-based Stork Prints, which has been offering its NovaScreen for textile printing, has launched a new high resolution model of this screen - the NovaScreen 195-19% - that combines the benefits of the existing NovaScreen 165 (mesh) and NovaScreen 195 (mesh).
  
  
  

Exhibitions & Conferences

• Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics: With over 1,300 exhibitors from 16 countries occupying 50,000 sq m of space in the China International Exhibition Centre, Europeans were on the centre stage at the Intertextile Beijing Apparel Fabrics (March 27-29). The highlight of the three-day presentation that attracted 25,000 trade visitors was the SalonEurope which featured made-in-Europe textiles and accessories. The 6,000-sq.m salon was 20% larger than last year's and exhibitor participation - mainly from Italy, France, Germany Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Britain - 36% greater. Most notable in the salon was the Milano Unica section with spatial design and controlled access area. It had 128 exhibitors, compared with 95 in the previous Beijing edition of Intertextile and 124 in the Shanghai edition. New in Milano Unica this time was the "Verve of Design" zone. It featured the works of six Italian designers. Also for the first time, there was a section for original designs - Verve for Design. The organiser, Messe Frankfurt, was happy to welcome more European exhibitors, said Detlef Braun a member of its executive board. "We are happy about the successful relationship and look forward to continuing the strong partnership," he said. Messe had concluded a partnership agreement with Milano Unica last October.
  
  By Vicky Sung, Beijing
  
  
• Yarn Expo: With stronger participation of foreign exhibitors, the 2013 edition of Yarn Expo attracted 200 exhibitors - a record high - and 6,461 visitors from 52 countries. The number of exhibitors was up 25% and visitors up 43.5% over last year's Yarn Expo. Visitors this year included those coming from eight countries which were not in last year's visitor register. The increase in exhibitor participation was largely contributed also by foreign participants coming from seven countries and regions. Their number grew to 87 from only 45 last year - mostly from India and Pakistan. The increase made the exhibition to move from the World Trade Centre to the National Agriculture Exhibition Centre.
  
  By Vicky Sung, Beijing
  
  
• Interfilière Hong Kong, an international sourcing fair that Eurovet organises annually, took place in Hong Kong on March 26-27. This edition with a tag line "Bring innovation to life" focused not only on creativity, but also a lot more on innovation and new technology. This edition of Interfiliere pioneered what's called the PolySensorial Zone in Asia in partnership with the French Knitting and Lingerie Federation. It offered a new generation of advanced functional textiles. Hong Kong Polytechnic University students of fashion and textiles specialising in intimate apparel also collaborated on this project by creating prototypes with functional and cosmetic fabrics.
  
  By Alpana Shrestha
  
  
• Techtextil 2013: This is the continuation of the preview of Techtextil trade fair published last month. The trade fair will take place in Frankfurt next month. As of early April, still two months to go before the show begins, 1,170 companies have taken up exhibition space. Thus, the organisers expect the total number of exhibitors this year could match, if not exceed, some 1,200 exhibitors from 50 countries that came to the previous Techtextil held in May 2011. Most of the exhibitors will come from Germany. Others from the western hemisphere will be from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kindgom, the United States, etc. Asian exhibitors will come mainly from China India, Japan and South Korea. Techtextil this year has a special focus on intelligent textiles' application in the building sector.
  
  
• Texprocess 2013: This is the continuation of the preview of Texprocess began last month. The trade fair will be held in Frankfurt next month (June 10-13) together with Techtextil. The premier edition of Texprocess in 2011 had recorded 326 exhibitors. The show next month is likely to reach that number, if not exceed it. Some 290 exhibitors have reserved exhibition space by early April, most of them from Germany (98), followed by Italy (32), China (19), USA (9), Turkey (8), South Korea (8), Switzerland (7), UK (7), and others from Eastern Europe and Asia
  
  
• Countdown begins for next ITMA Asia + CITME: The 4th edition of this unrivalled textile machinery trade show in Asia will be the most effective marketing and sourcing platform for both Chinese and international textile and textile machinery manufacturers.
  
  
• Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles: The autumn edition of the biannual Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will be held from August 27 to 29 this year at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. It is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK); the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; and the China Home Textile Association (CHTA).
  
  
• New trade show for children's fashion: The trade fair organiser, Koelnmesse, and the fashion and lifestyle magazine, Luna, are jointly launching a new international children's fashion fair in Cologne, Germany, this July. Called Children's Fashion Cologne it will cover the entire baby, children's and maternity fashion sectors as well as shoes, interior and accessories. The maiden show is set for July 11-13.
  
  
• Functional textile confab: The Manchester and Cheshire section and the technical textiles special interest group of the Textile Institute, in partnership with the Materials KTN of the Technical Textiles Group, will host a conference on functional textiles on July 25, 2013, at the Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, Manchester, UK.
  
