The CORK.a.TEX-YARN is a co-promotion demonstration project, promoted by SEDACOR - Sociedade Exportação de Produtos de Cortiça, Lda in partnership with the company Têxteis Penedo S.A., and with two entities of the Scientific and Technological System: CITEVE (Technological Centre for the Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugal) and the Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, through the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM.

Supported by COMPETE 2020, under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), this project "Cork.a.Tex-Yarn: Yarn Coated with Cork Additives" involved an eligible investment of around € 392.000 and an incentive of ERDF of around € 244.000.

The objective of the CORK.a.TEX-YARN project was the scalability, optimization and industrial validation of the innovative concept of yarn coated with micro cork additives, developed with great success in the scope of the project "Cork-a-Tex – Textiles with high incorporation of cork".

At FEUP/LSRE-LCM the project started on October 1, 2016, with a duration of 18 months (ended on March 31, 2018) under the coordination of Professor Fernando Pereira.

See the promotional video of the success of this project at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09zyK6IGuM8

Other relevant information about the project:
http://www.poci-compete2020.pt/noticias/detalhe/Proj17714-CorkaTex-Yarn

On April 16^th and 17^th, 2018 Dr. Jeffrey A. Amelse, Invited Principal Researcher at University of Aveiro, came to LSRE-LCM/FEUP to give two lectures entitled Paraxylene Catalyst Technology and Paraxylene Process Technology.

In both seminars, Dr. Amelse shared his extensive knowledge on paraxylene production based on his 35 years experience at BP. The presentations covered a wide range of important topics such as reaction mechanisms, type of catalysts, separations technologies, among others, and how all those factors affect the operation and economics of the entire paraxylene plant.

The seminars showed an industrial perspective on how paraxylene is produced; two main separation technologies, crystallization and selective adsorption, were addressed in a thorough way by the speaker, keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies in terms of economics and operation costs.

The information shared by Dr. Amelse is in line with one of the purposes of LSRE-LCM members and therefore is highly appreciated!

Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM thanks to Dr. Jeffrey A. Amelse for coming to FEUP and hoping that this collaboration continues in the years to come!