ÍÑIGO SEGURA - Aitex 2013 number 43 Diseño y maquetación: eNGLOBA Grupo de Comunicación...

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Edurne Pasabán, professional climber, tests in AITEX the comfort of a new concept of clothing.

Infrastructure for the development of protective clothing against flash fire risks.

ÍÑIGO SEGURAFEDIT General manager

Aitex ReviewJanuary 2013 number 43

Diseño y maquetación: eNGLOBA Grupo de ComunicaciónDepósito Legal: V-2170-2001ISSN: 2173-1012

La responsabilidad por las opiniones emitidas en los artículos publicados corresponden exclusivamente a sus autores. Se autoriza la publicación de los artículos de esta Revista indicando su procedencia.

Aitex es una iniciativa de la Generalitat Valenciana, a través del iMPiVA en colaboración con las industrias del Sector textil. Aitex Centro adscrito a ReDit (Red de institutos tecnológicos de la Comunidad Valenciana)

Edita: Aitex, instituto tecnológico textilPlaza emilio Sala, 1 e-03801 Alcoy • tel. 96 554 22 00 • Fax 96 554 34 94 [email protected] • www.observatoriotextil.com • www.textil.org • www.madeingreen.com

Unidades técnicasOntinyent: tel. 962 912 262 • Fax 962 912 081 [email protected]: tel. 961 318 193 • Fax 961 318 183 [email protected]

Leaving behind a year in which our companies have increased their efforts to overcome the vagaries of the economy and maintain its stra-tegic position. A year in which the textile sector has continued taking advantage of the situation, adapting to the new challenges that markets demand, investing in innovation and creating value in their products and services.

this whole process has required attitude and commitment, as well as a large dose of proposals, work and tenacity. But, above all, confidence to take a step which, far from being a setback in every sense of the word, has represented an opportunity to strengthen our business structure.

in this spirit, we welcome 2013, a new year in which we hope to take the way to the long-awaited economic recovery. And on this tour, the alliance between companies and research centers is critical because ther are configured as the most efficient in terms of technical and human resources at the disposal of the companies to improve their technologi-cal competitive advantages. So says the CeO of FeDit in the interesting interview published in this journal.

this proactivity that demands this juncture is also very present in our sector. the best example is the success stories of companies like textils Mora, SAL or Francisco Jover, inc. that have developed in the framework of collaborative research projects with Aitex, two innovative products with which to strengthen their competitive position in their respective markets.

in this issue we show also part of our strategy to drive continuous im-provement in R + D + i in the textile sector. these include the incorpora-tion of a new laboratory service of comfort, "Determining user comfort mediente panel" that allows you to check the performance of sportswear in real situations and specialized users. Also, to improve the security of PPe used in jobs at risk of sudden fire has been started tHeRMO tex equipment. it is a thermal manikin adult size, fitted with 131 sensors that calculate the burn areas of first, second and third grade.

Aitex conduct microbiological testing to evaluate the quality of prod-ucts, identifying the presence of pathogens, and measure the effective-ness of antimicrobial treatments. Meanwhile, in Aitex we offer to the companies a specialized technical team to identify and analyze those harmful substances in textile products that are restricted by ReACH.

Finally, mean the pages devoted to this issue to some of the various european projects in which consortia the institute participates, along with other national and international partners.

Editorial

Index04 Technological news08 Determination of comfort in garments using a user panel12 Interview with Íñigo Segura Díaz de Espada, FEDIT General Manager16 A comparative analysis of the relevance of the different types of Spanish research organisations in the support

of private-sector R+D17 IInfrastructure for the development of PPE’s to offer protection against flash fire20 Legal protection for textile creations and accessories in Spain24 Microbiological research applied to textile products and processes28 New advanced biocomposites: a business opportunity with applications in several industrial sectors32 The fashion business in internet36 Toxic substance control in textile articles40 A decorative textile system with thermal and acoustic insulation capability42 Blankets with permanent antimicrobial and antistatic properties to improve levels of comfort44 Applied textile sustainability: the use of recycled natural materials as reinforcing in ballistic protection

equipment46 All4rest: integrated solutions to improve sleep quality48 European projects LIFEWEAR, WEAR-A-BAN, BIOFIBROCAR, BIOMOMI, FIBNATEX 2, SEAMATTER, WET-COMP and

INPAT 54 AITEX news56 AITEX projects with public funding58 Ateval news

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_technological news / www.observatoriotextil.com

A selection of recent innovations detected and extracted from the technological textile Observatory is presented below.Further information at www.observatoriotextil.com

Experimental study on fire hazard of typical curtain materials in ISO 9705 fire test room. Curtain materials are commonly used as decoration, shades, or screens. they are flammable and are usually across a large part of a room, leading to the risk of a high fire hazard. Once ignited, the upward fire spread would accelerate the fire development in an enclosure. in this paper, fire hazard of three typical curtain materials with different pleat rates were tested in an iSO 9705 fire test room. Fire parameters such as temperature field, flame spread rate, heat release rate (HRR), and emitted gases, and the influences of pleat rate and cotton content onflame spread rate were investigated. the correlation between flame spread rate and HRR was discussed. the results show that the upward flame spread has an accelerating rate, and an inverted-triangle burning area would emerge during the combustion. the study results provide

valuable reference to building fire simulation and safety design.

Author: Li, LM; Zhang, HP; xie, QY; Chen, L; xu, CM Reference: FiRe AND MAteRiALS, 36 (2):85-96; 10.1002/fam.1089 MAR 2012

Developing woven enhanced silk fabric for ballistic protection.Fabric materials can be in form of woven, knitted, non-woven and braided structures or a com-bination of these structures can be used for protective fabric. Properties of fabrics depend on the different types of fibres and the geometry of the final structure. this project seeks the de-velopment of optimally woven enhanced silk fabric for high-performance applications that can be potentially beneficial to various engineering fields such as ballistic protection for military, aerospace, automotive, sports and marine engineering industries. Natural enhanced silk will be used as the yarns, rather than the traditionally used synthetically-produced aramid material which poses an environmental problem. the tensile strength, tensile modulus and elongation of yarns strength are the main influences on ballistic performance. Mechanical performance of the woven silk fabric of various designs will be subsequently accessed for their effectiveness based on tensile testing and ballistic testing.

Author: Loh, KMK; tan, CKW; Oh, HCRReference: ADVANCeD StRUCtURAL AND FUNCtiONAL MAteRiALS FOR PROteCtiON, 185 34-36; 10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.185.34 2012

Thermo-physiological comfort of a PES fabric with incorporated activated carbon Part II: wear trials.the purpose of this paper is to consider the thermal-physiological comfort performances of a sport shirt made of a polyester (PeS) fabric with incorporated activated carbon. After having characterized the modified PeS fabric, the results of a wear trial campaign are shown and discussed in this work. the wear trials have been carried out under a con-trolled physical activity. When perspiration was moderate, the modified PeS shirt was judged as more comfortable than average. As the effort became harder, the modified PeS fabric turned out to be less comfortable than the conventional one. in the final recovery stage, the conventional PeS was still more comfortable than the modified PeS. this be-haviour was justified: at the beginning, the prevailing effect was the adsorbing ability of

carbon particles that buffer sweat impulses, giving the user a pleasant dry sensation. then, when perspiration became intense, the lower evaporative cooling of the modified PeS fabric became the key factor governing the physiological comfort of the garment. Finally, a post-exercise chill sensation was felt with the modified PeS fabric, due to a longer drying time.

Author: Splendore, R; Dotti, F; Cravello, B; Ferri, AReference: iNteRNAtiONAL JOURNAL OF CLOtHiNG SCieNCe AND teCHNOLOGY, 23 (5):283-293; 10.1108/09556221111166220 2011

Home textiles

textiles for clothing and sportswear.

textiles for protection and workwear

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aitex January 2013_aitex enero 2010_

Impact Damage Characterization in Cross-plied Carbon fibre/Thermoplastic Composites using Thermoelastic Stress Analysis SCarbon fiber (CF) plastic composites for light-weight vehicle structures were studied. the CF/thermostable plastic-type laminates have low damage resistance to out-of-plane impact, because they possess low inter-laminar strength compared to their high strength in the direction of the fibre. Accordingly, manufacturers are seeking to develop thermo-plastic-based CF-composite materials that have higher strength than thermostable mate-rials, for vehicle use. the present paper describes the investigation into impact damage through thermoelastic stress analysis (tSA). A Low-velocity impact test using drop weight was performed on stitched non-crimp-fabric CF/NY6 composite specimens. Stress distri-bution of the specimens under impact loading was monitored by a lock-in thermography

system from the opposite side of the impact direction.

Author: Yoshida, t; Uenoya, t; Miyamoto, HReference: NONDeStRUCtiVe CHARACteRiZAtiON FOR COMPOSite MAteRiALS, AeROSPACe eNGiNeeRiNG, CiViL iNFRA-StRUCtURe, AND HOMeLAND SeCURitY 2012, 8347 10.1117/12.915144 2012

Dependence of the liquid absorption behavior of nonwovens on their material and structural characteristics: Modelling and experiments.Nonwovens are widely used as liquid absorbent products. Nappies, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence pads, oil absorbents, wet wipes, and wound dressings, to name a few, are excellent examples of the use of nonwovens as absorbent media. the performance of nonwoven absorbent media is determined by its liquid absorption behavior, which is char-acterized by the capacity and the rate of absorption. in this article, we report on the effects of the physical characteristics of the constituent fibers and the internal structure of the nonwovens on their liquid absorption behavior. the nonwoven materials were prepared with polyester fibres with different cross-sectional sizes and their liquid absorption prop-erties were measured with the gravimetric absorbency testing system. it was observed

that the size of fibre cross sections and the porosity of the nonwovens played very important roles in determining their absorbent capacity and the rate of absorption.

Author: Das, D; Pradhan, AK; Pourdeyhimi, B Reference: JOURNAL OF APPLieD POLYMeR SCieNCe, 126 (3):1053-1060; 10.1002/app.36635 NOV 5 2012

textiles for the car industry and transport

textiles for medicine, hygiene and cosmetics

Three-dimensional networks of ITO/CdS coaxial nanofibres for photovoltaic applicationsWhen serving as the electrode of semiconductor sensitized solar cells (SSSCs), conduc-tive transparent nanofibres can enlarge the surface area and accelerate the electron trans-port, and can thus be expected to enhance the final power conversion efficiency of the device. Here we report the fabrication of three-dimensional networks of indium tin oxide (itO) nanofibres on a conductive glass substrate with a low sheet resistance of 15 Omega sq(-1) by using an electrospinning technique. A post-treatment involving polyethylene gly-col impregnation and calcination is developed to realize the excellent electrical contact of itO nanofibres with the substrate, and maintain the fibrous morphology of the nanofibres. Light-harvesting CdS nanocrystals are electrodeposited onto itO nanofibres, and then the

obtained itO/CdS coaxial nanofibres are constructed into SSSCs. We find that the performance of this novel SSSC is remarkably improved compared with CdS nanocrystals directly deposited on a flat conductive substrate, and an unprecedented photocurrent density of 9.27 mA cm(-2) is achieved under the illumination of one sun (AM1.5, 100 mW cm(-2)).

Author: Jin, MJ; Ma, t; Ling, t; Qiao, SZ; Du, xWReference: JOURNAL OF MAteRiALS CHeMiStRY, 22 (26):13057-13063; 10.1039/c2jm32173d 2012

Spinning and fibres

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_technological news / www.observatoriotextil.com

Fabrics Capable of Capacitive Energy Storage Flexible and lightweight fabric supercapacitors were seamlessly integrated into "smart" gar-ments as an energy source. the electrochemical behaviour of porous carbons applied with a traditional printmaking technique (screen printing) onto woven cotton and polyester fabrics was studied in non-toxic, non-flammable aqueous electrolytes. the porous structure of fab-rics makes them ideal for supercapacitor applications that need porous films for ion transfer between electrodes. electrodes derived from activated carbon (YP17) showed a high specific capacitance of 91 F/g on cotton and 85 F/g on polyester (i.e., similar to 0.43 F/cm (2)). Re-placing conventional activated carbon with high surface area titanium carbide-derived carbon (tiC-CDC) and by adding highly conductive carbon onions, the capacitance can be improved to 160 F/g.

Author: Jost, K; Perez, C; McDonough, J; Presser, V; Dion, G; Gogotsi, Y Reference: 2011 15tH ANNUAL iNteRNAtiONAL SYMPOSiUM ON WeARABLe COMPUteRS (iSWC), 117-118; 10.1109/iSWC.2011.33 2011

Effect of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on desizing and subsequent colour fading process of cotton denim fabric.in this article, the performance of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment in the desizing of grey cotton denim fabric followed by an enzymatic colour fading process was studied. the optimum conditions for atmospheric pressure plasma treatment in this study were: treatment time, 5"ƒs/mm; ignition power, 160"ƒW; oxygen concentration, 1%; and jet distance, 3"ƒmm. the desizing effect induced by atmospheric pressure plasma treatment was compared with conventional enzyme desizing treatment. the resultant performance properties were also compared. After conducting desizing with atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, the cotton denim fabric was subjected to an enzymatic colour fading process. the colour fading effect was found to be more significant when compared with the conventional enzymatic colour fading process.

Author: Chi W Kan, Chun W M Yuen

intelligent and functional textiles

technical finishes

Textile Reinforced Cementitious Composites for Retrofit and Strengthening of Concrete Structures Under Impact Loading textile Reinforced Concrete (tRC) has recently become a more common method for the production of thin elements with excellent properties which can be used for strengthening concrete components by applying them to the surface of the component. this study examined the behaviour of concrete beams strengthened by carbon, glass or polyethylene tRC under static and dynamic loads. Different static and dynamic behavior was identified for the different tRC materials. Significant differences between the carbon, glass and Pe were observed in the static but not in the dynamic tests.

Author: Katz, A; tsesarsky, M; Peled, A; Anteby, i Reference: HiGH PeRFORMANCe FiBeR ReiNFORCeD CeMeNt COMPOSiteS 6, 2 503-510; 2012

textiles for

construction

Analysis of the Main Properties of Geotextiles Manufactured by Mechanical Two-Sided Needle Punching and by Two-Layered Needle Punching on the Fabric UnderlayAn analysis of the basic properties of geotextiles obtained by two-sided needle punching and by two-layered needle punching on the fabric underlay is presented in this paper. the influ-ence of geotextile production technology on their functional properties was evaluated, the pa-rameters of geotextiles manufactured from staple fibres by mechanical needle punching were compared for both techniques, and the influence of the mass per unit area on the mechanical and hydraulic properties is shown. it was found that geotextiles obtained by two-sided nee-dle punching had very good hydraulic properties thanks to their spatial structure, whereas geotextiles obtained by two-layered needle punching on the fabric underlay, apart from good hydraulic properties, had very good tensile strength and small elongation at a maximum load,

which is particularly useful for reinforcement.

