Advanced Textiles Expo 2024 (AT EXPO) is the largest event on the Advanced Textiles Association’s (ATA) events calendar that also includes specialist shows, Geosynthetics and Tent Conferences, as well as the Women in Textiles Summit. 

EXPO is held in a rotating series of cities that includes Orlando, New Orleans, Charlotte, with next year’s show scheduled for Indianapolis. Hosting the expo in a range of cities ensures that each year is different. There is a significant core group of exhibitors that includes NASA, Amann, Bally Ribbon and NC State University, with additional exhibitors and delegates attracted by the proximity of particular locations. This year’s event in California for example, attracted a noticeably higher number of visitors from Asia compared with EXPO’s held on East Coast locations. 

The Emerging Technologies Conference and Campfire sessions provided a focus on the latest advances and challenges faced by the industry. The NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston are regular presenters and exhibitors at EXPO. Performance in extreme environments is a central theme, and while much of their discussion focused on sustainability last year, this year it has moved to consideration of safety and functionality with an emphasis on testing. 

The presenter was Mary Walker, Project Manager, Crew and Systems Division who pointed to its remit to address the two environmental challenges: outside the spacecraft or planetary environment with Extravehicular Activity (EVA), and the interior environment with the crew’s Intravehicular Activity (IVA). 

Sending astronauts back to the moon with the Artemis Program brings new advances and challenges. Cabins are designed to provide an enriched oxygen environment so that there will be a shorter preparation time needed preparing for a spacewalk, maximising time available for the space walk and minimising the risk of decompression sickness on return to the spacecraft.  This is not without hazards, and it has created an immediate need for improved non-flammable textiles for oxygen-rich environment of up to 40% oxygen to ensure mission safety. 

Planning for future spacecraft testing indicates that materials such as Nomex will not meet the requirement on their own, so that NASA are looking at fibre blends with higher performing fibres to balance flammability and other functionality including comfort.  Testing shows that all textile components need to meet these standards, so the demand goes beyond the outermost layer and spans woven fabric, sewing thread, felt, elastics, seam tape, hook and loop fasteners.

New speakers included Gozde Goncu-Berk from UCDavis, located further up state California in Sacramento, spoke about the design challenges and potential for health and wellness wearables in her presentation titled ‘Empowering Health and Wellbeing: transdisciplinary design innovations in smart clothing and e-textiles’.

Interdisciplinary teamwork across all stakeholders from academia to industry and clinical carers she pointed to as crucial. The success of this approach was demonstrated as her team received an International Achievement Award (IAA) for the development of Privee, a wearable under-garment that monitors bladder fullness noninvasively without the need for catheterization using bioimpedance spectroscopy technology.

Frank Keohan, a Senior Technology Manager with Bolger & O’Hearn Inc, is a regular speaker at EXPO always with a well-informed perspective on issues of the day.  At this year’s campfire session, he spoke about Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a paper titled ‘Textile finishing options amid tightening PFAS restrictions’. 

There are around 15,000 listings for PFAS substances, and while Keohan acknowledges the risks posed by longevity and toxicity, he argues that: “all PFAS are not created equal – they vary in toxicity and bioaccumulation potential.”  Consumers and brands are seeking alternatives for water, fire, oil and stain repellent fabrics and while progress is being made there are still challenges to be overcome, so that for example FC-free oil repellency while possible has not yet become viable commercially.  One of the challenges that the industry faces is the different legislation globally and even within the United States where 27 states have no regulations, 4 have proposed regulations and 14 have multiple categories.

End products and design details featured strongly amongst exhibitors, many of these were themselves highly innovative. The NASA booth populated by members of the Soft Goods Group, showcased a camera case designed to protect against very fine lunar dust and temperatures that can range from -200 to +120 degrees celsius. 

Addressing challenges closer to Earth, TRU Zip showcased its waterproof zipper technology. The patented design is toothless, sliding, airtight, dustproof, silent, self-healing and leakproof rated IP67 ideally suited to being combined with other waterproof materials. Waterproof bags and other products can be submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes.

The range of applications is broad, from wetsuits to life-saving trauma kits and accessories for military, first responders and medical kits. Fastening systems extended to hook and loop developments such as Revive. These are manufactured from recovered ocean fishing nets. In another development an aramid loop tape is combined with a stainless-steel hook. This is intended for extreme conditions such as thermal blankets used to protect the outside of rockets as they enter space.

The AT EXPO showcases new fibre and fabric developments, as well as many of the processes used in production. This year included innovative cutting technologies, piece-cutting machines, welding and no-weld canopy demonstrations in what a highly interactive show was.  Delegates are interested to hear about and see new textiles, but also to see live demonstrations of techniques and best practice.

New to the schedule this year was the Textiles Challenge. This was designed as a game-show inspired activity for experienced industry people to put their knowledge and skills to the test. The excitement was palpable as competitors from Canada’s Davey Textile Solutions competed against employees from the NASA Johnson Space Center and Applied Research Associates.

The next Advanced Textiles Expo will be held from 5-7 November 2025, in Indianapolis, IN USA

www.advancedtextilesexpo.com