Recycled coconut shells are the focus of a partnership between Americhem, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a formulator of custom color and additives, and Cocona Inc., Longmont, Colo., manufacturer of nylon and polyester performance fabrics and yarns that incorporate natural sources. Americhem developed very fine activated carbon from recycled coconut shells, encapsulating it in a host polymer [...]

Twenty percent of workplace injuries result from slips, trips and falls, at an estimated cost of $40,000 per incident, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Brady Worldwide Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., manufactures and markets safety solutions, and has developed tools to prevent missteps and assist safety and facility managers. Brady developed a free guide [...]

Samuel J. Armijos, vice president of sales for FabriTec Structures, Costa Mesa, Calif., has coordinated the design and construction of fabric structures throughout the world. He’s gathered ideas, materials, structure types, samples of fabrics and more than 400 full-color photos in Fabric Architecture: Creative Resources for Shade, Signage and Shelter, a new book published in [...]

The Italian Space Agency wanted banners for the European Harmony space module, headed for installation at the International Space Station (ISS). However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had stringent requirements for fabrics allowed on space shuttle missions. Inflammable, biodegradable Country Cotton FR, a fabric produced by 3P InkJet Textiles Corp., Stephanskirchen, Germany, made [...]

What if every time you browsed online, a penny dropped into the donation jar at your favorite charity or nonprofit agency? A coalition of 60,000 nonprofit agencies and Yahoo have joined forces to make it happen. Goodsearch.com works like any other Internet browser, and donations add up quickly. Just 500 people searching four times a [...]

Business mogul Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin America airlines, has his eyes on the stars after his space venture, Virgin Galactic, rolled out the White Knight Two (WK2) carrier aircraft in late July. The WK2, formally christened “Eve” in honor of Branson’s mother, is the mothership designed to ferry private astronauts, science projects and [...]

Year-end equipment deduction: tax strategy that makes sense. By Mark E. Battersby The fourth quarter of the year is when many publicly traded companies prop up their performance records to show more favorable year-end results. The owners and operators of many specialty textile products businesses may also adjust the bottom line for their smaller, more [...]

Trees decrease energy bills, sequester carbon and add beauty to urban landscapes. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, the roots of urban trees confined to small areas can spread, damaging sidewalks, pipes and infrastructure, adding to maintenance costs and liability. Biobarrier® Root Control System, manufactured by Fiberweb Inc., Old Hickory, Tenn., may allow landscapers to green [...]

The next advance in green power may be a goofy-looking glob of floating helium carrying wind turbines that generate electricity and can go anywhere. The Magenn Air Rotor System (MARS), a collaboration of Magenn Power Inc., Kanata, Ottawa, Canada, and engineered textiles provider Atkins & Pearce Inc., Covington, Ky., is lighter than air, rotates around [...]

Every picture tells a story, and a series of transparent 10 by 13-foot photographs installed in the windows of a Minneapolis, Minn., skyway (enclosed pedestrian bridge) tell stories of homes left behind and new lives claimed. “Speaking of Home,” a temporary art installation by Nancy Ann Coyne, transforms the glass-and-steel skyway over a major downtown [...]