Author: Malkiewicz, J; Drobina, R; Lewandowski, SReference: FiBReS & textiLeS iN eASteRN eUROPe, 20 (5):94-98; 2012

Geotextiles, agro-textiles and sports surfaces

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Los artículos certificados, obtienen un sello de calidad y diferenciación para productos de origen textil hechos para el sector de la salud y la opción de la obtención del código nacional otorgado por el Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos para poder vender en farmacias.

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Personas de contacto de la certificación:Judit Sisternes · [email protected] Vilaplana · [email protected]

Plaza Emilio Sala, 1 · 03801 Alcoy (Alicante) SPAIN

INOCUIDAD QUÍMICA

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_research aitex octubre 2009_

Breathability, insulation and protection from wind and rain are basic requirements in sports and other outdoor activities and demand the right equipment to provide the minimum levels of protection: the right choice of garment is vital for warmth and comfort.

in today’s specialized sportswear market there are many dif-ferent types of specific fabrics for each sport, at different lev-els and for different climatic conditions.

the evaluation of the degree of comfort offered by a garment is achieved by using a series of objective and subjective tests depending on the use for which the garment has been de-signed and the conditions to which it will be exposed.

the comfortable temperature range for the human body is be-tween 36.7 ºC and 37.5ºC. When body temperature exceeds 37.5 ºC the body begins to perspire to avoid overheating and when the temperature falls below 36.7ºC the body begins to shiver to produce the heat it needs: the use of the correct clothing is the best ally in regulating body temperature.

Choosing the ideal sportswear for the activity is vital: the tech-nical requirements that any outdoor wear must meet include: quick evaporation of perspiration, the ability to maintain body temperature and protection from the elements.

Apart from protection, the garment may actually help im-prove sporting performance, as sportswear offers greater levels of comfort, flexibility and-in the case of swimming-the aquadynamic or water repellant capacity of swimwear: cor-

Determination of comfort in garments using a user panel

Comfort Laboratory AITEX

Choosing the right apparel or the best footwear for sports is critical to user comfort. Both must adapt to both the user and sporting activity to be undertaken. Now you can test the performance and comfort of these items in real situations and specialized users by incorporating this new ser-vice laboratory Aitex comfort.

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_research aitex octubre 2009_aitex January 2013_

rect sportswear can have a positive effect on sporting perfor-mance and on results.

the evaluation is performed at the Aitex comfort laboratory using wind tunnels (when the garment is designed for wind protection), thermal mannequins (when it is for thermal pro-tection coupled with breathability) and the rain tower (when it needs to be waterproof).

Once the technical characteristics have undergone objec-tive evaluation in the laboratory, other characteristics such as comfort can be evaluated by the user in the laboratory. Now Aitex can perform a subjective evaluation of the comfort fac-tors by following test procedures with a panel of users.

these procedures are designed to determine the comfort experienced by the wearer and are performed by simulating the conditions to which the garment will be subjected during use, including weather and the type of activity that the wearer will be involved in. Samples are also exposed to a battery of physical tests in the wind tunnel and climatic test chambers to help determine the comfort it offers.

in these tests, the wearer is tested on a static bike or running machine to evaluate whether the garment itself can influence performance (depending on the garment being tested, differ-ent tests are performed).

Comfort test procedures include: temperature and humidity sensors, thermal images, subject monitoring to determine performance and a subjective questionnaire to evaluate the sensations experienced by the wearer during the tests to avoid heat stress or overload.

With the incorporation of this new test, the comfort labora-tory aims to offer a service to sportswear manufacturers and sportsmen and women; a service that will enable the serious athlete to test the clothing they will wear during an important sports event to ensure that the clothing does not impede per-formance in any way.

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Special guest as test persona at aitex: edurne pasaban, expert in extrem climbing

Last July, Aitex was delighted to receive a visit from the professional climber edurne Pasaban. edurne’s visit was to carry out comfort testing on garment concepts on behalf of W. L. Gore & As-sociates, inc. and Advansa.

to determine the garment concepts’ degree of comfort they offer, Gore and Advansa worked closely with the textile tech-nology institute.

the internationally-renowned climber edurne Pasaban (the first woman in history to scale all 14 8,000-metre peaks on earth, and voted one of the most influential woman in Spain in 2012) was brought in to carry out the tests.

the tests were carried out at Aitex’s 4-metre-long, 2.2-meter-high wind tunnel in Alcoy (Alicante). the tunnel can achieve wind velocities of over 40 Km/hour and temperatures from -30 ºC to 60ºC and permits research on live subjects.

the two-day test was attended by representatives of Gore and Advansa, edurne Pasaban and the doctor Pablo Díaz-Munio specialized in extreme sports consultancy and was su-pervised by Aitex’s in-house comfort laboratory technicians.

the climber was subjected to two days of physical tests that were designed to determine the comfort perceiption of some garment concepts for the workplace. Sensors attached to edurne’s body measured temperature and humidity increase, and thermal imaging was used to confirm heat loss after the tests and a technical questionnaire evaluated the subjective comfort she experienced during the tests.

the mountaineer was subjected to physical tests to determine the sense of comfort of this new concept of clothes in real situations.

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_interview

Íñigo Segura Díaz de Espada

FEDIT General Manager

FeDit (the Spanish Federation of technology Centres) is an umbrella organisation of private tech-nology Centres and represents them in the Spanish system of Scientific innovation, technology, Business and Society.

What are the functions that FEDIT performs in the con-text of the Spanish System of Innovation and, more par-ticularly, what role does it play in its relationship with the Ministries which are responsible for driving R+D+i?

FeDit is an instrument which was created by the Spanish tech-nology Centres to achieve collective objectives which would be difficult to reach individually. this means that the Federation must be continuously exploring the Centres’ shared needs and helping them with defining strategies and action plans to help them achieve their goals. the aim of FeDit is to publicise the role that the technology Centres play in supporting the competi-tiveness of the Spanish private sector, offering companies the opportunity of finding competitive advantages by adopting new technologies.

FeDit is part of the european Association of Research and technology (eARtO), allowing the Federation to work in an inter-national environment and basically to cooperate with eARtO on questions of european policies on science, technology and in-novation, insofar as it relates to Spanish technological Centres.

the National Budget for 2013 is currently under discussion, the Spanish Science, technology and innovation strategies are be-ing developed (although it seems that they are being fused into a single strategy) as well as the national R+D+i plan. it is in this context that FeDit has an opportunity to analyse and of-fer proposals on the Government’s plans, enabling technology Centres to contribute to the successful outcome of the policy objectives of science, technology and innovation. No easy task since Spain is a country where applied research and, above all, experimental development, does not receive the support it has in other countries: but that doesn’t stop us fighting our corner!

What is your evaluation of the national R+D+i situation, in qualitative and quantitative terms?

FeDit has always maintained that the most important aspect of science and technology policies is not the size of the budgets, although they are obviously important in terms of volume; FeDit is more concerned with two other issues: the destination of the budgets and their stability. We believe that there remains a lot of work to do on ensuring that public funds are applied in the right areas. Our view is that they should be much more focused on the momentum of experimental development as is the case in other advanced economies. Continuing to invest in the generation of new knowledge is needless. there is a lot of new knowledge out there that is not being exploited because no efforts are being

made to facilitate such exploitation. What sense is there in con-tinuing to invest the same amounts as before in the generation of knowledge when we fail to convert what we know into business opportunities, and as a result are bogged down in a crisis of com-petitiveness? Unfortunately the political and media power from the academic sector and public research bears a lot of weight in our country, making it very difficult for such arguments to be taken into account.

FeDit also demands more stability. For the world of research to bear fruit, it needs stability because results are often not visible until several years after the research began, or even many years after it ended. Without this stability, strategic research cannot be maintained and we run the risk of derailing past investments in projects that are closed before they achieve the results they set out to reach.

What is the role of the Technology Centres in the need to drive innovation, research and technological devel-opment in companies and as a key element to achieving sustainable knowledge and an R+D+i-based economy?

Ni do not think technology Centres should play a fundamentally different role to the one they already do. it would be senseless to change a model that has proven effective in helping to improve the competitiveness of the companies. it is true that improvements are always possible and should be sought, but business models are not always improved by changes. Now, given that the model requires a certain degree of public support to survive, the ques-tion to ask now is not about the role of the technology Centres as keys to boosting the competitiveness of enterprises; rather, what

Fedit aims to highlight the role of technology Centers in supporting the competitiveness of enterprises in our country by offering them the opportunity to achieve advantages

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is the future of technology Centres without the public support nec-essary for them to perform their mission at which they currently excel? Some Centres are already considering a change of model in which public support and therefore concern about improving competitiveness of enterprises and especially SMes takes sec-ond, third or fourth place to maximising profits generated from their commercial knowledge. in these cases, technology transfer to any business (foreign and national, as well as local) becomes especially relevant. they may seek to exploit the technology gen-erated themselves rather than proactively seeking its transfer to existing companies.

In the last report published by FEDIT, in which a compara-tive analysis was carried out of the relevance of commercial R+D support organisations, it was concluded that Spanish Technology Centres are significantly more efficient than Universities and OPIS. However, the basic financing of the Centres is around 10-25 % less than other leading Euro-pean Centres. What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are obvious: if what you want is to create poli-cies that promote technology transfer to companies, support innovation in operations, enhance our competitive advan-tages in technology and productivity and ultimately, improve our competitiveness, the technology Centres are the most effective way of achieving it, both from an economic and hu-man resource point of view. A completely different question

is whether policymakers will view this data as relevant in the face of pressure from the media, the academic sector or pub-lic sector research.

i would like to make a second reflection here: this study, like those conducted or commissioned by FeDit in the past, shows that FeDit and therefore the technology Centres, are committed not only to the evaluation of results, but also to public accountability, while remaining one of the least pub-licly-funded bodies in the Science, technology and Business system.

How do you view the present and future of public fund-ing policies for R+D+i aimed at the Technology Cen-tres?

Some Centers are already considering a change of model in which public support and concern for improving the competitiveness of companies takes second, third or fourth place

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_interview

Public policies have left little room for those agencies that do not belong to the group of public-funded research insti-tutions, Universities or the private sector. i find it incredible that in other countries, the science, technology and innova-tion ecosystems are so rich while in Spain they are still con-fined by traditional elements which are rigid and all-too-often outdated. these have formed the centre of the system until now, a system that has produced such poor results in terms of technological advancement and improvement to the com-petitiveness of our companies. One explanation could be that these bodies, some more than others, have achieved enor-mous power, influence and contacts within the world of man-agement and political decision, and this has prevented other developments and growth except in limited ways. it doesn’t look like that will change; indeed the situation may worsen because in times of budgetary constraints and limited politi-cal capacity only those who have the ear of those in power can preserve their position.

technology Centres have not managed to integrate into na-tional policies and fulfil their important role of enriching the Spanish R + D + i ecosystem. Not only has the potential that these types of bodies possess not been fully realised (rather, support has significantly reduced) but policies for sci-ence and technology-oriented reform have not been formu-lated to refocus the attention of Universities and other bodies towards a more commercial demand. the difficulties faced by many companies, particularly SMes, to assume the inher-ent risks and the organisational changes needed to address an innovation-based strategy have not been clearly enough understood and therefore we are condemning ourselves to continue to become less and less competitive on the interna-tional stage.

in 2004, technology Centres counted on the support of a national competitive program they could submit their project proposals to for applied research and experimental develop-ment which had a budget of not much more than 6 million euros. Currently, they do not even have this (nor any other similar program) capable of addressing research projects designed to provide opportunities for companies involved in innovation, and the future does not look too bright for similar programs.

While countries such as Germany, Great Britain, France and others have decided to back their institutions to the hilt, con-siderably increasing budgets, the consequences are clear to see; these countries will reap the benefits of their investment, at the cost of Spanish companies.

What is your take on the present and future state of R+D subsidies granted to industry?

Grants to companies are currently facing cutbacks which will possibly be even greater than the cuts facing the public sector R+D system through Universities and other research agencies. the public sector has an enormous capacity for self-protection and industry is simply not used to defending itself against the public sector (quite apart from its fear of los-ing what little help it does receive because of the poor image

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that there is in our country of industry and industrialists). it also lacks the capacity to react to and influence budgetary decisions. the first signs are now visible in the Autonomous Funding Plan which allows the Autonomous Regions to repay the subsidies owed to the University but not those owed to technology Centres, or in the proposed law for general state budgets which is contemplating much lower cuts in budgets to public sector research bodies than those which will be ap-plied to private sector R+D.

In your opinion, what machinery should be put in motion to improve access for SMEs to private sector R+D+i funding, companies who otherwise cannot become in-volved in large-scale projects such as CDTI or INNPAC-TO?

the technology Centres were created for this and i think they have fulfilled their role extraordinarily well. i think there are ini-tiatives that have amply demonstrated their usefulness, such as the “innovation Cheque”, set up by the Valencian Com-munity. there were also other programmes that were ideal for SMes such as PROFit. Other examples would be the eU CRAFt programmes which can be applied nationally, or the U.S. SBiR programme. One way of supporting innovation would be to earmark a percentage of all the subsidies avail-able to SMes and micro-SMes.

In terms of technological capacity and knowledge cre-ation and exploitation, where are the Spanish Technol-ogy Centres currently, compared to the rest of the EU?

throughout 2011, the Federation, in an effort to discover the level of efficiency of the Spanish technology Centres, lead a european study which compared particular indicators among nine leading european and one large Asian centres. According to the study, the FeDit technology Centres:

- Receive more income from the private sector than the other Centres (8% more than the average, which is 48.62%).

- Are far behind other countries in terms of the protection of research results, occupying eighth place in terms of patents. However, Spanish Centres lead the table in terms of income per patent, which would seem to demonstrate that although we have fewer registered patents, those we have are more profitable.

- Occupy second place in terms of the percentage of in-come earned from the international sale of patents.

- Have a slightly higher rate of invoiced productivity per re-searcher, (the average is 63.340€ per researcher).

- Have 5% more R+D+i staff (the average is 66%)

- incorporate more female research staff (up to 13% higher than average, FeDit 29%, average 16%)

What is your opinion of AITEX’s work in promoting R+D+i in the textile industry?

Aitex is one of the Federation’s flagships: not only is it one of the oldest, having been on the Federation’s board for a number of years but it is also an example of the evolutionary capacity of Centres to adapt to their environment, a particular characteristic of the Spanish R+D system.

Aitex is also an example of excellence in applied research and is a pioneer in the development of new textiles which has allowed it to open up new markets for its members such as the car industry or the medical sector. Aitex is a shining example of the cross-fertilisation between industries that the technology Centres offer.

Aitex has understood the need to reinvent itself and for many years has backed first-class research from an innovation per-spective, the only way to carry out socially and economically-sustainable research. Let’s not forget an Aitex project that was selected as one of the 15 best european projects from those presented by over 300 eARtO Centres in 2011: A pro-ject that developed a soya-based textile to offer greater levels of skin protection to babies suffering from dermatitis.

