ITA students win awards for tension control, recyclable elastane alternative

Research paves way for better fabric quality and circular textile solutions.

Two young researchers from the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) have been honoured with the Walter Reiners Foundation’s Promotion and Sustainability Prizes for pioneering work in weaving quality control and recyclable elastic textiles. Janne Warnecke, an ITA Master’s student, and Jasmin Roos, an ITA Bachelor’s student, received their awards at the Aachen-Dresden-Denkendorf International Textile Conference (ADD-ITC) in Aachen, Germany, where Peter D. Dornier, Chairman of the Walter Reiners Foundation, presented the recognitions.

Janne Warnecke’s project focused on precision in weaving processes by examining tension variations across the fabric width. Her findings contribute to improved quality assurance by helping manufacturers better understand how slight deviations in tension can affect fabric performance. This work underscores the importance of tightly controlled tolerances in modern weaving operations.

The Sustainability Award went to Jasmin Roos for her bachelor’s thesis titled “Potential of thermoplastic elastomers for thermomechanical textile recycling as an alternative to elastane: Experimental evaluation of PET/TPC blends.” Supervised by Ricarda Wissel, Jasmin explored alternatives to elastane, a material that complicates textile recycling due to its behaviour during thermomechanical processing. Even minimal elastane content can clog filters or degrade into harmful by-products, making its replacement critical for circularity.

Her research investigated thermoplastic copolyester elastomers (TPC) as a recyclable substitute for elastane, focusing on blends of TPC and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Through laboratory and pilot-scale melt-spinning tests at ITA, she successfully produced and processed PET/TPC blends into yarns, proving their recyclability and potential for closed-loop textile systems. Her results lay the groundwork for developing elastic textiles that support circular economy goals while reducing environmental impact and eliminating solvent-intensive production methods.