Invited participant at the pinfa General Assembly, Thomas Mayer-Gall, DTNW (German Textile Research Centre North-West), presented innovations under development for PIN FRs for textiles, and indicated the institute’s interest to associate with pinfa. The creation of a possible associate status for research institutes will be looked into by pinfa. DTNW presented work underway into several new approaches for phosphorus-based FRs for textiles, including biodegradable and bio-sourced FRs, which offer benefits in addressing concerns about microplastics in the environment (resulting from textile wear and abrasion). DTNW is also transferring results from surface finishing/coatings to the field of polymer additives with Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt and the Kunststoff Institute Lüdenscheid. Possible cooperation was discussed with several pinfa members.
German Textile Research Centre North-West (Deutsche Textilforschungszentrum Nord-West DTNW) http://www.dtnw.de/en/home/