Los Centros tecnológicos no han conseguido su integración en las políticas nacionales conforme al importante papel que desempeñan enriqueciendo el ecosistema español de i+D+i

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A comparative analysis of the relevance of the different types of Spanish research organisations in the support of private-sector R+D

this article is a summary of some of the more relevant conclu-sions drawn from the FeDit report of March 2012, which of-fers a brief but in-depth comparative analysis of the relevance of the more important research organisations involved in the Spanish R+D system, in terms of the support they offer for private-sector research. the full text of the study can be found at [email protected]

three types of organisations were studied: the OPiS (de-pendent on public funding), the Universities and the technol-ogy Centres.

Direct private-sector R+D+I funding

the report demonstrates objectively, using an analysis of the functional indicators of the organisations studied, that from the perspective of private-sector funding, the technology Centres are 5 times more effective than Universities and 6.1 times more so than OPiS.

innovation partners

in terms of the number of companies with which the technol-ogy Centres collaborate, technology Centres are between 5.4 and 5.8 times more relevant than Universities and OPiS. the technology Centres also offer 5.3 and 5.9 times as much sup-port than the Universities and OPiS respectively in the support of national strategic consortia.

With respect to the evolution of companies who cooperate on innovation, data analysis shows that the technology Centres are the fastest-growing Research Organisations in terms of private-sector cooperation on innovation, and that between 2004 and 2010, the number of member companies grew by 34%.

European funding for the private sector

Finally, the relevance of the technology Centres in attracting eu-ropean funding for R+D was between 2.2 and 1.9 times greater than other types of Spanish research organisations in the Vi PM. in addition, growth in the Vii PM was between 213% and 152%: 4.7 times greater than the relative relevance of Universities and 2.9 times that of the public bodies.

the report concludes that if the technology Centres were to dis-appear, in order to achieve the same amount of support for private sector R+D+i, cooperation on innovation and the same returns within the european Framework Programme that the technology Centres achieve currently, the Universities would have to increase the number of research staff by 70,000, or the other public bodies would need to increase their staff by 80,000. And this is just one of the conclusions that can be drawn.

Data sources

the sources for the data contained in the report were the follow-ing: data on the financing of private sector R+D projects devel-oped by OPiS and Universities and research staffing levels, was obtained from the information published annually by the National Statistics institute. Data corresponding to the technology Cen-tres was obtained from the annual survey carried out by FeDit of its members and by extrapolating the data to every registered technology Centre. the data on the number of companies which cooperate with the OPiS, technology Centres and Universities on innovation was obtained from the annual reports published by the iNe.

Data corresponding to the participation in national and interna-tional programmes was obtained from reports published by the Centre for industrial technological Development (CDti).

the data corresponds to the year 2010, the latest year for which iNe data is available.

_analysis

Extracto de conclusiones del informe realizado por FEDIT

17

Infrastructure for the development of PPE’s to offer protection against flash fire.

this type of incident may occur in various industrial environments such as a petrochemical plant, iron foundries, chemical compa-nies, refineries, etc. or during the work of firefighters, riot police, forest rangers, pilots, or in the military, etc. it is a major threat to the physical safety of professionals in these situations. the most dangerous aspect of this kind of event is thermal radiation and the secondary fires that occur, in addition to the inhalation of air at high temperatures that can cause serious damage to lung tissue.

PPe’s and the legislation controlling their evaluation

Fire resistant clothing minimises injury from burns and allows the worker enough time to escape. However, non-fireproof clothing ignites instantly, adding fuel to the fire and signifi-cantly increasing the degree of burns suffered by the victim.

there are several materials on the market that are used to manufacture Flash Fire-proof clothing, and Aitex has estab-lished a testing procedure using a thermal mannequin called tHeRMO tex.

the test methods for PPe’s using a mannequin are laid down in iSO 13506:2008, UNe-eN iSO 469:2006 and AStM 1930:2011.

these methods characterise the thermal protection provided by clothing based on heat transfer measurements to a man-nequin exposed to a laboratory simulation corresponding to a flare with controlled heat flux density, duration and distribution of the flame.

thermo tex infrastructure

the mannequin is constructed of thermally-stable flame-re-sistant materials. the dummy has the shape and the average

size of an adult male, is arranged in an upright position and is static.

the data is captured by the heat flow sensors and a typical mannequin has at least 100 sensors; the thermo tex manne-quin at Aitex is fitted with 131 sensors, uniformly distributed throughout the body surface. these sensors measure the flux of heat transfer through the test specimen during and after exposure. the data is used to identify areas with first, second and third-degree burns, and the total area that will receive burn wounds resulting from exposure to flame.

A Flash Fire consists of rapidly spreading intense flame caused by the ignition in air of a diffuse com-bustible, such as dust, gas or the vapor of a flammable liquid. it is characterised by its high tempera-ture, short duration and rapid expansion of the flame (heat flux of approximately 84 kW/m2, over a typically short time period of between 3 and 8 seconds).

Head 7

trunk 40

Arm 16

thighs 22

Legs 15

Hands 0

Feet 0

Totalsensors >100

image 1. Representation of the sensorised mannequin

aitex octubre 2009_aitex January 2013_

Laboratorio de Equipos de Protección Individual de AITEX

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the mannequin is surrounded by 12 burners distrib-

uted so as to ensure as even a coverage as possible. Classification and type of skin burns

Heat transfer measurements are used to calculate the burn injuries suffered by exposure to a flame.

A burn is a chemical process which progressively damages the skin, and there are different degrees of burn, according to the level of skin damage:

• First-degree: visible skin damage, visible reddening that disap-pears after an hour or so.

• Second-degree: damage to the epidermis and dermis with blis-tering and reddening which disappears after approximately three weeks.

• Third-degree: the destruction of the epidermis and dermis, loss of large quantities of extravascular fluid and the destruction of blood vessels in the affected area. Natural regeneration is not possible.

the degree of burn is given by a function: the Stoll curve. these are experimental curves based on the heat and the time or energy and time, used by the American Society for

testing Materials (AStM) to predict the effects of a second-degree burn. this study is based on the observation of the exposure time required to produce a second-degree burn on human skin subjected to a heat flux variation from 4.2 up to 16.8 kW/m2 intensity. the values above the Stoll curve pro-duce second-degree burns. Values under the curve do not cause second-degree burns.

image 3. Skin layers

image 4. Stoll curve

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Measurements above this curve will produce second and third-degree burns. those below, in the worst of cases, will produce first-degree burns or pain.

evaluation of the results

Results are expressed as a percentage of the sum of the sec-ond and third-degree burns of the mannequin’s surface, and are mapped on the body in the areas where they were pro-duced. this will help designers reinforce the garment where necessary and reduce potential injuries to the user.

this serves as a guide to the selection and use of protective clothing against the risk of flash fire, as the degree of burns suffered is the key to predicting the wearer’s survival rate.

tests conducted in the laboratory show that the type of ma-terials used in protective equipment and even the underwear worn by the user are also a very important factor to consider, since in many cases the most severe burns can be caused by the clothing, as in some cases it melts onto the skin, increas-ing skin damage further.

Thermo tex simulates a real case

there are various types of tests conducted for the evaluation of PPe’s to be used by workers exposed to heat and flames; for ex-ample, tests against convective heat, radiant heat, contact heat, etc. these tests are performed on the material or set of materials used in the manufacture of a PPe, instantaneously measuring

the temperature rise that the skin would suffer in direct contact with the material when subjected to the heat source. testing with thermo-tex goes far beyond this, as it does not only take an in-stant reading, but continues until the temperature increase stops, which leads to a more realistic evaluation of the situation since often, increased heat transfer is experienced when the source of heat has ceased. Furthermore, evaluation not only has to con-sider increases in skin temperature. the test is controlled by soft-ware which uses a series of mathematical algorithms to correlate the received energy measured by sensors located throughout the mannequin surface which will cause burn injuries to the user.

it is becoming more frequent to use mannequin trials in a labora-tory that provide a broader view of the influence of a PPe in pro-tecting the user, such as for the evaluation of thermal insulation, breathability, protection against rain, etc. these tests are aimed at the evaluation not only of the material, but of the final garment to be worn by the user.

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Despite being considered intangible, it must be remembered that trademarks are subject to property rights, the same for example as the dwelling, or property rights that are granted to a householder. Let’s not forget that in the textile industry, the trademark is often the most valuable property that the

company owns. it is therefore important to understand the different protection mechanisms that are in place. As José Antonio Moreno Campos, (General Director of the Spanish National Association for trademark Protection (ANDeMA))

Legal protection for textile creations and accessories in Spain1.

By: Carolina Eyzaguirre Vilanova: lawyer specialising in Intellectual Property Rights.

Current legislation and the laws it contains, as far as protection for textile designs and creations is concerned, can be said to be disperse at best. Spain for example, differentiates between intellectual Property and industrial Property while in the majority of other countries the situation is somewhat different: the english term “intellectual Property” (iP) covers both. the first -insofar as we are interested here- refers to creations stemming from the designer’s intellect (Author’s Rights) while the second considers the protection of industrial creations; that which is protected by trademarks, patents and models of use (distinguishing marks, creations of form and inventions respectively).

1.- el artículo tiene como fin exponer la regulación nacional en este ámbito, a pesar de la mención al Reglamento Ce núm. 6/2002 del Consejo.

Display of dresses by Spanish fashion designers at the exhibition “A look at Spanish fashion”.

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said: “trademarks are the wealth and competitivity vectors of a company”..

the Spanish Civil Code establishes iP as a special property right which is regulated by Royal Decree 1/1996, dated 12th of April, which approves the Combined text of the Law on intellectual Property (tRLPi).

Spanish intellectual Property Laws do not specifically mention textile creations within the works protected by legislation (art.10 tRLPi) although the requirements necessary for a work to be considered as protected under legislation are covered by said Law: originality, formal expression and certain textile pieces are protected. even fashion, in its broader sense of an artistically cre-ated object, can be considered to fall within the category of works of applied art. if the creation, by virtue of its originality (whether subjective or objective) is considered the fruit of an intellectual exercise and therefore protected by iP legislation, the creator will enjoy the protection of a whole range of property and moral rights. Among the author’s exploitation rights, art.17 tRLPi grants the au-thor express control over reproduction, distribution, public com-munication and transformation rights and inalienable moral rights in perpetuity grant the author the right to demand recognition as the author of the work and the respect of its integrity (art.14 tRLPi)

exploitation rights will remain in force during the lifetime of the au-thor and for a period of seventy years after his/her death or dec-laration of death (art.26 tRLPi) and furthermore, the author is not required to register the work in the intellectual Property Register (RPi) in order to be considered as the title holder to the rights, as he is considered to be the author from the moment of the work’s creation. However, it is highly recommended that the work is registered in the RPi, (at a modest registration cost) as this will constitute proof of authorship and an additional defence against infringers. Certain alternatives to the RPi exist, such as private reg-istries which can also be used as a registration of the work. it is advisable to indicate rights reserved using the © symbol, which clearly bears the author’s name, as well as the date and place of registration (art. 146 tRLPi).

it is worth noting that sketches, drawings and even photographs are subject to iPR protection. So a designer’s sketch-book, where the author creates figures, sketches or illustrations is protected by law, as long as the designs it contains include a creative element.

industrial property, and more specifically trademark law, grants protection to distinctive symbols and logos which serve as a distinguishing mark for products and services of one company from those of another and is legislated by Law 17/2011, dated 7th of December on trademarks (LM) and its development regula-tions. it is relevant here to bear in mind this legislation; as every

example of a work which is protected by Author’s Rights: fashion design sketches and drawings..

aitex octubre 2009__analisys

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fashion article needs a trademark to differentiate it from the other products on the market, it is important to ensure its registration as one product type or another, or sometimes as various, accord-ing to the Nice Classification Agreement: under this agreement, a clothing, footwear or millinery fashion article is a class 25 prod-uct. the class of products or services that are to be included within a single trademark must be very clearly described, as for example in the fashion industry many companies market perfumes and colognes, which are included in class 3, or jew-ellery, costume jewellery and watches, which are class 14 arti-cles. Property rights for a trademark are obtained through the Spanish Marks and Patents Office (OePM) and by ensuring that it conforms to the stipulations laid down in art. 2.1LM); Registering a product grants a ten year right from the date of application and can be renewed for successive ten-year peri-ods (art.31LM), endlessly. Full protection is therefore granted from the moment of concession. However, the applicant has priority from the date of the application, with what is known as “provisional protection”.

Although fashion is renowned for its ephemeral nature, certain objects or products never actually go out of fashion, such as particular iconic handbags which have been registered as 3D trademarks. (art. 4.2d) LM).

it is important to pause here to point out that companies must register their trademarks locally, nationally and internationally before they undertake any marketing or sales strategies. it must also be remembered that trademark registration in Chi-na, for example, must be completed in Latin characters as well as Chinese characters to avoid involvement in cases such as that in which the French firm Hermés found itself embroiled,

where the company lost a law suit in which it was trying to recover its trademark which had been translated into Chinese.

industrial design legislation also has special relevance in this sector: as we know, fashion changes its aesthetic and formal appearance continuously and for an article to be protected un-der Law 20/2003, dated the 7th July, Legal Protection for indus-trial Design (LDi) it must have two basic tenets; innovation and individuality (art. 5 LDi). thus, designs that can be registered are those which are new and different. the above law clearly states: “designs that are merely ornamental are registered, as well as those which are functional, excluding those whose characteristics are exclusively concerned with their technical function”. it must be remembered that the trademark owner will have, in this case, protection for five years,(extendable to twenty five) on the rights to their design.

technical innovation in fashion, although relatively infrequent, is protected under Law 11/1986, dated 20th March, on Pat-ents of invention and Models of Use (LP) and there are some notable cases: e.g. a shoe with an adjustable heel between 4 and 8 cm in height designed by a Spanish shoe manufacturer. in this case, the stem for attaching the heel to the shoe was registered as a model of use. this right of industrial property has three basic requirements before it can be granted: inno-vation, inventive activity and industrial application (art. 4.1LP). together with models of use, there are patents that differ from the former in a longer period of protection (twenty years, as op-posed to the ten granted to models) and in the greater extent to which the degree of innovation is required.

Here it would be worth mentioning patents that contribute to textile treatments. A Danish company (mentioned in the Aitex magazine issue 42) presented an enzyme-based process us-ing cellulase applied to jeans to create a worn appearance.

As we already know, the vast majority of Spanish companies rely on exports and european and international legislation must be taken into account here. in the case of industrial design, eC Regulation 6/2002, dated the 12th of December 2001, refers to european designs and models which, as well as protecting those registered, also confers three years’ eU-wide protection

example of a 3D trademark: a handbag which has been registered as a distinctive symbol.

example of a model of use: shoes with interchangeable heels using a magnetic coupling, by tac Revolution, S.L.


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on those which have not been registered, although protection is only against copies.

Antitrust activities contemplated by Law 3/1991, dated the 10th of January, on Anti-trust (LCD) are also frequent in the textile industry. Particularly cases of imitation with risk of association (art. 11.2 LCD) and imitation through third-party reputation, and the law includes a series of legal recourses that protect a complainant in these cases (art. 32 LCD).

