Nonwovens live

Trevira sale process stopped

Werner Schneider, the insolvency administrator of polyester specialist Trevira, has halted the sale of the company to entrepreneurs Stefan Messer and Karl-Gerhard Seifert with immediate effect,
Instead, the businesses of the Trevira Group will be transferred to a new company on January 1 2010.
“In my many years of professional life, I have never encountered such an unusual development yet,” said Mr Schneider. “The negotiations on the financing have been extended time and again, and the investors have kept coming up with ever new demands to lower the price of the sale. In order to put an end to the game, and to give employees, customers and suppliers of Trevira a secure perspective, the insolvency administration had to terminate the sale process now."
Despite the withdrawal from the contract of sale which, the situation for Trevira does not look disadvantageous, he added.
Restructuring will continue as scheduled in the new company, with a positive business result to be expected in 2010.

Fleissner Nonwovens Ansbach closure

In a letter to customers, industry pioneer Gerold Fleissner has explained his reasons for closing his company Fleissner Nonwovens Ansbach.

 Gerold Fleissner and his wife Elisabeth at ITMA in 2003.

Dear Sirs,
As you might remember, I sold Fleissner GmbH & Co Egelsbach in 2003 to Zimmer AG of Frankfurt, who resold the company to Trützschler GmbH of Mönchengladbach in 2006.
I kept running Fleissner Nonwovens Ansbach, which was not sold together with Fleissner Egelsbach. In addition to Ansbach’s traditional production programme of conveyor belt drying- and thermobonding lines I started the development of perforated drum dryers from the Egelsbach production programme after the stipulated condition of a 3-year-waiting period. Because of improvements concerning the uniformity of temperature- and air distribution profiles I have been able to sell and install 12 drying drums up to now. My customers were convinced of the significant advantages of this new generation of drum dryers.
For reasons of advanced age and having no successor I am going to voluntarily liquidate my company in Ansbach.
In order to make sure you can get your necessary spare parts for all the machines manufactured in Ansbach, I am going to give you - after the closure of my factory, probably at the end of October 2009 - the name of a company that will be responsible. Until this date all spare parts required by you will be supplied through Fleissner Nonwovens Ansbach. Thus I hope to have solved this matter to your full satisfaction.
I would like to thank you sincerely for decades of cooperation and loyality, also on behalf of my wife and staff. Working with you has always been a pleasure for me and I enjoy remembering the times of activity and discussions for our mutual ideas and aims.
Having you as a satisfied customer and making your wishes the focus of my activities has always been my primary commitment.
I hope I have succeeded in this respect during all our time of cooperation.
Yours sincerly
Gerold Fleissner

Kevlar and Nomex filter media

DuPont’s new Nomex KD combines Nomex and Kevlar fibres in a nonwoven said to improve on the capabilities of existing filter materials.
Designers of industrial air filters used in high-temperature applications such as asphalt production and cement clinker coolers will be able to use the product to create more efficient, more effective and potentially less costly filtration solutions.
“DuPont has been supplying Nomex® fiber for use in hot-gas air filtration for many years,” said Kathy Kowalski, global marketing manager for Performance Materials at DuPont Protection Technologies. “With this new technology we have combined Nomex, known for its ability to withstand extreme temperatures, with Kevlar, as an exceptionally strong fiber used for ballistic protection. The resulting fabric delivers up to 60% better filtration performance than standard Nomex.”
Nomex KD is produced in a nonwoven process that forms fibrillated microfibres that increase the filtration surface area. The larger surface area leads to greater filtration efficiency and less dust leakage. High dimensional stability could improve durability and extend bag life, and in applications requiring spark resistance, the stability of Nomex KD in heat and flame conditions helps maintain bag integrity.

Commercial production of Green Clarino

Japan’s Kuraray has started the full-scale manufacture of Green Clarino environmentally-friendly artificial leather – with an initial annual production of 2.5 million square metres at its plant in Okayama.
The new material is made with the Clarino Advanced Technology System which has been at pilot production level since 2007.
The technology, which is the subject of 92 Japanese patents and 17 overseas, involves the processing of ‘islands-in-the-sea’ bicomponent fibres, in which the ‘sea’ component is Exceval – Kuraray’s proprietary, water soluble polymer.
The new process has eliminated 99% of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) produced in Kuraray’s existing synthetic leather processes, with CO2 emissions reduced by approximately 35%, and drainage water cut by 70%.
The manufacturing process is also considerably shorter than its predecessors.
In addition to environmental credentials, Green Clatino materials have the texture and appearance of natural leather. The ultra-high strength, water absorption and quick-drying properties, along with easy formability, will enable many new applications and new markets to be entered, the company believes.

