◎ Reporter Liu Yuanyuan

In our impression, the textile industry is a typical traditional industry: it is not the production of clothing and textiles that can be found everywhere.

However, at the first scientific and technological conference of China's industrial textile industry held in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, textile industry experts and practitioners from all over the country met here: they talked about high-tech and high-quality development, completely subverting ordinary people's cognition of the textile industry.

Technical textiles involve new material technologies

As the name suggests, this science and technology conference mainly focuses on technical textiles.

In April last year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on the High-quality Development of the Industrial Textile Industry", pointing out that industrial textiles are used in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, medical and health, environmental protection and other fields, are an important part of the new material industry, and are also an important direction for the high-end textile industry.

At this conference, the relevant products and technologies shared by the participating experts made a good note on the "high-end textile industry".

"Flash nonwovens are the best virus protection materials recommended by the World Health Organization and are the designated fabrics for Ebola virus-specific protective clothing." Luo Zhangsheng, chairman of Xiamen Dangsheng New Materials Co., Ltd., introduced at the conference that flash nonwovens have an irreplaceable position in the field of medical sterilization packaging and high-level personal protection.

The reporter learned from the conference that flash nonwovens are composed of ultra-fine continuous fibers, which integrate the advantages of paper, cloth and film, can be printed, waterproof and breathable, high barrier, and are particularly strong and tearless. Before 2019, China's flash nonwovens basically relied on foreign imports.

Luo Zhangsheng said that in 2019, the first domestic flash nonwovens production line began to operate commercially. At present, its company's flash nonwovens production line with an annual output of 3000,2025 tons has been successfully put into operation, and the production capacity is expected to reach 1,2 tons in <>.

"Three-dimensional weaving can be designed, good mechanical properties, strong ability to resist interlayer separation, especially suitable for three-dimensional weaving of various curved surfaces and special-shaped structural parts, and is the best forming solution for preforms of structural parts." Sun Yize, director of the Textile Science and Technology Innovation Center of Donghua University, shared a unique textile technology - three-dimensional weaving at the conference.

Using three-dimensional weaving technology, Sun Yize's team has designed and manufactured a variety of eye-catching products, including carbon fiber woven oilfield drill pipes, carbon fiber woven new energy vehicle hydrogen storage tanks, solar cell monocrystalline silicon crucibles, carbon fiber woven large aircraft related parts, etc.

Cao Xuejun, first-level inspector of the Department of Consumer Goods Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, commented at the conference that industrial textiles have a wide range of applications, active scientific and technological innovation, and great development potential, which is the focus of the steady growth and expansion of domestic demand in the textile industry. She said that the three years of the epidemic have highlighted the importance of technical textiles, and enterprises have a new understanding of the textile industry.

High-end, intelligent and green have become the main direction

"Technical textiles are an area where developed countries are competing to grow and maintain their strategic competitive advantage. At present, China has become the country with the most complete categories, the richest product categories and the most complete industrial chain in the global industrial textile industry. Li Lingshen, vice president of the China National Textile and Apparel Federation, said at the conference.

The conference was jointly sponsored by the China Industrial Textile Industry Association and the People's Government of Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Li Guimei, president of the association, said that according to preliminary statistics, the total amount of fiber processing in China's industrial textile industry will reach 2022.1960 million tons in 1, a year-on-year increase of 1.835%. As the main raw material for technical textiles, the output of nonwovens in China was 1.8 million tons, a year-on-year increase of <>.<>%.

"Since the 'Thirteenth Five-Year Plan', the fiber processing volume of China's industrial textile industry has shown the characteristics of large total volume and stable growth rate, with an average annual growth rate of 5.6%." Li Guimei concluded.

According to the relevant information released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, during the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the proportion of industrial textile fiber processing in China's total textile fiber processing increased from 25.3% to 33%, and industrial textiles such as spacesuits, deep-sea ropes, masks, and protective clothing have made important contributions to national key projects and new crown prevention and control.

"In recent years, high-end, intelligent and green have become the main direction of investment in new projects in the industry." The "2022 China Industrial Textile Industry Operation Analysis" released at the conference pointed out that in 2022, the industry's backbone enterprises will remain active in investment in complete equipment projects such as high-speed spunmelt composite production line, two-component spunbond nonwovens production line, and wood pulp composite spunlace nonwovens production line. In addition, high-quality personal care products, high-end geosynthetics, high-performance filter materials and safety protection industry chain are also the focus of industry investment.

According to a survey of nearly 300 sample enterprises by the China Industrial Textile Industry Association, among the sample enterprises with investment intentions in 2023, the proportion of investment intentions in existing equipment upgrading, plant construction, intelligent and green transformation will reach 66.2%, and the high-quality investment of industry enterprises will continue to increase.

The association analyzed that since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, China's industrial textile industry has experienced rapid growth, downward adjustment, and gradual stabilization. Entering 2023, the industry may usher in a new round of integration. (Science and Technology Daily)