The new silk like feeling polyester fabric discovered

The fiber-product converting company Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., Tokyo/Japan, has developed a polyester fabric that looks and feels like fine silk. The company envisions various applications for its silk-like material, such as blouses and outers from thin to medium thicknesses.

While high-function materials made with synthetic fibers are recently established as a fashion trend in the market, demand has also been growing for natural-texture materials made with natural fibers. Materials in which delicate fiber fluff is expressed, or fibrillated, on the surface of the fabric for smooth textures, similar to silk or cupro, are becoming popular, but these materials have problems with color fastness in wet condition, yarn strength, color migration, fading due to fluff release and shape loss by washing.
Teijin Frontier has developed interesting processing technologies to produce a new stable, easy-care polyester fabric that boasts the soft texture and fine appearance of silk produced by wild silkworms. This new material’s specially fabricated surface is soft and glossy, holds bright coloring, and resists color migration, shrinkage and shape loss by using polyester fibers with very good color fastness and fiber strength.

Stretch fabric with up to 500% elongation

For over 140 years the textile manufacturer Nicolaus Weber GmbH & Co. KG, Fulda/Germany, has been offering individual textile solutions with a focus on the industrial, filtration and automotive sectors. A new development that was shown at Techtextil in May 2019 in Frankfurt/Germany was a heat-resistant stretch fabric. This can be produced with a maximum stretch of 500% in the weft on one side or in a mixture with other materials in the warp.

Also new is the production of fabrics from basalt yarn - with or without silicone coating. This material is characterized by chemical resistance, which via chemical treatment is highly sound-absorbent, heat-resistant and durable. Applications are heat protection and insulation as well as in the construction industry.
Nicolaus Weber also produces special fabrics made of 100% spun stainless steel, which is used as a conductor track or in explosion protection/antistatic due to its high conductivity...

Global nonwovens market to reach $64.8 billion by 2024

In 2019 hundreds of nonwoven products are in use globally. Such diversity leads to equally diverse supply chains, competitive environments, drivers, trends and regulatory issues.
The latest market report from Smithers Pira, Leatherhead/UK, ‘The Future of Global Nonwoven Markets to 2024’ forecasts the global consumption of nonwovens to grow from a projected $46.8 billion in 2019 at an annual rate of 6.7% during 2019-2024 to reach $64.8 billion in 2024. This reflects confidence that relatively short-term issues like the China–US trade war, Brexit uncertainty, and other global issues affecting economic growth will be resolved (or at least accounted for) and nonwovens will grow at increased rates, especially after 2021.
With shifts in end-use demands increasing across the 5 years to 2024, the report identifies a number of key drivers and trends for the global nonwovens industry today: sustainability, regulatory issues, costs (energy/water/raw materials), user requirements and retail trends (private label versus brands).
The report identifies and quantifies the fastest growing market segments, regions and countries, the markets and regions that are driving growth, and those that are experiencing problems. The nonwovens processes that contribute to the global market are defined and their products and capabilities are studied. Sales from 2014-2024 are disclosed and projected by process. Key raw materials used in producing global nonwovens are identified, and their role within the market is defined and quantified, from 2014 through to 2024.

Brain stimulation may help treat Alzheimer's disease: Study

A study, published in the journal PLoS One, found that Magnetic stimulation of the brain improves working memory that may lead to a new therapy for individuals living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Functional megnetic resonance imaging...

The study found that healthy younger and older adults who received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy performed better on a memory task than those who received placebo.

Working memory is the process of recalling and then using relevant information while performing a task. It is a key component of day-to-day tasks like driving to a new location, making a recipe, or following instructions.

Lysianne Beynel, a postdoctoral associate at Duke University in the US said the study relies on highly individualised parameters, from the selection of the stimulated target, based on fMRI activation, to the selection of the difficulty, titrated according to subjects' performance.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow.Beynel said "since these specific parameters can improve performance in healthy subjects, we will be able to extend it to populations with memory deficits."

Researchers said individuals with Alzheimer's disease, which will more than double by 2050, and other forms of dementia, experience progressive loss of working memory and other forms of cognition. This leads to a greater risk of injury or death and reduces their ability to function without home care, they said.

Twenty-nine young adults and 18 older adults completed the study, which involved trying to remember and then reproduce a series of letters in alphabetical order. Participants of all ages who received rTMS performed better than those who received the rTMS-like placebo.

Simon W Davis from Duke University said, "The brain stimulation applied in our study shows that older adults benefited just as much as the young.

RBI relaxes External Commercial Borrowing norms for corporates, non-banking lenders

The more liquidity easing measures, the Reserve Bank has liberalised the end-use stipulations for the External Commercial Borrowings both for corporates as well as liquidity starved non-banking lenders.