Most litigation in this respect revolves around falsifications, copies (now commonly known as clones) or the use without consent of trademarks and, depending on the case, litigation may be civil or criminal. Despite all this, the majority of cases either go unreported or are settled out of court.

All the systems of protection mentioned here are intercompat-ible and accumulative, as art. 3.1 tRLPi states, although the basic requirements demanded by the different legislative arti-cles must be fulfilled.

to sum up then, it is always advisable to seek the advice of professional experts before beginning any marketing or com-mercial activity.

if you are interested in the subject, visit me at the Conference on Law and Fashion where all your questions can be answered, follow the link to: www.fashionlawevent.com, where recognised professionals will participate with the aim of raising awareness on intellectual property rights in this area.

example of a patent: technology to create a worn effect on jeans, by Novozymes.

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the science of studying these microscopic beings is known as microbiology and is divided into different disciplines, ow-ing to the huge diversity of micro-organisms and their influ-ence on human activity.

Micro-organisms can be beneficial when used in purification processes, food production, as fermenting agents in baking and alcohol brewing or medical research. On the other hand they may be extremely harmful; the transmission of infectious diseases, the deterioration of materials or industrial environ-mental pollution are just some of their harmful effects.

the very nature of textiles makes them prone to harbouring microbes. this is the main reason for the need to study the effects of microbes on textiles to help mitigate their adverse effects and improve a textile’s ability to resist them.

Microbiological studies on textiles can be divided into three areas:

• the evaluation of the microbiological burden in anarticle

• the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatments.• the resistance of an article to microbe penetration

Bioburden

it is vital to understand the bioburden of a health care product and any article that will be in close contact with the skin, and when calculating the bioburden and the risk entailed by the manufacturing processes involved, the characteristics of the article and its end use must be closely considered.

the manufacturing process needs very close monitoring and this must include the raw materials, machine operators, the manufacturing conditions, packaging and warehousing, as these are all phases where microbes can be introduced. High contamination levels can lead to a deterioration in the product and result in a health risk for the user.

the bioburden of an article is the degree to which it is infected by microbes and is defined by the number of viable microor-ganisms present.

there are different tests available to determine the burden, and the selection of the most appropriate will depend on the intrinsic characteristics of the samples being tested. A valida-tion of the test method for each material must be undertaken to ensure that the method selected can detect the type of microbes that need to be identified and their contamination medium (aerobic or anaerobic bacteria, mould and yeast or specific microbes) and to ensure that the sample is free from inhibitors which could give rise to false results.

A microbiological analysis must be capable of detecting the level of contamination present at any moment in an article, piece of equipment or plant.

A sterile health care or medical product is one which is com-pletely free from viable microorganisms and the bioburden is an indicator of the effectiveness of the sterilisation process. Before this process is carried out, the bioburden must be re-

Micro-organisms are all around us; they can be detected in all types of habitat and can survive in extremely hostile environments. the presence of one micro-organism or another depends on the prevailing environmental conditions of temperature, humidity, pH and nutrients to mention just a few, and scientists think we have actually probably only discovered around 1% of the micro-organisms present in the biosphere.

Microbiological research applied to textile products and processes

Laboratorio de Microbiología de AITEX

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aitex enero 2010_aitex January 2013_

duced as far as possible and manufacturing conditions are critical and must be closely monitored.

in non-sterile health care products such as gauzes, plasters and bandages, and other products that will be in contact with sensitive skin, the bioburden must be monitored to ensure minimum levels and guarantee that no pathogens are pre-sent that may cause infection in the user; Staphylococcus aureus, escherichia Coli, Salmonella spp, Clostridium spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans are a few com-mon examples. A non-sterile article may have a minimal la-tent microbial presence which may develop and proliferate if it comes into contact with a nutrient-rich medium in the ideal temperature and humidity conditions, so the absence of pathogens in the bioburden must also be ensured for these products.

Aitex is the first laboratory to be granted eNAC (National Ac-creditation Agency) accreditation to perform the bioburden test “Determination of the microbe population in products” in accordance with UNe-eN iSO 11737-1:2007 + UNe-eN iSO 11737-1:2007/AC:2009.

the benefits associated with analysing the bioburden include:

• Guaranteeing a hygienic product • ensuring the quality of the raw materials and manu-facturing process

• indication of the effectiveness of the sterilisationproces

• Control of the manufacturing environment

Antimicrobe treatments

the nature of textiles makes them particularly susceptible to harbouring microorganisms that can create infections, bad smells, deterioration in colour and even in the material itself, and antimicrobial treatments are designed to reduce all of these negative effects.

in recent years, antimicrobial textiles have gained in relevance and commercial interest due to their potential to improve the comfort and safety of the wearer. these textiles have a wide range of manufacturing applications; sportswear, technical textiles, cleaning products such as wipes, underwear, foot-wear, upholstery, hospital bedding, dressings and surgical swabs are a few examples.

the process of reducing the number of viable microorganisms to levels considered safe is called antimicrobial treatment and involves the use of microbicides to kill off and prohibit the pro-liferation of microbes: the nature of these microbicides can differ; they may be chemical finishes, natural fibres with an-timicrobial properties or a range of other technical solutions.

From a biochemical perspective, antimicrobial products are those which inhibit cell growth in bacteria or fungus and they are classified according to their action thus:

1- Death rate among the microorganisms, germicide action:BBactericides eliminate bacteria Fungicides eliminate fungi

2- inhibition of the growth of microorganisms; deodor-ising effect:Bacteriostatic: bacteria

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Fungistatic: fungi

to evaluate the effectiveness of the antimicrobial method chosen, a sample is contaminated with the microbe being studied and growth is accelerated; then the proliferation is evaluated.

if quantitative analysis is used, it establishes the number of microorganisms present and the results of the reduction in growth are expressed as a percentage or as a logarithm. Qualitative analysis on the other hand is subjective and uses valuation scales or measures the inhibition halos.

Depending on the intrinsic characteristics of the treated mate-rial (if it is hydrophylic or hydrophobic, if it is a yarn, woven or powder, as well as the method used for giving it antimicrobial properties; exhaust bath, fibre extrusion or additivation) the most appropriate test method is selected.

it is important to verify the efficiency of the antimicrobial treat-ment against specific organisms when the application for which the product has been designed is known. if the material will be used to manufacture underwear, the test would need to verify effectiveness against the microorganisms present in intimate regions.

it is also important to evaluate the life expectancy of the treat-ment applied, to ensure it will be permanent throughout the useful life of the article. this will involve subjecting the mate-rial to wash cycles and other accelerated ageing processes.

Another factor which must be considered is the toxicity of the treatment itself: it must not cause skin irritation if the article is designed to be in contact with the skin.

Benefits associated with antimicrobial treatments:

• Odour control • Hygiene and freshness • Protection against microorganisms • Consumer safety • High added value • Resistance to microbiological penetration

textiles are widely used in the medical and health-care sec-tors and on many occasions they are a direct barrier between the injury and the health-care worker, preventing cross infec-tion and avoiding the transmission of infectious agents. this is one of the reasons why these materials have evolved into highly-specific technical textiles.

Cells from the health worker’s skin which slough off contain bacteria that can be transmitted to the patient’s injury, caus-ing infection; the reverse is also true. When these technical materials are being used, there are also numerous opportuni-ties in which bacteria transported in liquid migrate through the material barrier and allow microorganisms to penetrate the flora in the skin and contaminate the patient.

Dry and wet penetration tests are performed to evaluate the degree to which this penetration is prevented in accordance with UNe-eN iSO 22612:2005 and UNe-eN iSO 22610:2007,

which consists of simulating in the laboratory the extreme conditions that the material may encounter during use.

Health care workers and nursing staff are often exposed to biological fluids that transmit infections caused by a wide range of bacteria and microorganisms that represent impor-tant risks to health and even life. this is particularly important when talking of pathogens transmitted by the blood such as hepatitis and AiDS. Specific technical textiles have been de-veloped to combat these risks, textiles which when incorpo-rated into clothing act as a barrier to blood, bodily fluids and other potentially-infectious media.

to determine the protection afforded by these barrier materi-als, resistance to the penetration of blood and bodily flu-ids is tested in accordance with iSO 16603:2004 or AStM F 1670:2008 and penetration by bacteriofages , iSO 16604:2004 or AStM F 1671:2007.

Benefits offered by determining resistance to microbiological penetration include:

• Hygiene • Safety and protection

Sollutions ofered by Aitex

Aitex offers a full range of microbiological tests to identify and evaluate the microbiological quality of products including the identification of pathogens, the control and qualification of the production site environment, the determination of the efficiency of antimicrobial treatments and resistance to microbiological penetration, in addition to our experience as a consultant to companies wishing to meet current applicable legislation and become involved in research into new materials.

.

aitex enero 2010_


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New advanced biocomposites: a business opportunity with applications in several industrial sectors

Natural fibre-reinforced biocomposites have certain advan-tages over traditional materials, coming as they do from re-newable resources they are also abundant, lightweight, are easily adapted to existing processing systems and the rein-forcing does not create any skin irritation or other effects that are harmful to health and safety in the workplace.

Natural fibre-based biocomposites also possess excellent mechanical, insulation and soundproofing qualities in addi-tion to being cheaper and more environmentally-friendly to manufacture than glassfibre.

Current state of the market

Until now, glassfibre and petrochemical-based polymer fi-bres have proved to have all the necessary structural and

longevity qualities required by the vast range of applications they are found in; aeronautics, boat building, the car indus-try, public transport, wind energy, the electric and electron-ics industry, civil engineering, health and safety and furniture manufacturing are some of the more important fields of ap-plication that have been opened up by their easy processing and excellent mechanical qualities.

Disadvantages of glassfibre-reinforced polymer composites

Having said this, there are certain disadvantages associated with using these composites when compared to biocompos-ites manufactured using bioresins and natural fibres.

Grupo de Investigación de Nuevos Materiales y Sostenibilidad de AITEX Dpto. de Composites de AIMPLAS

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Negative qualities of glassfibre:

• High fibre density (~ 40% > natural fibre), increasing theweight per piece

• Difficult to recycle

• Health risks associated with glassfibre dust

• Glassfibre manufacturing is energy intensive: as an ex-ample, a linen fibre requires 9.55 MJ/kg, including cultiva-tion, harvesting and fibre processing, which is 17% of theenergy necessary to manufacture a similar glassfibre mat(54.7 MJ/kg).

Petroleum-based polymers:

• Fossil fuels, while not yet at critical levels are not beingrenewed and are in fact being consumed at a rate 100,000 times greater than that at which they can be replaced by nature: this means that according to some estimates there are approximately 1-1.5×107 t remaining which will be con-sumed within 40 years at the current rate of consumption

• High cost owing to conflicts within and associated with oil-producing countries and increasing global demand

Apart from this, there is a whole range of legislation, either existing or planned, aimed at promoting the use of alternative materials aimed at minimising waste and making recycling easier.

New advanced biocomposites

this is the context within which AiMPLAS and Aitex are work-ing to develop new advanced biocomposites from bioresins and natural fibres, as an alternative to those petrochemical and glassfibre-based products which are currently available.

this research intends not only to increase the competitive advantage of Valencian manufacturers of thermostable res-ins and textiles, but also to provide a boost to others involved in fibre manufacture as well as those operating in the boat building industry, public transport, the car industry, construc-tion, energy, urban furniture and sports industries.

the new biocomposites developed by the project will initially be used to manufacture and evaluate prototypes with ap-plications such as those outlined in the previous paragraph. the articles could be components for ships, trains, cars, structural elements in solar panels and construction panels, recycling banks, sports gear and energy microgeneration.

a) b) c)

d) e)

g)f)

Figure 1: Possible applications for biocomposites in different sectors selected by the project: ship’s hatch (a); train interiors (b); car interiors (c); curtain walling panels (d);solar panels (e); recycling banks (f); microgeneration components (g)

the aim of the project is to improve the qualities of biocompos-ites manufactured from bioresins and natural fibres, improv-ing their levels of compatibility and adapting their manufac-ture to current manufacturing processes. the improvements obtained will be evaluated through the characterisation of the materials developed and compatibility studies.

Expected results of the research project

the result of the successful completion of the project will be the manufacture of advanced biocomposites with a higher degree of carbon from renewable resources and with prop-erties which are well adapted to the different possible areas of application. Among the many advantages that will be ob-tained are:

• Reductions in the energy necessary for their manufacture:the production of natural fibre-reinforced biocomposites re-quires significantly reduced levels of energy compared toglassfibre production, and this leads to far lower levels ofcontamination from CO2.

• Lighter components leads to reduced fuel costs associ-ated with transport and fewer Volatile Organic Compoundemissions from the burning of fossil fuels

• Reduction in the carbon footprint of the end product: reduc-tion in energy requirements and petrochemical products

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_reserach

will ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of the product, which should in itself be an incentive to the environmental-ly-minded end user.

• Reduction in the dependence on petrol resulting from the development of vegetable-based bioresins. Reducing fossil-based compositions reduces the demand on fuel reserves in favour of other materials from renewable re-sources.

• Biocomposites with qualities and applications similar to those of glassfibre-reinforced polymers.

the project is expected to last for two years, finishing in De-cember 2014. two renowned technology institutes will be involved, offering their experience in the raw materials de-velopment, processing and characterisation. the proposal is within the framework of projects in collaboration with technol-ogy centres and is co-financed by iMPiVA and FeDeR.

the above lines of research are included within the project named “BiOAVANt: the technological Development of New Advanced Composites” by AiMPLA and Aitex. No. iMDe-CA/2012/83, within the programme of Collaborative Projects (Grants to technology institutes), and supported by financ-ing from the Council for industry, Commerce and innovation of the Generalitat Valenciana, through iMPiVA (the Valencian institute for Small and Medium Businesses).

aitex octubre 2009_

32


the online fashion business is frontline news: by 2010, 17% of Spanish consumers bought clothes over the internet, a 65% increase over the previous year; the average spending on clothes was 191€, 11% higher than in 2009. this means that the total size of the online clothing market was over 580 thousand million euros in 2010*. Now these are impressive numbers right? internet has radi-cally transformed how we do business and the textile and fashion industries are no exception to this change; in fact, the contrary is true, as the figures above demonstrate. A growing number of fashion and textile companies are being created from these innovative business models, companies which could not exist without internet. Let’s have a closer look at some of these models.

Crowdfunding, or the power of the crowd

Many of you will recognise the english term, others won’t, but maybe those of you who don’t know the term will have heard of companies like Groupon, the discount king. What’s their secret? Crowdfunding.

the mechanics are simple and can be summed up in the fol-lowing way: a company which works on the crowdfunding model is like a purchasing hub, only for consumers! that’s what makes Groupon so successful: it connects buyers to businesses so they can get the best price.

Another well-known example in the fashion industry is BuyVip, the astonishingly successful Amazon site (the world’s largest retailer; and it’s online). the company, created by a group of students studying a master’s degree at ieSe, is in reality noth-ing more than a fashion outlet. in exchange for membership and agreeing to receive information and offers, the customer can buy last season’s models from top names at incredible discounts. the client gets quality clothing at scandalously low prices and the brand name gets an affordable stock man-agement system: this is because the company can unite the strength of its entire client base, drastically increasing its bar-gaining power.

