China Post, Taiwan
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The 2014 Textile International Forum and Exhibition (TIFE), the premier event in Taiwan showcasing the latest developments and technologies of the industry, wrapped up yesterday in Taipei City.
Sponsored by the Department of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and organized by the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), the three-day event featured an array of keynote speeches, forums, seminars and exhibitions displaying cutting-edge developments around the theme of “New Perspective in Eco-textiles.”
The 2014 TIFE’s exhibition area was divided into three sections: “A New Way of Living,” “Sustainable Environment” and “Certification and Labeling.”
Among this year’s unique products was a “biocellulose costatic mask” and “biocellulose medical dressings,” made with bacterial strain selection technology — essentially, bacterial byproducts. Production of the mask’s material requires a pure culture fermentation process which takes about seven days to achieve the desired thickness, explains Guu Jan-an, a representative of TTRI’s Functional Material Section.
Another innovation featured at this year’s TIFE are TTRI’s precise filters developed with nanofiber electrospinning process technology, including a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for wastewater management system, and a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA).
The filters are produced with TTRI’s all-in-one electrospinning unit, a complete, energy-saving device that forms ultra-fine fibers such as those used for wastewater, oil, and air filtration, explains Ryan Huang, a researcher with TTRI’s Technical Textiles Section.
Yet another main attraction of the 2014 TIFE was the REACH exhibition stand. The European Union’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) environmental regulation came into force last June and deals mainly with chemicals and their safe use, explained Lu Juhng-shu, chief of TTRI’s Dyeing, Finishing and Environmental Protection Section.
The colorful REACH display aimed to raise awareness of SVHCs (substances of very high concern) that might be emitted during the textile manufacturing process.
“The goal is to reach a healthy compromise for Taiwanese textile vendors in terms of manufacturing cost and environmental protection without having to sacrifice product quality and efficiency,” notes Lu.
Established in 2001 by the Department of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, TIFE serves as a platform for exchanges between local and international textile industry members and for resource integration aimed at speeding up enhancements and transformations in the industry.
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