The central bank in a statement yesterday said that liberalisation will be applicable to ECBs taken for working capital, general corporate purpose loans or repayment of rupee loans.

Corporate borrowers will be able to avail of ECBs to repay rupee loans taken for Capital expenditures if they are into manufacturing or infrastructure building and classified as Special Mention Account, SMA-2 or Non-Performing Asset, under any one-time settlement arrangement with lenders.

The RBI also issued a revised circular for bankers capturing the changes.

Consumer Protection Bill, Code of Wages Bill passed in Lok Sabha

Sabha today passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 that aims at protecting the interests of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.

It has a provision for Central government to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.

The authority will have the power to impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to 10 lakh rupees and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.

The Bill also has provision to set up Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions at the district, state, and national levels. Moving the Bill, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Raosaheb Patil Danve said the Bill aims to simplify a number of rules.

He said consumers do not get quick redressal of their complaints and with the passage of the Bill, consumers will be able to get speedy justice. He said the government aims to simplify the entire process of redressal of consumer grievances.

Taking part in the discussion, BJP’s Rajendra Agarwal termed the Bill as comprehensive. He said the nature of business has changed and consumers may easily be exploited as it is the age of e-commerce. He said the Bill will provide comprehensive security to consumers. Protima Mondal of Trinamool Congress said the Bill seeks to establish a strong mechanism to shield the consumer.

She said bringing e-commerce under the ambit of the Bill is a big step forward.
Lok Sabha has also passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019 that seeks to regulate wage and bonus payments in all employments where any industry, trade, business, or manufacture is carried out.

According to the Code, the Central government will fix a floor wage, taking into account the living standards of workers.

Parliament passes Triple Talaq Bill; Prez, PM term it as a victory for gender justice

Parliament has passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 or Triple Talaq bill, with the Rajya Sabha approving it this evening.

99 members voted in favour of the bill while 84 against it. The Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.

The bill seeks to declare the practice of instant Triple Talaq as void and illegal and makes it a cognizable offence. It also provides allowance to women victims and their dependent children.

The offence is made compoundable with the permission of the Magistrate at the instance of the married Muslim woman upon whom talaq is pronounced. 

The Rajya Sabha also rejected the Opposition’s resolution referring the bill to Select Committee for further scrutiny. During the division, 100 members voted against it and 84 in favour.

Parties, including Congress, DMK, TMC, Left and  NCP voted against the bill while JD(U), AIADMK, TDP, TRS and BSP staged a walkout and did not participate in voting.

Replying to the debate on the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, it has been brought to protect the rights of Muslim women and not to target any particular community. He said, the offence has been made compoundable and bailable.

He asserted that the bill is for gender justice, dignity and equality.

Mr Prasad said, among the cases related to Triple Talaq which have come to light after the Supreme Court’s judgment, 75 per cent of the victims are from poor families. He questioned the Congress as to why fingers are being raised on the intent of the bill, saying the Congress government, during its rule, made the provisions of imprisonment in Hindu Marriage Act and Dowry Prohibition Act.

Participating in the debate, Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad attacked the government, accusing it of targeting the family set up among Muslims. He said the Triple Talaq Bill does not have provisions for the protection of victim women and their maintenance. He said the government is citing a minority judgment of the Supreme Court to justify the Triple Talaq Bill which is not good. He alleged that the Bill is politically motivated.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have lauded the passing of the bill banning instant triple talaq.

In a series of tweets, the President said it completes Parliament's approval of a ban on the inequitable practice of triple talaq. He said, it is a milestone in the quest for gender justice and a moment of satisfaction for the entire country.

In a series of tweets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as a victory of gender justice that will further equality in society. He said, a historic wrong done to Muslim women has been corrected and an archaic and medieval practice has been confined to the dustbin of history.

Saying India rejoices today, the Prime Minister thanked all parties and MPs who supported the passing of the bill in Parliament.

Mr Modi said, it is an occasion to salute the remarkable courage of those Muslim women who have suffered great wrongs due to the practice of triple talaq. He said, the abolition of the practice will contribute to women's empowerment and give women the dignity they deserve in society.

Home Minister Amit Shah said the legislation will free Muslim women from the curse of the regressive practice.

In a series of tweets, Mr Shah described the passing of the bill by Parliament as a great day for India's democracy. He congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling his commitment and ensuring a law to ban triple talaq.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, in a tweet, said it is a historic day as the bill which was being resisted in Rajya Sabha for long has finally been passed, ensuring justice for Muslim women. He said, there was an impression that the Upper House will block the bill but that myth has collapsed today.

In a tweet, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, it is a glorious day for the constitution, democracy and parliamentary history of the country.

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said the passage of the bill is a victory for millions of Muslim women.

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