Obviously these business models would be impossible with-out internet.

The Long tail, or niche paradise

Not many have heard this term but it refers to the ability to lead your clients down the long tail of products you are offering, and is the secret behind the success of such profitable companies as Amazon (the world’s largest retailer).

the idea is simple: if you are the owner of a traditional, or offline bookshop you have a limited amount of frontage, shelf space and stock. So you have to choose the juiciest titles to display in the window, on the shelves and hold in the warehouse. this means you have to sell a large number of the most popular ti-tles and turn your back on less-commercial books. that’s why in the offline world, the most successful companies have been those that are oriented towards high consumption and not niche markets.

But what would happen if that limited resource (the available space) drastically reduced in cost? then you could stock a huge range of low-selling niche-oriented titles, guiding your clients from the most popular articles to the less commercial ones. then you could sell a little of everything, making you a niche marketer!

The fashion business in internet

Raúl Hernández. Consultor: Strategic Department at Altair | Real Solutions

Durante los últimos años se ha producido una restricción del crédito y un aumento del coste del mismo por parte de las entidades bancarias al tejido empresarial, provocando que a las empresas les cueste más afrontar gastos e inversiones necesarias para su funcionamiento.


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aitex January 2013_

in the world of fashion, hugely successful companies like the American Zappos uses this strategy to direct the customer down its tail, using first-class recommendation technology.

Crowdsourcing, or the knowledge of the crowd

Crowdsourcing is a different approach to creating value, based on mass involvement (not contracted by the company) to resolve a problem. the pioneer of this work model was Linus torvalds, creator and development manager of Linux, the number one ex-ample of free-ware; Wikipedia would be the most celebrated, although it is certainly not a unique case, where anonymous contributors collaborate on the greatest encyclopedia ever writ-ten. An outstanding example is 123designer, where someone who needs for example a company logo sets up a competition

or challenge; designers present their proposals and the winner gets the contract (paying a commission to the platform). Other open innovation platforms that use this model are NineSigma or Worthidea.

i’m sure that many of you are thinking that it’s impossible to car-ry this model over into fashion; that’s where you’re wrong! And companies like Chicisimo are the proof: what is Chicisimo? it’s a social network where the user photographs themselves wearing their favourite clothing and outfits, tagging the photo with the brand of each. exactly like what happens on twitter, interaction is constant and some users turn their style into a fashion and gain a following, converting themselves into fashion creators or comentators. Symbolic prizes are awarded for different styles, garments and combinations and big brand names collaborate with the users who promote their image and values most.

Client-focused added value

it’s said that Black&Decker doesn’t sell drills, but well-made holes: the slogan hides more than it reveals. the claim is certainly making one thing clear: people don’t collect drills. We don’t buy them because we like them; we buy them be-cause sometimes we need to drill a hole. So Black&Decker decided to concentrate on resolving the customer’s problem and not providing them with a fantastic drill. How? One study says that each drill is used, on average, less than an hour a year. So why do we need a drill for the rest of the time? Black&Decker’s answer was to open a drill-hire shop, which was a resounding success.


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Other companies have taken the same route, revealing a deep understanding of what the client wants and the need that the product fills. that’s the idea behind the young fash-ion company La Más Mona, a portal for renting luxury even-ing wear. the reasoning is the same as the drill, but aimed at women: why buy an expensive dress that we’ll wear once every two years, if you can rent it?

In summary...

ethe huge growth in online business is opening up a vast range of innovative business models for the fashion indus-try and new, improved ways of relating to our customers that simply would not be possible without internet. these models also create more-easily scalable businesses (increased on-line sales do not necessarily mean increased costs) and offer excellent opportunities for low-cost internationalisation. And if that wasn’t enough, they create a much closer two-way re-lationship between you and your client through social media sites, and provide you with a chance to gain an extremely valuable and interesting insight into your client that in the of-fline world would only be available through expensive market studies.

internet is no longer just a fashion, but fashion is on the inter-net to stay!

*Study on e-business B2C 2011 by the National telecommu-nication Observatory.


C/ ALCALÁ 119, 4º IZQUIERDA

28009 MADRID (ESPAÑA)

TEL: +34 91 431 62 98 FAX: +34 91 431 18 12

www.asepal.es / [email protected]

ASOCIACIÓNDE EMPRESASDE EQUIPOSDE PROTECCIÓN PERSONAL

Contacte con nosotros llamando a nuestras oficinas o visitando nuestra página web.

CATÁLOGO DE EPI CERTIFICADOSNUEVO

» Herramienta electrónica de apoyo para la preselección de equipos

» Motor de búsqueda con múltiples criterios de selección

» De la normativa al fabricante o distribuidor en tan sólo 3 pasos

¡AHORA

es el momento

de hacerse socio!

Asiste con nosotros a

SICUR 2012en el pabellón de

prevención laboral

más visitado

www.asepal.es

ASEPAL es desde 1989 la única asociación del sector de Equipos de Protección Individual en España y la representante en Europa. Fabricantes, distribuidores y otras empresas aúnan sus fuerzas para hacer que la protección personal sea siempre certificada y se utilice mejor.

ASEPAL ofrece a sus asociados entre otros servicios:

» Apoyo a la asistencia a ferias nacionales e internacionales: gestión de espacios, subvenciones en ferias y misiones comerciales.

» Relaciones con la Administración en cuestiones como desarro-llo de normativa, control de importaciones y distribución en el mercado y uso adecuado de los EPI.

» Proyección de la imagen del sector: relaciones con medios de co-municación, folletos divulgativos, revista NUEVA PROTECCIÓN.

» Publicaciones técnicas: Catálogo electrónico de EPI certifica-dos, Guía de Selección de Equipos de Protección Personal, es-tudios comparativos de las nuevas normas y las existentes…

» Participación en los comités técnicos normalizadores. Aseso-ramiento técnico sobre normativa.

Asepal Anuncio PT/246x336.indd 1 10/03/11 10:04


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Toxic substance control in textile articles

Departamento de Sustancias Nocivas de AITEX

textile manufacturing processes cover a wide range of finishing treatments that require the use of an equally wide range of chemicals before the article reaches the consumer. this process begins back at the cultivation of the plants which are used to obtain the fibres, and includes fungicides, pesticides and herbicides and continues on through the use of dyes and any auxiliary products that are used to provide the textile with specific finishes and qualities: it is vital to ensure that all these treatments leave no harmful residues on the article when it reaches the consumer.

ReACH rules

european legislation which oversees the control of toxic sub-stances in products is compiled under the ReACH rules. eC 1907/2006 reforms the conditions of sale and use of chemical substances and preparations and aims to ensure that manufac-turers, importers and any other stage of the manufacturing chain only produce sell or use articles or substances with guaranteed levels of health and safety and environmental protection. Al-though manufacturers who use chemical products are obviously the hardest hit by ReACH, every manufacturing and distribution subsector have obligations under the legislation: ReACH even views importers as manufacturers within the eU, obliging them to assume the same responsibilities for their imported products when they are sold in the eU.


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aitex January 2013_

ReACH Obligations for distribution of goods

Any company which sells its products in the european eco-nomic Space (eeS) has obligations relating to the chemical substances contained in its products, and must:

1. Check whether the article contains any substance that willbe released under normal, reasonable and predictableuse. if this is the case, and if the substance is present inthe articles in annual quantities greater than 1 ton/year permanufacturer or importer, the substance must be regis-tered in the eCHA (european Chemicals Agency) for thespecific use of the substance in the article.

2. Check whether the article meets all the requirements stipu-lated in ReACH, Annexe xVii which specifies the “Restric-tions for manufacture, sale and use of certain substances,preparations and hazardous articles”.

3. inform the client if the article contains any substance includedin the list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) whichmay form part of Annexe xiV, in concentrations greater than0.1% by weight of the total weight of the article, and to notifythe eCHA when necessary.

in the case of a consumer expressly requesting this informa-tion, it must be made available, at no charge, within 45 days of the request.

ReACH is multi-sectorial, dynamic regulation which periodi-cally incorporates new substances in the SVHC list, as well as restrictions in Annexe xVii, which each sector must regularly check for new requirements that may affect articles and up-date in their data bases.

How to obtain ReACH information for articles

the distributor of a textile article must compile information on the substances contained in the article they manufacture, either through their direct suppliers or from lower down in the supply chain in order to fully understand and fulfill their obligations with respect to the three points cited above; in other words ensure that they are marketing articles which are safe to use and which conform to current european leg-islation.

in cases where this information is not available from a re-liable source, the article may be subjected to a chemical analysis by an expert laboratory.


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Aitex offers textile companies a full team of technicians who are specialised in the analysis and identification of chemical substances contained in textile articles which are restricted by ReACH, and provides support to those manufacturers with complex supply chains as well as confidentiality agree-ments or supply contracts which may make the transmission of this information difficult.

thus, Aitex can define and help textile companies to implant “Health and safety control systems for the product” accord-ing to the requirements and obligations that the company has, and the product type and final use of the articles in-volved. Aitex’s laboratories are equipped with the latest an-alytical equipment and are staffed by the most highly-trained personnel in the detection and quantification of restricted substances in textile articles in order to help identify sub-stances that could offer a viable alternative to these hazard-ous substances.

Current list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC)

Follow the link below to consult new REACH require-ments http://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/regulations/reach.

Or if you prefer, you may contact the Institute’s techni-cians who will be happy to help..

AITEX certification of REACH conformity for an article

in recent years there has been increasing demand for green products which help protect the health of the consumer and this demand has been particularly high in babywear and accesso-ries and childrenswear, which are two groups where there is a higher-than-average risk of using the garment or textile acces-sory inappropriately.

Oeko-tex Standard 100 is the leading european certification for safe textile products and includes in its list of restricted sub-stances those considered harmful to health, whether they are legislated against or not, that may be present in textile products. Aitex is the only authorised accreditation body in Spain.

For those manufacturers who only wish to ensure that their prod-ucts comply with ReACH, Aitex has created the OK ReACH label, guaranteeing that any article bearing the certification com-plies with existing european legislation in hazardous substances and particularly with the requirements established by Annexes xiV and xVii of ReACH.

OK ReACH is an extremely agile and efficient tool for information ex-change between members of the supply chain which also allows the identification of the final product with the OK ReACH label, which informs the consumer that they are purchas-ing an article which offers guaran-teed safe use.

Examples of hazardous substances and their main applications

Phthalates: plasticisers, present in PVC and PU products and plastic prints.

Formaldehyde: a preservative, anti-wrinkle treatment, fixer, common in dyed and printed textiles.

Lead: a pigment used in plastics and a component of me-tallic materials.

Phenols: pesticides and textile and leather preservatives, present in silks and other natural fibres.

aitex octubre 2009__successful cases

40

excessive noise is harmful to health

Acoustic insulation is not only important from the point of view of comfort but also in terms of health and safety. it is well documented that the exposure to excessive noise over long periods of time can have serious health consequences, as well as other associated risks. Seeking an answer to the prob-lem, FRANCiSCO JOVeR, S.A. has been researching ways of improving sound absorption in textiles to develop an at-tractive, adaptable product with improved sound absorption performance.

the aim of the project was to develop a new multi-layer, tex-tile-based decorative product which would offer an attractive acoustic absorption alternative for public spaces.

Product properties

the research project has produced a composite panel with an expanded synthetic foam filling and light-weight outer lay-er which is inserted into a washable decorative fabric cover. the foot of the panel has a light-weight metal stretcher in-serted for easy mounting.

the decorative cover, finishing, seams and filling have been designed for maximum absorption, excellent fire retardant behaviour and easy care. the lightweight design makes the panel ideal as a window covering or space divider, improving both the elimination of exterior noise and interior acoustics.

Below is a table showing the acoustic performance as meas-ured in a reverberation chamber in two different installation configurations at a distance of 5 and 10 cm respectively from

the wall. this data provide an average acoustic absorption coefficient, in accordance with the stipulated Building Codes (Cte), of 0.87 and 0.90 respectively.

FRANCiSCO JOVeR, S.A., has collaborated with Aitex on a project within the scope of the “Op-erational R+D+i Programme for the Benefit of Companies” financed by CDti (Centre for the tech-nological Development of industry), to develop a multi-layer textile structure that can not only be used as acoustic insulation but as curtains, blinds or as a space divider in public spaces.

Grupo de Investigación de Acabados Técnicos, Salud y Medio Ambiente de AITEX

A decorative textile system with thermal and acoustic insulation capability

the multilayer structure formed by a porous filler and two textile has a high sound absorption limiting reflection diminishes transmitted and therefore improves the isolation and conditioning

Comparison of the absorption coefficient of the system to a distance placement of the wall or window 5 and 10 cm.


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aitex January 2013_

Proposed application and scope of the improvements

Within a precinct occurs in decibel noise level associated with the reverberant field created by the source. the way to mini-mize this level is to incrising sound absorption of the room, which is calculated as the sum of the different absorption co-efficients of each item multiplied by the surface having said material.

One can evaluate the noise in an enclosure before and after performing an acoustic treatment. this uses data from media absorption coefficients given by the catalog of building ele-ments of the Spanish technical Building Code (Cte).

the level of noise in a space is associated with the reverberation field created by the source, and the best way to reduce noise is to increase the acoustic absorption capacity in the room. this is calculated by adding together the absorption coefficient of each material in the space multiplied by its surface area.

Noise level is measured in a space before and after acoustic treat-ment using acoustic absorption data obtained from the Building elements Catalogue of the technical Building Codes. in a space 5 metres long by 4 meters wide (20 m2) and 3 metres high (60 m3) and supposing an average absorption coefficient of 0.09 which is the typical absorption coefficient of a painted concrete block-built space with no absorption material.

When the panels are installed over a total surface area of 20 m2 (21.3% of the total surface area), a reduction in noise of between 4.5 and 4.6 dB is achieved, at respective distances of between 5 and 10 cm from the wall: a reduction of 3 dB in the noise level is equivalent to reducing noise by half, as a decibel is a logarithmic measurement.

the use of JOVeR panels can substitute more traditional acous-tic treatments. A typical application would be 20 m2 on a ceiling with complicated construction of suspended ceilings formed from perforated metal, plaster or wood panels, acoustic absorbent material (mineral or synthetic wool) and an air chamber deeper

than 15 cm. the best possible results that could be achieved with more traditional insulation materials would be equal to the results achieved using the Jover panels, but with much higher materials and installation costs.

Francisco JoverManaging Director: FRANCISCO JOVER, S.A. and Project Manager.

“Acoustic comfort in construction is often overlooked: how-ever, excessive noise can be the main cause of fatigue, stress and health problems. this development uses decora-tive textiles with improved acoustic absorption performance to separate spaces within a building. the panel’s excellent characteristics also represent a substitute for more complex and expensive acoustic solutions such as suspended ceil-ings. the development represents a new product line for the company and one where the acoustic properties of textiles will have a special importance.”

