The Lancashire textile industry is one of the enduring images of Britain during the Industrial Revolution: we only have to mention the term and an image springs to mind of thousands of workers beavering away in tune to vast machinery, producing textiles to be sold all over the Empire and the world.

The Industrial Revolution was soon in full swing and mills were built almost overnight, relying on the area’s abundant soft water and the plentiful supplies of American cotton brought in from the port of Liverpool. The town of Bury and the surrounding area grew at an astonishing rate.

Today, these weaving factories, which stood the test of time, are now quiet and transformed into many industrial and residential properties. However, the textile industry is still breathing in the valleys and towns of the North. New specialities such as airbags, webbing, waterproofing, carpet manufacture, still in exist and thrive due to local entrepreneurship.

Rakem are still involved in offering unique raw materials to the formulators of textile coatings and other man made weaves for industrial use. Within the Rakem range of specialist raw materials that are used within the textile industry are:

• Venator range of Titanium Dioxides and Sachtolith® for colour, opacity and Flame Retardancy.
• Orgal range of emulsion polymers, thickeners and dispersing agents for applications such as flocking, non-woven coatings, textile printing, carpet back coatings and textile coatings.
• Sylysia® synthetic amorphous silica for matting effect.
• Micral® finely ground calcium carbonate.