Milliken pivots textile manufacturing to produce advanced medical PPE

April 3, 2020

Focused on engineering textiles into medical-grade fabrics using anti-microbial and fabric barrier coatings   Global textile manufacturer Milliken & Company is leveraging its materials science expertise to manufacture much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the healthcare industry amid the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Milliken’s new advanced medical fabrics and barriers are currently available and complement …

Call for papers for WCTC20

April 2, 2020

The organizers of the successful and long-running conference series Textile Coating and Laminating (TCL) are pleased to announce its expansion and refocus as the World Congress on Textile Coating (WCTC20). The event will debut in Berlin on Nov. 19–20, 2020. In the modern textile industry, coating, surface modification and laminating are the key means to …

Top tips for operating a specialty fabrics business during a pandemic

April 1, 2020

IFAI Division Webinars this week are bringing together diverse members of the specialty fabrics industry to discuss how they are navigating the COVID-19 crisis. For companies that are operational—that is, they have either been deemed essential businesses or they are not currently under a “shelter in place” order—worker health and safety is a major concern. …

Geosynthetics Conference 2021 call for proposals and abstracts now open

Proposals and abstracts are now being accepted for the Geosynthetics Conference 2021. Submissions can include short course, workshop, training lecture, technical session and panel discussion proposals, as well as abstract submissions for technical papers of all types. Submissions will be accepted through May 25, 2020.  The Geosynthetics Conference 2021 takes place Feb. 21–24, 2021, in Kansas City, …

GMA history and happenings

By Andrew Aho Throughout the history of geosynthetics, leaders have emerged who have significantly affected the growth of the industry in North America. During the Geosynthetics CASE STUDIES Conference in March in North Charleston, S.C., a few of the Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) leaders had an opportunity to address the gathering and recall their personal …

Geosynthetic strip MSE wall at Point Defiance Marina

By Paul C. Frankenberger and Robert Lozano  This article will focus on a geosynthetic strip mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall case study using discrete geosynthetic strips with large precast facing panels (Figure 1), an innovation of the original MSE invention. The system is the Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center/National Transportation Product Evaluation Program reviewed GeoMega …

How does your geosynthetic react to changes in temperature?

An essential aspect of geosynthetics is that they function well over a large range of temperatures in either buried or exposed environments. There has been much work in this area; see Giroud and Morel (1992), Koerner and Koerner (1995 and 2006), Lord, Soong and Koerner (1995), and Tsuboi, Imaizumi and Miyaji (1998). Most of the …

The GMA Techline

Moderated by George R. Koerner and Y. “Grace” Hsuan Welding Rod Q: This question is in regard to the welding rod intended for welding of geomembranes (both high-density polyethylene [HDPE] and linear low-density polyethylene [LLDPE]). Are there any GRI GM13- or GM17-based requirements for welding rods or are there any white papers or specifications? I …

Construction water flow dynamics of the leak detection layer

By Abigail Gilson-Beck and Larry Shilling The double-lined containment facility featuring a leak detection system (LDS) is the most accurate way of assessing leakage through a primary geomembrane (Bonaparte and Gross 1992). This type of system also represents the gold standard for environmental protection, since leakage through the primary liner is collected and removed so …

CSPE performance and history in long-term potable water storage applications

By Brian Fraser, Steven Roades, Mike Neal and Alex Gersch Chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSPE) is a synthetic rubber-based material manufactured by a calendaring process into multiple layers and combines with a polyester reinforcement fabric for additional strength. Hypalon is a DuPont trademark for CSPE synthetic rubber (CSM) noted for its resistance to chemicals, temperature extremes and …