Acknowledgements:Project supported by CDti - Centre for industrial technological Development and funded by the european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) through the Operational Programme for R & D + i by and for the benefit of business - technology Fund.

Application example


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textiLS MORA have collaborated with Aitex to develop a range of blankets which offer greater levels of comfort thanks to their antistatic and antimicrobial properties.

Finishing Research Group Technical and Environmental Health AITEX

Blankets with permanent antimicrobial and antistatic properties to improve levels of comfort

“Comfort” is an imprecise term whose meaning is well-under-stood but which is difficult to define exactly. the dictionary of the Real Academia de la Lengua defines “confortable” as the ability to produce comfort; this ability can be improved by functionalising textiles with particular properties.

the project has sought to provide greater levels of comfort by functionalising the fibres used in the blanket with antistatic and antimicrobial properties.

Antimicrobial and antistatic properties to improve levels of comfort

the functionalisation of textile articles with antimicrobial prop-erties is becoming ever more necessary; antimicrobial agents inhibit the cell growth of microorganisms and thus provide a barrier against common skin complaints and conditions such as atopic dermatitis and ageing, which certain microorgan-isms produce.

While colonies of bacteria metabolise the nutrients found on the skin, they release gasses which are the main cause of body odour, and this process is further favoured by the con-ditions of humidity and warmth found close to the skin and within layers of clothing: Body odour results from the action of bacteria on perspiration, and not from the perspiration itself, which is odour-free.

textiLS MORA has already carried out research to discover how to provide a blanket with antimicrobial properties using conventional finishing treatments, which resulted in signifi-cant reductions in the propagation of bacteria and fungi and improved protection against mites. However, this second pro-ject has lengthened the effective life of the properties.

the company has also identified a need to provide blankets with an antistatic capability. When the fibres rub together or are in contact with a sleeping person, an electrostatic charge is built up and various scientific studies have demonstrated that this charge may cause stress, migraine and nervous dis-orders. this has lead to the company’s interest in providing


43

aitex January 2013_

blankets with an antistatic capability which will improve the well-being of the user.

Product properties

With the aim of providing blankets with antimicrobial proper-ties to reduce the growth of bacteria, fungi and mites as well as reducing the static charge, metallic technical fibres were selected that already offer these characteristics.

A full-scale study of the different types of metallic fibres avail-able revealed a group of fibres that possess the most ideal spinning, weaving and finishing performance.

each one of the manufacturing processes involved in produc-ing a blanket has been improved to allow the use of metallic fibres (either alone or in blends with conventional fibres such as acrylic or polyester) to reduce the difficulties presented by manufacturing a functional article that retains the traditional properties of comfort and appearance expected of a blanket. Fibre thicknesses, the composition of the substrate and the tuft, and the dyeing and finishing processes have all been examined during the project.

After various tests with different types of metallic fibres, silver yarn was identified as the most ideal because of its intrinsic antimicrobial and antistatic properties, coupled with the ease with which it can be used in the manufacture of blankets.

With regards to the durability of the functional properties achieved, it was demonstrated that when the samples were subjected to accelerated ageing, even after 20 wash cycles, their properties remained more or less intact: the effect is ef-fectively permanent as 20 washes is sufficiently high for an article such as a blanket.

Samuel GramagePresident of the Board of Directors, TEXTILS MORA S.A.L..

“the permanent antistatic and an-timicrobial properties conferred on the blankets have had a huge im-pact on business, as they not only

broaden our catalogue, but represent a functional product that improves the health and well-being of users by offering protection against allergies and stress.”

Thanks to:CDti (Centre for technological and industrial Development) for supporting the project, which has been co-financed by European Regional Development funding (FEDER) through the R+D+I operational programme to benefit companies – technological Fund


44

Research Group of New Materials and Sustainability AITEX

Applied textile sustainability: the use of recycled natural materials as reinforcing in ballistic protection equipment

the eCOtexCOMP project aims to develop more envi-ronmentally-friendly textile structures that can be used as reinforcing in composite panels. the composition of fab-rics that can be used in ballistic protection applications is currently restricted to a narrowly-defined and well-studied group of natural, recovered and ceramic-based fibre combinations. the use of technical fibres can never exceed 25% by weight of the fabrics being studied; thus 75% of the weight will be composed of recovered and natural fibres, safeguarding the ecological and environ-mentally-friendly nature of the project.

Within the scope of the project, the application of dif-ferent chemical surface treatments is also being studied to improve the mechanical performance of the recycled-material composite reinforcing panels that the project is developing. the affinity between the textile reinforc-ment and the polymer matrix will largely determine the chemical properties of the final material, and the surface modification treatments being investigated here seek to increase this polymer-fibre affinity. the most promising surface treatments from the point of view of the project would appear to be:

• Chemical modification through finishing processes (inbatch or continuous).

• Photochemical coating.• Chemical activation of the reinforcing using an atmos-

pheric plasma process.

the innovative nature of the textile that eCOtexCOMP will develop has been described; however, the project also intends to evaluate the performance of these materi-als in the composites industry by using polymer matrixes obtained from renewable resources. the polymers which can be used by the project will be obtained from chemi-cally-modified triglyceride acids from vegetable oils such as soya, walnut and linseed or alternatively, polylactic acid-based thermoplastic biomaterials like PLA, PHA or tPS could prove useful.

the following table shows the project partners:

COMPANY MARKET

SeLVAFiL, S.A. teCHNiCAL YARNS

GRUPO eStAMBRiLteCHNiCAL textiLeS, WORK-

WeAR,PROteCtiVe textiLeS

ANteCUiR, S.L.teCHNiCAL textiLeS FOR tHe

CAR iNDUStR

VALeNCiA

POLYteCHNiC

UNiVeRSitY

R+D - COMPOSiteS

textiLe

teCHNOLOGY

iNStitUte

R+D – TECHNICAL TEXTILES

Current state of the market

to date, ballistic protective gear has been manufactured from thermostable epoxy and vinyl ester resins, and re-inforced using technical materials like p-aramids, carbon or glass fibre.

eCOtexCOMP represents a wonderful opportunity for the partners to diversify their activities: research and development into recycling technical materials to use in new structures, natural fibres and ceramic-based prod-ucts will enable the partners to produce a whole new range of textiles with advanced properties and enhanced performance that will be welcomed by the composites industry in a number of different applications.

impact-absorbing composite panels have a huge range of applications, including the car industry, the military, riot gear such as helmets and shields and ground-fire pro-tection for aircraft. Other uses include aerospace, ma-rine, public transport, wind energy, the electronics sector, civil engineering and health care (just some of the enor-mous range of applications that these materials have in modern life). the ease with which they can be manufac-tured and their excellent mechanical performance have been vital to their introduction them into these different applications.

Expected results of the research

the results obtained to date demonstrate the technical viability of developing environmentally-friendly ballistic protection products. Certain applications within the mar-ket are proving to be ideally-suited to the introduction, to


45

aitex January 2013_

a certain degree, of recycled or natural materials as an alternative to petrochemical-base fibres.

the project is programmed for three years, ending in December 2012. three leading manufacturers and two highly-specialised research centres in the field of techni-cal textiles and composites will collaborate as partners in order to complete the various stages and tasks. the project falls within the iNNPACtO 2010 programme and is financed by the Ministry economics and Competitive-ness and co-financed by eRDF funds from the eU.

.

images of ballistic protective panels being manufactured and tested.

example of a composite panel being used as bullet proofing in a car door..


46

All4rest: integrated solutions to improve sleep quality

the project has developed biomaterials, environmentally-friendly technologies and sleep systems with enhanced levels of com-fort. All the products that have arisen as a result of the project have been rigorously tested to ensure their effectiveness.

Go Green for improved sleep systems

One of the main aims of the project is to develop ecological and economically-viable technologies that will improve the quality of sleep.

the study has applied new materials to bedding and pyja-mas as well as mattresses. Biofibres have demonstrated their excellent capacity for enhancing softness coupled with un-beatable humidity control (see table). the use of enzymes may make these materials even softer and nanofinishes us-ing natural materials can provide materials with new functions such as resistance to bacteria, without the use of aggressive chemical treatments.

After the biofibres were selected, they were evaluated by test-ing their structural composition and suitability for weaving. New fabrics were developed that enabled the improvements these biofibres offered in comfort, feel and thermal qualities to be thoroughly tested. the materials can be coated or finished using renewable materials and a hotmelt process, which is more environmentally-friendly than other processes and which allows extra qualities such as antimicrobial or fire-proofing finishes to be incorporated.

Finishing Research Group Technical and Environmental Health AITEX

All4rest is a european project financed by the eU through the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-SMe-2010-262652), coordinated by Aitex and involving 5 leading european technology centres and 7 companies as well as the Hospital of Navarra. Consortium details and eU financing details are shown at the bottom of the following page.

Material incorporating microcapsules.

BIOFIBRES / END PRODUCTS

Mattress material Bedding Pyjamas

Hemp x - -

CoconA x - -

Lenpur x x -

Bamboo x x x

PLA x x -

SoYa x x x

SoPure® - x -

SoSmooth® - x x

Biophyl® - - x

Greenfil® x - -

thermocooleCO® - x -

A selection of biofibres that could be used in textile-based sleep products


47

aitex January 2013_

Microcapsules: for a fresh comfortable bed

the use of microcapsules can aid relaxation: one way to achieve this is through the use of slow-release essential oils or perfumes, and this opens the door to an even more exciting new possibility: when microcapsules are filled with natural oils, they can absorb the excess heat of the sleeper during the night and then release it slowly when the occupant begins to feel cold. thus, the mattress itself could help regulate the temperature of the bed during the night, enhancing the quality of sleep achieved by the occupant.

the All4Rest team has tested new, innovative ways of incorporating microcapsules into a material.

Microcapsules have demonstrated their wash fastness during ten wash and rub cycles, proving that they are permanently fixed on the material, and that the essential oils and perfumes are dermatologically neutral.

electrically-heated mattress

the team has also studied a further innovative option; that of self-heating beds. two different methods were studied; electrically-conducting dyes and metallic yarns and the latter was identified as the most ideal as a heating system. they are highly flexible and imperceptible when woven or stitched into the article. in order to evaluate the ability of different con-ducting yarns to produce heat, the temperature increase for each stepped voltage increase in each yarn was measured through thermal imagery; steel was found to give the best re-sults. Before any product using this system can be marketed, it will need a thermostat or control.

Textile sensors

A mattress that can detect both heat and movement has been developed that incorporates pressure sensors and thermo-couples to measure the number of movements on the mat-tress over a particular period of time: if a subject moves more than 4 times in 15 minutes, the quality of the sleep is consid-ered to be poor. the project is also evaluating the viability of integrating the system into a commercial product.

the article has been tested at the Hospital of Navarra using polysomnography on a group of volunteers who slept on the mattress and the results were compared to other products already commercially available.

All4Rest is coordinated by Aitex and has involved 4 other leading european technology centres (CeNtexBeL and UGeNt in Belgium, and itA and itCF in Germany) and the Hospital of Navarra. the project also counted on the collabo-ration of the Spanish company eCUS, the German compa-nies 3t and MULtiPLOt, the Belgian companies AVitex and DAKOtA COAtiNGS, the Portuguese DeVAN MiCROPOLiS and the iNNOFA BV from Holland .

All4rest received financing from the eU Seventh Framework Programme run by the ReA http://ec.europa.eu/research/rea(FP7/2007-2013) in accordance with subsidy 262652. For further information go to http://all4rest.aitex.net

Heating and cooling sequence of the heating element.

Temperature sensors

Knitted fabric layer

Non-woven fabric layer

Foam layer

Thin non-woven fabric layer

Quilting

Movement sensors

Conductive paths upper layer

Conductive paths lower layer

temperature sensors

Movement sensors

Quilting

Knitted fabric layerCapa de

Non-woven fabric layer

Conductive paths upper layer

Foam layer

thin non-woven layer

Conductive paths lower layer

Figure 1: Prototype for testing at UNAV

48

_european projects

LifeWear - Mobilized Lifestyle with Wearables

Users of new technology need to interact daily with a range of control interfaces provided by manufacturers of different types of electronic equipment. Some of these interfaces, while being commonplace, are fairly complex for the user to operate.

_actualidad

the philosophy behind the LifeWear consortium is based on the fact that the interaction of people with their surroundings should be as natural and limitless as possible, without com-plex external interfaces. this is the perspective of LifeWear, “LifeWear, Mobilized Lifestyle with Wearables” which propos-es improving the quality of life of the wearer through the use of wearable sensors and devices.

in order to achieve its objectives, an international consortium of more than 30 members working together has been award-ed the european iteA2 seal, designed to promote R+D in the field of software systems and services.

Nationally, the Avanza Subprogramme for Competitivity R+D+i) within the Avanza Programme seeks to promote re-search and development to strengthen the business fabric of the country and put Spain at the forefront of industrial knowl-edge. Within this context, “LifeWear, Mobilized Lifestyle with Wearables” falls within thematic axis g) oriented to Health and Well-being in action b)3. international cooperation on indus-trial research and experimental development (tSi-040200) within the subprogramme.

the project has been designed to meet the needs of a wide range of users of electronic apparatus and interfaces or who could benefit from this type of equipment in the future. One of the main objectives of LifeWear is to develop physiological monitoring to better understand the different physical states of the human body so that critical health and safety issues can be monitored in real time. the blood pressure, pulse and temperature of the wearer can be monitored by sensors that can be worn close to the body and then the information can

be transmitted to a medical monitoring station for interpreta-tion.

However, the project intends to go even further than the sim-ple needs of tele-assistance and develop simple wearable systems which are able to learn the movements of the wearer in different situations and use the data in every-day situations such as controlling a tV or playing the guitar.

throughout the project, research has been carried out into the latest technology on wearable devices and sensors, new HMi (Human Machine interaction) and HCi (Human Com-puter interaction), machine learning, ubiquitous computing centered on personalisation, privacy and seamless interac-tion. the results of the project will have a huge impact on the standardisation of specialised technologies on wearable systems and new HMi and HCi applications that can be used on a wide variety of devices such as mobiles, medical equip-ment and domotics.

the results of the research have been distributed throughout europe via Universities and Research Centres.

to sum up, LifeWear aims to promote the daily use of wear-able devices and technology.

Biometrics Heart rate, muscle tone, body temperature, sweating, movement, oximetry, blood sugar

Measurement environmentLocation, lighting, temperature, humidity, toxicity

• Personal Health System

• Personal Health Record

• Activation of alarm in case of crisis.

• Self-learning services

• Specific context Alerts

• Applications and services forchronic diseases

• Applications group andcommunity

• integrated Services technol-ogy

• Data mining of target groups

• individual learning pro-cesses for personalized diagnosis

• early detection of crisis

• electronic patient medicalrecord

• emergencies

• Average real-time thermal stress

• Overload warning psychological risk

• Complements of PPe

• Alert to the group

• Conventional Learning

• Registration of vital parameters

• Physical condition monitoring fire

• Make it easier everyday

• Machine learning preferences

• Recommendation of diets

• Recommendation of activities

• Planning time

• Control location

e-health Fire workingubiquitous computing and home automation

49

the project lasted 2 years and the consortium included re-search bodies, universities, european-wide SMe associa-tions, including the Finnish Robotic Society, Cap Digital París, AteVAL, Wizard Box, Ramón espi SL, SA Movible, Deltatron Oy Ltd. SignalGenerix, Voxler, Aitex, SA CSeM, the Berlin technical University, AtV, CeA-Leti, and was coordinated by RtD tALOS Ltd.