  
• Italian fabrics fair: Milano Unica, The Italian textile exhibition focused on quality fabrics and accessories, is set to make its 17th presentation from September 10 to 12, this year at the Portello - Fieramilanocity, Italy. It will showcase collection for fall and winter seasons of 2014-15.
  
  
• Dornbirn MFC: The Dornbirn Man-made Fibre Congress (MFC) that the Austrian Man-made Fibre Institute holds annually will be held for the 52nd time on September 11-13 this year in Dornbirn, Austria. More than 800 participants from more than 30 countries are expected.
  
  
• Texworld and Apparel Sourcing: The 33rd Texworld and the 5th Apparel Sourcing, organised biannually by Messe Frankfurt, will be held from this September 16 to 19 in Paris.
  
  
• Textile Symposium: The Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Society in Hong Kong is planning to hold its 6th symposium on textile bioengineering and informatics on September 26-28, this year in Xi'an, China, in cooperation with Xi'an Polytechnic University.
  
  
• ICAC to hold 72nd plenary in Colombia: The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) will hold it 72nd plenary meeting from September 29 to October 4 this year in Cartagena, Colombia. This will be the second time for Colombia which joined ICAC almost six decades ago to host the ICAC. The previous plenary this cotton producer hosted was the 38th in 1979.
  
  
• Edana's Outlook conference: Edana, the global association of the nonwovens and related industries, is planning to hold the 12th Outlook conference focused on personal care products next October in Portugal.
  
  
• Composites show in New Delhi: Some 100 exhibitors are expected to showcase their latest innovations in resins, carbon and glass fibres, fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP), glass fibre reinforced polymers (GRP), etc., in a three-day trade fair called India Composites Show in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan from October 24 to 26 this year.
  
  
• Footwear congress in Guangzhou: The International Union of Shoe Industry Technicians (UITIC) will hold its 18th congress from November 13 to 16 this year, in Guangzhou, China. Some 20 speakers from the leather industry will address this congress which the China Leather Industry Association will organise with the theme 'Social responsibility: a challenge for the Footwear Industry'.
  
  
• Automotive textiles conference in Atlanta: An international conference on automotive textiles is to be held on November 14-15, this year at Georgia Tech Global Learning Center in Atlanta, which is in the southern centre of the automotive industry in the United States with BMW, Mercedes, VW, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, and many other automotive companies as well as fabric producers and research facilities located within 300 miles radius
  
  
• Lifestyle Expo in Istanbul: The Lifestyle Expo which the Hong Kong Trade Development Council hosts in emerging markets to promote Hong Kong products and designs, including garments, is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey, from November 14 to 16 this year.
  
  
• Ink jet conference: A conference on ink jet technology is scheduled to take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 13 to 15 this year. It will be the 21st edition of the European ink jet technology conference that conference organiser IMI Europe holds annually.
  
  
• FESPA China with CSGIA 2013: The UK-based Federation of European Screen Printers Associations (FESPA) is expanding its event portfolio in Asia by adding a new event called FESPA China which will be held together with the annual trade show of the China Screen Printing and Graphic Imaging Association (CSGIA) in November this year. CSGIA is a FESPA associate in China.
  
  
• Baby products fair: The Hong Kong baby products fair which the Hong Kong Trade Development Council organises annually will hold its 5th edition next January from 6 to 9. As usual, a wide range of baby clothing and footwear will be showcased at the Baby Fashion Avenue of this fair. .

Technical Features

• Novel printing effect disperse dyes make on polyester/cotton fabric: This study explores the possibility of using synthetic resin on polyester/cotton blend to impart affinity for disperse dye in cost-efficient, eco-friendly way.
  
  By S.K. Laga, A.I. Wasif and P.S. Chinta, all of DKTE Society's Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, India
  
  
• Felting propensity of wool, Hersilcross vs Tibetan: This study to determine the felting propensity of the fibres of Hersilcross wool and Tibetan wool found in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, concludes that Hersilcross wool fibres show better felting ability than Tibetan wool fibres, when prepared under identical conditions.
  
  By Swati Pant and Manisha Gahlot, both are of the College of Home Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India
  
  
• Bright future for sugercane bagasse: Sugarcane bagasse is usually used as fuel in sugar factories or for cellulose and paper production, but mostly dumped in landfills. However, this renewable source of natural fibre has many more cost-efficient applications as this study points out.
  
  By Priti S. Futane, P. S. Joshi and S. D. Asgekar, all of D.K.T.E. Society's Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, India .

| Home | Subscription | Mission Statement| Advertisements | Next Page |

---

website and search engine optimization firm