REACH has impact on downstream of EU textile industry,
Mr. Sadaharu Abeta gives lecture in Kyoto.

Mr. Sadaharu Abeta, an advisor to the Japan Dyer’s Inspection Institute Foundation, gave a lecture at Kyoto Senshoku Kenkyu Kai (the Society of Kyoto Dyeing Research) on June 21, and said REACH will be passed in spring 2007, and is scheduled to come into operation in 2008. (Note) = REACH will, however, be put into practice only if there is no opposition at the European Parliament in 2006 autumn.

Mr. Sadaharu Abeta, giving lecture

Research into cotton bleaching with photo irradiation in progress,
possible to bleach other fibers too.
Equipment developed in Japan, aiming for practical use.

Joint research by the Technology Research Institute of Japan, one of Japan's most noted textile manufacturers Nisshinbo Industries and a dyeing company Nihon Keisen is proceeding into the bleaching of cotton fabric with photo irradiation (this is also possible for other fabrics and paper).

There are now many firms using sodium chlorite for bleaching to improve bleaching effects and hand.

This method has the disadvantage of producing chlorine gas, and they have been using equipment designed to prevent it, but that equipment requires high investment costs.

If non- chlorine hydrogen peroxide which has none of the harmful effects of chlorine is used for cotton bleaching, the resulting whiteness is poor compared to using a chlorine bleaching agent. Both methods with chlorine and non-chlorine (hydrogen peroxide) consume great amounts of heat energy.

A method of bleaching cotton with photo irradiation, using various non-chlorine bleaching agents, has been devised by Japanese researchers to solve the problems mentioned above.

Experiments have confirmed that the level of whiteness with this method is equal to that of the cotton bleaching method using sodium chlorite. It has been confirmed that the cost of energy can be significantly reduced. Since the photo bleaching method can perform both oxidation and reduction bleaching, the oxidation bleaching method can be applied.

Research is still on-going to seek an even higher standard in research results.

Mr. Akihiko Ouchi from the Technology Research Institute of Japan, giving a lecture on photo bleaching (at a meeting of the Japanese Dyeing Technicians Group held in Osaka city)

Japanese ripple finishing attracts attention of textile firms from Turkey and India.

Major textile firms in Turkey and India have paid attention to Japanese ripple finishing and made a strong effort to learn about the technology, aiming at high value-added finishing.

Dyeing firm in Wakayama getting more orders for hand crease processing.

Work is increasing in a dyeing firm in Wakayama (Japan), which involves grabbing cotton by hand to make creases, then scouring, bleaching and dyeing are carried out. It is for use in ladies’ clothing.

Nagase Colors & Chemicals expand data creation for polylactic acid fiber dyes.

Nagase Colors & Chemicals are now expanding the creation of new materials for dyeing environment-friendly polylactic acid fiber.

Mitsubishi Rayon raises price of “Metablen,” a modifier for resin and
export price to Asia from July shipments onwards.

Mitsubishi Rayon has decided to raise the export price of “Metablen,” a modifier for resin, mainly MBS (methylmetacrylate- butadiene-styrene), for shipments bound for Asia from July of this year by US$200/ton.

Report on annual conference of Society of Fiber Science, to be held at Kyoto Senshoku Kenkyu Kai on July 25.

Kyoto Senshoku Kenkyu Kai (the Society of Kyoto Dyeing Research) will hold the 686th (July) regular research-releasing meeting in Lecture Room No.1, the Main Building 2F in the Textile Technology Center, the Kyoto Municipal Industrial Research Institute (Kamidachiuri Agaru Higashi-gawa, Karasuma-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto) from 13:30 to 16:30 on July 25 (Tue.). Admission is ¥3,000 for non members (collected at the venue). Themes and lecturers are as follows.

Teijin to set up offices in India and Russia,
China-based affiliate will be established.

Teijin will set up representative offices in India and Russia as of July 1 to promote market developments in each of Teijin group’s businesses in both countries which are regarded as emerging markets. To improve and develop the business outline of their “Shanghai office” established in November 2004, they will set up a China-based affiliate, “Teijin Management (Shanghai) Ltd” as of July 1.