Demonstrators were developed for three scenarios:

1. intelligent functional textile

Wrist bands, sleeves and belts with movement sensors and integrated antenna:

the Wear a BAN node was integrated into this polo shirt to accurately record all the movements made by the wearer, including the position of the body and whether the wearer has suffered a fall for example.

3. Rehabilitation

A sleeve was developed for this demonstrator that includes movement sen-sors and devices to moni-tor the movements of the arm, hand and wrist at every angle to help decide whether a patient’s reha-bilitation is progressing correctly.

4. Video games

this demonstrator combines the monitoring of movements in the leg and arm with real-time synchronisation to control a video game, and includes a microphone. the use of intel-ligent textiles in this case has focused on the development of Wear a BAN-equipped wrist and ankle bands, to avoid the need to wear a full garment to control the game.

the research has helped lead to the conclusion that the use of intelligent tex-tiles is ideal for the devel-opment of HMi interfaces, which in turn has led to various technological leaps, developing demonstrators with different user groups to create an intuitive and user-friendly HMi.

aitex enero 2010_

Wear-a- BAN – wearable wireless Human-Machine Interface

aitex January 2013_

the aim of “Wear-a-BAN” is to investigate and demonstrate wireless technologies in low-consumption body networks to create unobtrusive HMi’s for markets such as intelligent interactive textileses, tele-assistance and rehabilitation and video game controllers

textile antenna developed by Aitex-tUB-Vtt

Detail of some of the textiles developed

2. Integrated sensors for daily life

WBAN t-Shirt

Rehabilitation sleeve

Wrist and ankle bands

“Wear-a-BAN” is co-financed by the EC through its programme "Research to Ben-efit SME Associations". For more information, visit the project website ww.wearaban.eu

50

Melt spun fibres based on compostable biopolymers with applications in automotive interiors

Bio-monitoring and Automatic Microbiological Contamination Control System of Industrial Hydraulic Circuits

Hemp-based textiles with technical applications in south east Europe

Proposal acronym: BIOFIBROCAR - PROPOSAL NUMBER: 315479 – FP7: RESEARCH FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE SMEsDuration: 30 Months – Initial date: January 2013 – End date: June 2015

Coordinador: AITEX

the automotive sector currently generates large volumes of solid waste, particularly at the end of the vehicle’s life. the sub-stitution of different plastic textile components for others that are more environmentally friendly is just one of the ways in which the industry is trying to reduce its environmental impact, as well as adding new value-adding functionalities to new products.

the main objective of the research project is to manufacture tex-tile substrates (woven or non-woven) for vehicle interiors from renewable resource-based synthetic fibres from Polylactic Acid derivatives that can be used as a substitute for the polyester fibres that are currently used. the PLA polymer with new com-pounds based on the additivation of different chemicals will act as odour absorbers and will improve the fireproofing ability. the abrasion resistance of the fabrics will also be improved, with the development of new core-sheath bicomponent yarns.

the possibility of using fibres from renewable resources which are also easily biodegradable will be useful for the vehicle interior industry, both from the point of view of the stricter new recycling regulations that these products must meet and the properties offered by this type of fibre.

Proposal acronym: BIOMOMI - LIFE11 ENV/ES/000552Duration: 36 month – Initial Date: January -2013 – End date: De-cember-2015

the principal aim of the project is to validate and demonstrate a new technology that allows the real-time monitoring and quantifying of aerobic micro-organisms present in the water of a hydraulic system, and the subsequent correct dosage and constant optimisation of an appropri-

ate biocide to minimise these microorganisms. to this end, an industrial-scale prototype of the plant will be constructed and put into operation to demonstrate the technique in two repre-sentative Spanish textile companies with very different hydraulic systems, both of whom require disinfection systems: the cooling towers of a finishing company and the air-conditioning system of a weaving company.

this system significantly improves the disinfection management in hydraulic systems and air conditioning systems, increasing the effectiveness of the processes by continuous detection which can be carried out at several installation points simultane-ously (where the concentration and type of biocide is variable, so the disinfection can be customised). the new method proposed in this project will optimize the biocide amounts to be dosed at any given moment, so overdosing and packaging is reduced, making the process cheaper and more environmentaly-friendly.

Proposal acronym: FIBNATEX 2 – INTERREG SUDOE IVBDuration: 24 months – START DATE July 2012 – END DATE June 2014

Coordinación: CITEVE (Portugal)

the aim of the project is to create and transfer knowledge between research centres within Se europe via the develop-ment of innovative hemp-based technical textiles (which possess excellent intrinsic properties), to enable the region’s textile and garment industry to reposition itself. FiBNAtex 2 will enable manufacturers not only to transfer the knowledge that will allow them to develop new techni-

cal clothing articles, such as PPe’s (Personal Protection equipment) but also to discover new applications and enter new markets such as the transport sector. the current state of the art and the demanding legislation within the sector means that the project will have to commit to producing vari-ous prototypes that will be used to demonstrate the ever-widening field of applications that these natural fibres are enjoying, including the transport sector and PPe’s.

For more information on the project visit our web page

www.fibnatex.eu/

_european projects_actualidad

51

Seamatter - revalorization of coastal algae wastes in textile nonwoven industry with applications in building noise isolation

Mobile Learning for Implementation of Integrated Management System

Proposal acronym: SEAMATTERDuration: 30 months - START DATE : septiembre 2012 - END DATE: febrero 2015

SeA-MAtteR demonstrates that non-woven textile structures made from algae wastes can be used as composites rein-forcement in noise isolation acoustic pan-els. Wet-laid technology will be selected

as the most optimum technology to transform the algae wastes in non-wovens to be used as reinforced structure.

in addition, the possibility of using this algae and seaweed residues in textile non-woven industry with applications in building noise isolation opens up a new environmental at-tractive option, to design new green-composites as an alter-native to the conventional synthetic ones.

Additionally, adequate implementation of this project will consider the establishment of a new model for the col-lection, transport and management of algae and seaweed wastes that will have direct effects on the controlled dump of the coastal areas where the algae wastes are deposited when beaches and marinas are cleaned. thus, this project will contribute to the application of the politics and commu-nity legislation regarding wastes and in particular the Direc-tive on waste disposal and the frame directive on wastes, specifically in the re-valorization and wash-off reducing is-sues.

www.seamatter.com

This project has been funded by the LIFE+ program call 2011 LIFE11 ENV/E/000600

Proposal acronym: MOBILEMANAGERDuration: 24 months - START DATE : Octubre 2012 - END DATE: Octubre 2014Coordinador: AITEX

the main goal of mobileManager - Mobile Learning for imple-mentation of integrated Management System, is to create a mo-bile application with training contents that support managers, technicians, unemployed people with high degree education and also students to learn how to implement an integrated Man-agement System in SMes. this will be achieved by transferring the results of Game4Manager (serious game with an e-learning platform related with the integrated Management of environ-ment, energy, Quality and Health and Safety Systems) to a mo-bile platform, available to everyone trough Android and iPhone, and transfer, in addition, EUPA project – Validation of Formal, Non-Formal and informal Learning, to assess the knowledge, skills and competences that are developed by the users/trainees during the learning immersion in mobileManager.

the project is oriented to the individual development of the tar-get audience supporting the trainees in the decision process during critical situations, in a cognitive and emotional plan. Fur-thermore, by making use of mobile applications apprenticeship becomes a more dynamic and involving process, improving performance in professional activities and increasing learning results.

in terms of the characteristics of the consortium, because the project will be done in cooperation with 5 european countries,

the products will be available in Portuguese, French, english, Greek, italian and Spanish, representing 5 of the 6 most spoken languag-es in the world. the partnership involves or-ganizations with experience in past Leonardo

Projects and experience in the educational and technical field, ensuring complementarities to fit the proposal needs. in addi-tion, the fact that there is the involvement of Research Organiza-tions means that it will be easier to reach the target audience, during the test and evaluation phase but also during the dis-semination activities.

in terms of impact, with this project we are contributing to a europe of Knowledge through the development of new learn-ing approach (mobile app) using the recent iCt technologies to support and promoting the lifelong learning and the acquisi-tion of knowledge’s and skills to enhance the competitiveness of the companies. the project will also support the creation of an information society to all, by promoting training and exchanging knowledge in the european space.

http://mobilemanager.aitex.net

This project has been funded by the Leonardo da Vinci Trans-fer of Innovation 2012


52

_european projets_actualidad

Application of wet-laid technology for the upgrading of textile waste in the composites industry

Proposal acronym: WET-COMP

Duration: 24 months. Initial date: January 2012 – End date: De-cember 2013

the project is coordinated by Aitex and has as partners Ost-thüringische Materialprüf-gesellschaft für textil und Kunstst-offe mbH (Germany) and Asociación Valenciana de empre-sarios del Plástico (Spain).

the main objective of Wet-COMP project is to validate and demonstrate that the wet-laid technology is useful for ob-taining a lot of different textile non-woven materials got from textile wastes, revalorizating these type of wastes in form of composites for technical applications, reducing, as well, the wash-off of these wastes.

the project uses wet laid technology. Previous R&D projects have shown that this technology is useful for obtaining some non-wovens from textile wastes but the innovation consist of getting a global vision for the textile/composites sectors on the possibilities of this technology, which wastes can be re-valorizated, for which technical application and which are the economical/environmental benefits. the project also aims at elaborating a common Procedure for textile Wastes Revalori-zation using Wet-Laid technology applicable in spinning and weaving/knitting subsectors and defining the different appli-cations in composites sector. Also it aims at validating the en-terprise benefits applying wet-laid technology to obtain textile reinforcements for composites derived from textile wastes. the non-woven materials obtained by means of properly ap-plication of textile wastes in wet-laid process will be used as composites reinforcement. Several composites manufactur-

ing techniques are taking into consideration to obtain the final products.

Wet-laid process

During the first year of the project a summary of the current state of the most representative enterprises belonging to the textile sub-sectors related to the revalorization of wastes has been developed. Some visits to selected enterprises belonging to the spinning and weaving subsectors have been performed, during these visits a questionnaire with relevant information re-lated to the solid wastes management has been fulfilled. After developing this action, we know the current situation with re-gard to revalorization of solid textile wastes, we have a clas-sification of solid textile wastes according to business activity and a determination of the generation capacity of solid textile wastes for the enterprises belonging to the sample.

Afterwards, a definition, selection and characterization of the properties of the textile wastes have been performed. Charac-terization tests comprise morphological and chemical deter-mination by employing standard analytical methodologies i.e. Optical and electron microscopy, Ft-iR, GC-MS, LC-MS, etc…After the characterization we have selected the specific textile wastes to be applied in wet-laid process to obtain reinforce-ments for composites.

Nowadays, we are working in the wet-laid application to obtain textile reinforcements applicable in composites sector, consid-ering waste fibres as a valuable raw material and using them as reinforcing fibres in composites. At the end of this action it is expected to obtain at least three non-woven structures pro-duced at semi-industrial way derived from solid textile wastes that could be applied as reinforcement of composites. We are working, as well, in the processing of composites through dif-ferent technologies (LFt-D and sandwich techniques) with the obtained reinforcement materials derived from textile wastes.

Fiber swelling and dispersion

Suspension transport

Web formation

Water recycling

53

Proposal acronym: INPAT.

Duration: 36 months. Initial date: September 2011 – End date: November 2013

the project is coordinated by the Spanish company ANte-CUiR and within the consortium Aitex, ACCiONA, ARiFieL-tROS and eNViPARK..

CiP-eiP-eCOiNNOVAtiON-2010

the main objective of iNPAt project is to develop new pan-els for construction based on textile wastes as raw materials with improved performance in the acoustic isolation to impact noise in buildings.

the textile industry produces wastes of different nature, how-ever, this project focuses on pure waste textiles, emerging as an alternative to a diverse range of materials widely used in this field, such as expanded polyethylene and elastomers.

Specific objectives

iNPAt aims at reaching the following objectives:

• to give an added value to a significant part of textile wastes.• to increase the acoustic, thermal and mechanical proper-

ties compared with similar products in the market (100% polymeric products)

• to obtain an environmental friendly product with low impact.

Major outputs and results

Main impacts of the project are:

• Reduction of new raw material used and its energetic ex-penditure, high recyclability of the solution proposed and high impact noise isolation.

• Full application of the project would produce the valoriza-tion of up to 45.000 kg/year of textile waste (reduction in landfill occupation about 200m3/day).

• energetic expenditure reduction• iNPAt panels result in a low environmental impact solution

(designed with a full Life Cycle approach).

• iNPAt panels will improve the global index of acoustic re-duction and in particular, they reduce the global pressure to impact noise.

the Product obtained: iNPAt

iNPAt is a flexible anti-impact plate based on recycled textile materials.

their values of dynamic stiffness (from 2 to 4MN/m³) and spe-cific resistance to air flux (from 11 to 24 kPa.s/m²) together with its extraordinary thermal (ʎ=0,031) make the INPAT panels the ideal solution for accomplishing with the Building technical Code as a solution for reducing impact noise and vibrations.

iNPAt is clean and easy to install. it can be cut with manual scissors, circular saws, electric scissors…For better results you can use the iNPAt auto-adhesive joins easy to install for being sealt together or for being unsed as a baseboard..

http://inpat.aitex.net


Impact Noise insulating Panel from textile industry waste

54

_actuality

AITEX at the 15th Annual Bancaja Awards – Valencia Polytechnic University (2011-2012)

Oeko-tex® publishes a recipe book to mark the Certificate’s 20th Anniversary

Jorge Doménech Pastor, a technician with the iCt Research Group at Aitex received an award for his work “Process re-engineering and an economic viability study of the tracking and stock-control system in an industrial laundry”, co-directed by Jorge Moreno Cantón, Aitex and Raúl Poler escoto, UPV.

the end-of-course project proposes solutions to the requirements of an industrial laundry, during which a series of technological improvements coupled with process re-engineering were proposed that would increase efficiency and productivity and re-duce mistakes.

the Bancaja Foundation and Valencia Polytechnic University selected the best end-of-course projects developed during their industrial placement from students attending the University during the 2011/2012 academic year.

Oeko-tex® Standard celebró en 2012 su 20ª Aniversario. Y para conmemorarlo, ha impulsado la creación de un libro de recetas con los platos típicos de los países que cuentan con oficina Oeko-tex®. este libro está disponible en internet en el enlace indicado más abajo.

este recetario recoge 64 menús, cada uno de los cuales incluye tres ítems: entrante, primer plato y postre, propuestos por cada una de las Oficinas Oekotex como los más representativos de su respectivos países.

