A record-breaking number of delegates travelled to Prague, Czech Republic, for the latest edition of the International Conference on Textile Coating and Laminating, TCL 2016, which was held from 16-17 March.

As well as learning about the latest technologies, materials, machinery and trends in the textile coating and laminating industry, the attendees were able to interact with one another and the exhibitors, who filled the available space outside the conference hall, organisers report.

Over the course of three days, it was concluded that the sector is full of optimism, according to organisers. The event featured numerous lively discussions, which centred around a number of key themes, including sustainability. More specifically, it concerned issues like finding alternatives to fluorocarbons for repellent coatings.

Repellent coatings

Alternatives to fluorocarbons for repellent coatings discussed included carbon-6 technologies and fluorocarbon-free chemistries, including a new technology – the hyperbaric dry finishing from Green Theme Technologies.

During the event, the company from Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, revealed that new investment was behind a plant now being built in Taiwan to commercialize the technology and hinted at further developments that will allow three-dimensional (3D) coating, presenting an increased surface area for the functional surface; solvent-free technologies.

Vetex of Ingelmunster, Belgium, also confirmed its commitment to develop solvent-free technologies regardless of the existing regulations; the imperative for the industry to reduce its consumption of water; the impact on the industry of pressure groups, such as Greenpeace.

Sustainability of FR agents

Driven more directly by legislation around the world, many companies are striving to find effective alternatives to the existing flame-retardant (FR) agents used to treat textiles, which are increasingly being banned because of their potentially toxic properties.

Much of the discussion in Prague focussed on this topic and ICLIP of Tel Aviv, Israel, presented its work on assessing the suitability and safety of FR agents in order to help make the substitution of such chemicals work effectively.

Positive feedback

Participants declared the event a valuable and unique opportunity to co-locate different strands of the global industry together in one venue. Barry Goodwin of Amba Projex said: “We were impressed once more with the number and calibre of the delegates and speakers attending the TCL in Prague. The event was well organised and we managed to network and engage with a number of existing and potential clients focused in our industry.”

Chris McGowan of NDC Technologies agreed: “TCL 2016 was a very high quality conference with a good spread of technical papers and high quality delegates. On behalf of NDC technologies I was honoured to present and made some excellent contacts as a result.”

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