A company has been set up in Texas to perfect a new technology called ForceSpinning which creates the microscopic nanofibres used to produce a range of products including traditional textiles.
FibeRio Technology Corporation, a start-up of the University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA), is also researching new materials for Santana Textiles, one of the world’s largest denim manufacturers, which is building a $180m plant in Edinburg, Texas.
Nanofibres, which are about 1,000th smaller than the diameter of a human hair, are currently made with a process called electro-spinning which uses an electrostatic charge to create the ultra-fine fibers from polymers used in common plastics.
ForceSpinning technology, a concept developed by two UTPA mechanical engineering professors, employs centrifugal force to push materials through tiny openings to create the space-age nanofibres. A wider variety of materials, including metals and ceramics, can be used with ForceSpinning technology, making it more versatile and cost-effective than electro-spinning.
FibeRio will develop and manufacture ForceSpinning machinery for commercial applications. The company is projected to generate $234m in revenue by 2014 and create 110 jobs.
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By GlobalData