Descarga: http://www.aitex.es/img/Whats_Cooking_2012.pdf

AITEX forms part of the Mission Management Chair at UIC

On the 24th of October 2012, the Dean of the international University of Catalonia (UiC), Pere Alavedra, and the direc-tor of Aitex, Vicente Blanes, officially signed a covenenant making Aitex part of the Chair on Mission Management and Corporate Management at the University, which was formed in April 2012.

La Chair, which forms part of the Faculty of Social and eco-nomic Sciences under the direction of Dr. Carlos Rey – an ex-pert in strategic management and change consultancy- was set up to promote research and projects related to mission management.

Mission management offers a different approach to manage-ment by enriching traditional objective-based management procedures, by incorporating missions into the management

system which orients objectives to the service of the mission and creates a commitment to the company’s mission by its staff.

together with Aitex, the la chair is supported by four com-panies from different industrial sectors which are involved in research into this new management model: Jimenez Maña (car industry), Semillas Fitó (agriculture), Kern Pharma (phar-maceuticals) and JJC Constructores (construction).

55

aitex January 2013_

AITEX, special guest at a meeting with representatives from manufacturing sectors in Colombia

AITEX attends FISP, the leading PPE fair in Latin America

The Trends Observatory presents Monograph 2.2

On the 29th of September, Aitex participated in the “Annual Conference on Productive transformation”, held in Colombia.

Aitex was invited to take part as expert representative for the textile industry: Vicente Cambra, representing the insti-tute spoke on internationalisation and the current state of the markets, among other topics, at the conference attended by the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and other im-portant representatives from the host country.

the event was held as part of the Productive transformation Programme (PtP) fostered by the Colombian Ministry for Commerce, industry and tourism, to promote several impor-tant sectors including the textile industry.

Aitex attended the 19th FiSP (international Safety and Pro-tection Fair), held in Sao Paulo between the 8th and 10th of October. the event is considered to be the most important PPe fair in Latin America and the second most important worldwide.

FiSP received more than 45,000 visitors according to the or-ganisers with over 700 exhibitors and Aitex was there to see the technological innovations presented by the exhibitors and forge international collaboration links for research projects.

the trends Observatory presented the initial results of a study carried out for its new publication; “Monograph 2.2: Who Do trends Apply to?” at the last Feria Hábitat 2012: publication is planned for January 2013.

the results form part of the work carried out by members of the Habitat trend Observatory formed by Aitex, itC and AiDiMA.

the study provides quantitative data on the degree of accept-ance that the consumer has towards new trends and offers com-panies and designers some of the necessary tools for applying trends within the company by identifying that market sector that will be more likely to accept and become a consumer of each

trend; the conclusions are drawn from an analysis of the quanti-tative studies undertaken.

this enables companies to identify and understand the target public for each trend identified by the Habitat trend Observa-tory, reducing errors in product design, services and marketing campaigns, adapting them more closely to the customer profile.

56

_publicly funded projects_actualidad

• WWET - TEX technology implementation III WET-LAID IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS TECHNICAL PANELS FROM WASTE FROM THE TEXTILE (FILE IMDEEA/2012/68)Nonwovens Development by Wet-Laid process from textile waste for use as reinforcement material in obtaining technical panels for applications in the habitat (shelves, furniture ...) or the automotive industry, etc. to study possible uses.

• CICLOZEOTEX: Technology Application of cyclodextrins and zeolites in the functionalization process of textile substrates APPLIED HEALTH SECTOR-COSMETIC (FILE IMDEEA/2012/73)Development of functional tissues applied in cosmetics and sanitary by using the technology of cyclodextrins and / or zeolites, applied in conventional textile pro-cesses, to develop products with high value added beneficial health properties.

• STRETCH: elastic polyolefin RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT NONWOVENS "meltblown" IN MEDICAL APPLICATIONS-sanitary (FILE IMDEEA/2012/75)Nonwoven fabrics obtained by melt-spinning techniques such as spun bonding or melt blown. the production of textiles for medical applications, using new materials that enable new functionalities provide it, as well as the latest technology, will provide textiles with attractive attributes.

• BAFNET: DEVELOPMENT OF NEW Threads, heat resistance, UV AND "ANTIFOULING" NETWORK USED IN AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (FILE IM-DEEA/2012/71) Monofilaments Development functionalized nanoparticles in polymer matrices to prevent fouling of micro and macro-organism and lime that deteriorate networks and filters, increase stability to ultraviolet (UV), improving the mechanical, etc. without using materials that can harm the environment and a competent price.

• SIGNATEX: DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBERS FOR "SIGNATURE REDCCION" IN TISSUE FOR CLOTHING MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE (FILE IMDEEA/2012/75)the fibers obtained are a first step in creating a future of new lines of work, where the goal is to create more innovative items with new features such as excellent mechanical strength, low weight, and other properties that facilitate the reduction in other firms such as visual, olfactory, the sound, or against other radiations such as sonar or magnetic.

• NANOTURAL: VELOS nanofiber functionalization by adding BIOCOMPATIBLE ACTIVE NATURAL FOR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF bruises and wounds (IMDEEA/2012/76)Development of a new and efficient resource for the treatment or prevention of ailments. the oral route of administration is a highly contested and simple solution but with drawbacks: need to ingest high concentrations, intestinal diseases or slow action of the active and inconvenience of managing multiple takes. this situation arises this project: to treat various conditions mediantes natural active ingredients incorporated into the body through a safe mechanism. proposes the nanofiber webs of natural active carriers with beneficial therapeutic effects and adhered to a textile substratel

• ONCOTEX: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TISSUE functionalizations TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE of cancer patients (FILE IMDEEA/2012/133)Development of textiles for cancer patients, including wigs and include all types of fabrics that are in continuous contact with the skin .. it seeks to improve the qual-ity of life of patients with cancer who have undergone treatment for healing, which in most cases cause severe hair loss and changes in skin and nails. this will be possible thanks to the development of new functionalized fabrics tailored to your needs

• Joining technologies in sectors with high technological content. (TUSACT) (File IMDEUA/2012/20)"the overall objective of this is to combine the UNit inereses of various industries and research centers to conduct joint development of technologies of all types: adhesives, recubrimietnos, pintruas, etc. and innovative surface treatments involved in the binding of materials, application of paints, coatings, etc.. inicaitiva this is a collaboration between institutes in AiDiMA, AiDiCO, Aitex, itC and AiJU.

• HSBITAT. OPENHABITAT. TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM FOR SMART HABITAT (Expedietne IMDEUB/2012/38)Creaciómn a complete platform aimed at companies Habitat for creating innovative products, equipped with various technological devices that enable households to adapt to the needs previously identified in three groups: Children, Seniors and People with Disabilities, the ultimate aim of improving the quality of life for these users, facilitating their interaction with the home. this is a collaborative project between Valencia AiDiMA technological institutes, AiDiCO, AiDO, itC and Aitex

• AITEX internal trainingActions for training research and technical staff of the institute..

en esta sección se recogen los proyectos propios del instituto que han recibido recientemente el reconocimiento y soporte de las Administraciones Públicas. Si desean más información al respecto pueden ponerse en contacto con nosotros a través de [email protected]

Projects belonging to iMPiVA Program Strategic Development, aimed at technological institutes, and funded by the Department of industry, trade and innovation through iMPiVA and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union.

Projects under the Program Units iMPiVA Strategic Cooperation aimed at institutes of technology, funded by the Department of industry, trade and innovation through iMPiVA and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union.

Projects of the Action 3: training of technical staff and researcher iMPiVA R & D Program for technology institutes funded by the Department of industry, trade and innovation through iMPiVA and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union

57


Projects in the dossier iMAMCi/2012/1, iMPiVA Program of Activities for the improvement of Competitiveness aimed at institutes of technology, funded by the Department of industry, trade and innovation through iMPiVA and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union

Projects belonging to iMPiVA Program Collaborative Projects aimed at institutes of technology, and funded by the Department of industry, trade and innovation through iMPiVA and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union

Belonging to Project Program Helps Reindustrialisation Performances, funded by the Ministry of industry, energy and tourism.

Belonging to iNNPACtO Program Project 2012, funded by the Ministry of economy and Competitiveness and cofinanced by FeDeR funds of the european Union

• INVESTIGATION OF TEXTILES photoactive NEW ELEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TISSUE WITH CAPACITY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY FROM SOLAR RADIATIONthe objectives of the initiative are ede ultimately, optimization and development of photoactive bicomponent fibers, the development and validation of a fabric with photovoltaic properties intended to be installed outdoors.

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR RUNNING sportswear ALLOWING AN INCREASE IN THE COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE SPORTSinvestigation of the performance to be present running clothing in order to develop a facility that allows for improved comfort and increased physical performance

• Dissemination and technology transfer of R + D + I own or external national and international, and participation in international AITEX of strategicCollect shares for participation in international projects and acceiones Aitex diffusion of information and knowledge derived from research initiatives undertaken.

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TISSUE INTENDED FOR PROTECTION OF WORKERS AGAINST RISKS CAUSED BY THERMAL ARC. YEAR II (EMPEDIENTE IMDECA/2012/75)Development of materials for the manufacture of capital equipment and the manufacture of PPe that offer the user different levels of protection against electric arc thermal hazards. it also will learn about the dynamics of the electric arc energy, relevant to reproduce in a controlled thermal effects. this will be able to design and assemble the necessary elements for a heat tool to characterize these tissues. Collaborative project between Aitex and ite..

• IMCO2FUN: FUNCTIONAL additive added by impregnation with supercritical CO2 in textiles and food use. YEAR II (ECPEDIENTE IMDECA/2012/79)intended use of FSC technology in order to functionalize a selection of commonly used polymeric matrices (Pet, Pe, PP, PA and / or cellulose) or by fixing surface deposition of natural principles bioactivity. this project proposes leveraging technology synergies of the two participants: AiNiA (food sector) and Aitex (textiles).

• BIOAVANT - NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ADVANCED biocomposites (FILE IMDECA/2012/83)Development of new advanced biocomposites from bioresins and natural fibers as an alternative to the products currently manufactured from polymers from oil and fiberglass. the project duration is two years, ending in December 2014. Collaborative project between Aitex and AiMPLAS

• PROSOCOM PROJECT: DESIGN AND PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO BOOST SUSTAINABLE AND COMPETITIVE PROCESS IN THE REGION (FILE IMDECA/2012/113)Project under the PROeCO UNit. eco-efficient production and therefore directed and structured according to the three main technology areas identified in this UNit: Water, energy, Waste and ecodesign. its main objective is the development of knowledge targets simultaneously reducing environmental impact and increasing competitiveness in three different markets, associating each one of the axes defined technology. Participate AiNiA, Aitex, AiJU, ite, itC-AiCe, and iNeSCOP

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW technological solutions for reducing stress and improving comfort INSIDE CABINS AERONAUTICAL. NON-STRESS CABIN (IMDECA/2012/122)it addresses research and development of new technological solutions for reducing stress and improving comfort inside cabins aeronautical in alignment with the aspects considered in the strategic approach CABiN UNit short term. this project comes as an action under the Strategic Cooperation Unit UNit innovative Cabin Furnishings (UNit CABiN), whose members are: AiDiMA, Aitex and iNeSCOP.

• INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION SYSTEM ADAPTED FOR CUSTOMER II (FILE REI-040000-2012-297)its purpose is to obtain application solutions of textiles in improving the quality of indoor air, providing such products capacity to transform textiles pollution into harmless compounds. Project leader SAti textiLe GROUP SA, and which also involved SeLVAFiL SA Aitex and technology partner.

• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TEXTILE SOLUTIONS CAPABLE OF PURIFYING INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS USING NANOTECHNOLOGY TECH-NIQUES. NANOCLEAN-AIR (FILE PT-2012-0628-420000)its purpose is to obtain application solutions of textiles in improving the quality of indoor air, providing such products capacity to transform textiles pollution into harmless compounds. Project leader SAti textiLe GROUP SA, and which also involved SeLVAFiL SA Aitex and technology partner..

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_ateval news

From the 60% given up to now, the CDti has increased the support it gives to companies for innovation projects to 85%.

On the 26th of October, CDti published the new condi-tions that will determine the support for the development of innovation projects with immediate effect from the mo-ment of publication.

the help offered by CDti is in the form of a repayable loan with a part which is non-returnable, which effectively makes this portion a grant. Companies can also receive a large part of the expected grant up-front. the budget for the CDti has increased from 114 million euros in 2012 to 536 million in 2013, allowing a significant increase in the volume of projects that can be supported.

the new conditions establish a fixed interest rate for the repayable part at euribor for one year + 0.1% established at the time that the loan is approved. the percentage of non-repayable aid (the grant) is established at around 20%, according to the type of project (individual, coopera-tive or with the participation of research centres etc.).

Once the company has the agreed support for its project, it will have access to 75% of the loan through a system of guarantees managed by the iCO fund or through a bank-ers guarantee. this means that companies can offset a large part of the project costs directly upon the accept-

ance, without the need to assume the total cost of the pro-ject before being granted aid.

One of the most beneficial conditions for SMes is the re-duction of the minimum budget to 175,000€, which will help many more companies gain access to this line of credit to carry out their innovation projects.

CDti has opened a specific program through which com-panies can receive support for incorporating new technol-ogy into their business or developing innovative commer-cial products without the need to invest heavily in R + D.

this line of credit supports innovation through repayable loans of up to 85% of the project cost at an interest rate of between 2% and 3.974% with a payback period of three years.

AteVAL can advise and help identify your projects, as well as secure the necessary funding to carry them out through grants, public grants and other financial packages. For more information, contact Antonio Martinez on 96 291 30 30 or [email protected] and evaluate your case free of charge.

January is the time to evaluate costs spent on textile samplers in 2012 and avoid losing 12% of their cost

CDTI quadruples its budget for company grants in 2013 and improves grant conditions

textile, furniture, toy and shoe manufacturers who do not apply for tax deductions for the sam-ples they produce are losing 12% of the cost of the sample directly.

throughout the month of January most compa-nies are closing or have already closed the books for the previous fiscal year. this is the ideal time to start identifying all costs incurred by sample develop-ment to ensure that you are within the time limit to include these costs in your returns.

the text of the Corporation tax Act recognises the innova-tive character of the development of textile, footwear and leather goods, toys and furniture samples. So companies that need to produce them can apply for a 12% rebate or reduction in tax liability, and have up to 18 years to claim the reduction.

Moreover, the legislation gives companies the necessary legal tools to claim the deductions through a detailed report by the Ministry of economy and Competitiveness, which is binding if your company is subject to a tax inspection. to take advantage, the company should have ap-plied for the report before the close of year.

AteVAL’s Department of Competitiveness and innovation has specialists who will diagnose your company, identify-ing all costs associated with the development of samples, and will advise on tax deductions that may apply and the process for obtaining the report. For more information, call 96 291 30 30, 96 291 60 60 or e-mail [email protected] and [email protected] and stop wasting 12% of the cost of your samples.

ÍÑIGO SEGURA - Aitex 2013 number 43 Diseño y maquetación: eNGLOBA Grupo de Comunicación...

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