Alphastar advantages

DelStar Technologies, based in Middletown, Delaware, USA, is now the exclusive distributor of Alphastar Triboelectric – an electrostatic needlefelt manufactured by ECN Industries.
Developed with a proprietary fibre blend, the media is said to achieve higher filtration efficiency at lower resistance than electrostatic products of a similar weight.
DelStar is selling Alphastar as an extension of its filtration roll-good collection as well as incorporated in composites. In combination with layers of Delstar's Naltex netting and DelPore meltblown media, the potential performance results will be unmatched in the filtration industry, the company says.
For the air filtration market, the high dust loading capacit and low pressure drop of Alphastar will improve vacuum bags, cabin air filters and HVAC furnace filters. Its low resistance and excellent sub-micron particulate filtration efficiency will also be important to facemask and medical filter manufacturers. The developmental composite products will provide further advantages for processing and reducing filter size and weight.

US market to reach $6.3 billion

The US demand for nonwoven roll goods is projected to rise at an annual 3.7% to $6.3 billion in 2013, according to a new report from Freedonia Group – a Cleveland, Ohio-based industry research firm.
Growth in the US population, household size and personal income will result in higher expenditures for wipes and other consumer disposables, while the aging of the US population – leading to sizable increases in the number of people 65 years and older – will boost demand for nonwovens used in medical/surgical and adult incontinence products, the report says. 
On the other hand, the US represents a mature market for a number of nonwoven goods, including baby wipes and baby diapers, which will dampen overall sales gains through 2013, as will competition from other types of materials.
Among disposables markets, consumer items will continue to account for the largest portion of sales, though growth will be restricted by below-average gains in baby diapers and feminine hygiene products. Somewhat offsetting this sluggishness will be above-average gains in adult incontinence products. 
The filtration market will see above-average gains, as nonwovens take market share from other materials such as paper and woven fabrics. 
Durable nonwovens comprised nearly one-third of nonwovens sales in 2008. 
Construction, the largest market for these products, will post above-average gains, fuelled by robust growth in residential construction.  In particular, nonwovens used in house wrap will experience double-digit annual growth as a result of a projected acceleration in new housing through. 
Spunmelt will remain the largest product segment, accounting for 57% by value. 
Gains will be driven by good growth opportunities in the large spunbonded materials segment, as the material of choice in major markets such as baby diapers.  Meltblown nonwovens will benefit from greater use in the filtration market. Advances for carded nonwovens will be dampened by declining demand for chemical and thermal bonded varieties, as these materials have largely been replaced by spunbonded types in major markets like diaper cover stock.  However, the demand for nonwoven fabrics bonded by the spunlacing process – almost all of which are carded webs – will increase at an above-average rate through 2013, providing some offsetting support. 
The 350-page report costs €4,900. Details: www.freedoniagroup.com.

Norafin spunlace will outperform wovens

Norafin has developed a custom-designed composite spunlace material called Kommanda, which meets the requirements for a durable flame retardant nonwoven for protective clothing. 
The newly-developed material is aimed at a variety of markets such as military uniforms, industrial flame retardant workwear or arc-flash protective clothing.
Increased technical and performance requirements represent new challenges for fabric manufacturers active in the protective apparel market today, the company, headquartered in Alschwil, Switzerland, says. Materials must offer improved protection against a wide variety of hazards, yet still need to be comfortable and soft, with good drape, and in many cases, must be durable or re-usable.
Previously, the use of nonwoven materials in thermal clothing – and especially in arc flash protective gear – has been restricted to the single or limited use categories, as a result of a lack of durability and poor wearer comfort. Materials which fall into the fully durable or multi-launderable category have therefore historically been manufactured using traditional textile technologies. The disadvantage with these types of materials is that the arc flash protection is heavily dependent on the basis weight of the material – to improve arc performance the weight must be increased, with a detrimental effect on the comfort attributes. Typical single layer traditional textile materials which meet the hazard rating category 2 level of NFPA 70E are at least approximately 237 gsm. Likewise, materials which meet the requirements of EN 61482-1-2 Class 2 are typically 400 gsm or higher.
Norafin has developed the Norafin Komanda range of multi-launderable nonwovens which provide improved arc flash performance at lower basis weights, while also offering comfort to the wearer. The performance of the materials is primarily due to the engineered structure of the nonwoven.
It consists of multiple layers combined by the hydroentanglement process into a single, highly customisable, intimate structure.
Multiple after-treatments are applied to enhance or impart other performance attributes. The end result of choosing the appropriate fibre and the type of layers is a range of materials where the arc performance is more determined by the structure of the material rather than primarily on its basis weight.
In terms of arc flash performance, on a weight-to-weight basis – measured using ASTM F1959 – Standard Test Method for Determining the Arc Rating of Materials for Clothing – the arc thermal performance values (ATPV) for the Norafin Komanda materials offer a significant improvement compared to most currently available single-layer woven materials.
Taking the mid-range ATPV Basis Weight ratio for both structures; the nonwoven delivers an equivalent ATPV at a basis weight approximately 30% lighter than the woven materials, or an approximate 40% increase in ATPV performance at the same basis weight. All other performance attributes of the materials comfortably meet or exceed the requirements of ASTM F1506 - Standard Performance Specification for Flame Resistant Textile Materials for Wearing Apparel for Use by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards. Additionally, wash durability is targeted to achieve at least 50 industrial launderings without loss in performance.
In summary, the newly developed Norafin Komanda materials offer a high performance alternative to a market historically dominated by traditional textiles.

New category of filter media claimed

Hollingsworth & Vose is introducing the new Capaceon filter media for automotive and heavy duty air applications - said to offer greater dust-holding capacity than comparable products on the market of between 10-30%.
“Capaceon represents an entirely new category of filtration media that breaks the link between performance and basis weight,” said David von Loesecke, vice president and general manager of H&V’s Engine and Industrial Filtration business unit. “Its ability to deliver significantly higher dust-holding capacity while achieving the same or higher levels of efficiency means manufacturers can optimise filter designs, either for long life or for reduced media usage in a smaller filter.”
In automotive applications, Capaceon filter media offers improvements in initial efficiency across all basis weights –which extend from 78 pounds to 95 pounds per 3,000 square feet. It combines unprecedented service life, with the industry’s greatest water and smolder resistance. In addition, the media is treated with solvent-based phenolic resins which provide superior water resistance in panel air filter designs and also do not require a post-pleating curing process.
“These capabilities help support manufacturers’ ‘green’ initiatives by saving energy and producing very low media emissions during processing,” said von Loesecke.
In heavy duty air use, Capaceon’s benefits are in increased filter lifetime and higher dust-holding capacity. It achieves a higher level of engine protection from contaminants in the harshest environments.
“Capaceon heavy duty air filter media is treated with a modified acrylic resin system that is pre-cured during the manufacturing process to optimize strength and moisture resistance,” von Loesecke said.
The material is now available for manufacture and shipment to customer locations.

INDA recognises achievements

The ninth annual INDA Award for Lifetime Technical Achievement was recently presented to Behnam Pourdeyhimi (left) and the third annual INDA Service Award to Stephen P. Quinn (below with INDA president Rory Holmes) of RP Fedder Corporation.
Dr Pourdeyhimi and Mr Quinn received their respective awards during a special ceremony at the 2009 International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC) in Denver, Colorado.
“Stephen Quinn and Behnam Pourdeyhimi have played  important roles in the technical development of the nonwovens industry throughout their impressive careers and they richly deserve this recognition from their peers in the nonwovens technical community,” said Mr Holmes.
Mr Pourdeyhimi is currently the William A. Klopman distinguished endowed professor and associate dean for industry research and extension and executive director of the Nonwovens Institute and the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at North Carolina State University. He is a frequently published author in nonwovens and textile industry publications and a regular presenter at INDA events.
Mr Quinn is well-known in the global filtration industry with more than 25 of years’ experience. He is a partner at RP Fedder Corporation, a filtration design, manufacturing and distribution company celebrating 50 years in business in 2009.

Nippon Muki acquired

Daikin Industries, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has completed the acquisition of air filter manufacturer Nippon Muki from its owner Nippon Sheet Glass for ¥5 billion.
Nippon Muki manufactures and sells air filters and clean room products. The company has more than 300 employees and generated sales of ¥8.8 billion in the year to March 31 2009.
Daikin Industries already owns American Air Filter International (AAF), which was acquired in 2007 as part of the OYL Group. Founded in 1921, AAF International is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, employs approximately 2,600 people and has more than 20 manufacturing facilities worldwide.