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April 2016 An international newsletter on textiles technology edited by:
Nick Butler
AerospaceMaking air freight saferAir freight containers are to be made more durable and
fire-resistant (FR) under the terms of an agreement
between two companies.
Teijin Aramid of Arnhem, The Netherlands, and
Macro Industries from Huntsville, Alabama, USA, have
agreed jointly to develop, manufacture and
commercialize unit load devices (ULDs) based on the
Dutch company’s lightweight aramid fibre (Twaron).
The ULDs will be made from Macro Industries’ fibre-
reinforced composites (Macro-Lite), which the US
company has developed as a substitute for sheet metals
used in primary and secondary structures. According to
the courier, based on its own tests Macro-Lite ULDs
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd, UK: No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
TechnicalT E X T I L E S
Advances in Textiles Technology is published monthlyby International Newsletters Ltd as part ofTechnical-Textiles.Net, and is available online:http://www.technical-textiles.net
Highlights this month: full contents listing on page 2…
High-performance reinforcements combined withthermoplastic fibres to form uniform mixed rovingswere unveiled at JEC World 5
An integrated system, from fibre to finished part, formaking carbon fibre-reinforced plastic componentsin a single step has been developed 6
Toho Tenax is introducing a flame-retardantthermoplastic prepreg reinforced withhigh-modulus carbon fibres 8
Xerium Technologies has introduced a range offabrics designed for use with through-air-driers in thetissue manufacturing industry 8
An intumescent mat that can be activated on demandto provide protection without needing to experiencethe heat of a fire was shown at JEC World 9
A UK textile manufacturer has launched a range offlame-retardant fabrics for children’s dresses togetherwith a plea to toughen-up the safety standards 9
Figure 1:
Lightweight, durable and extremely fire-resistant, panels
made from an aramid fibre-reinforced composite are to be
developed for use in air freight containers.
reinforced with Twaron are significantly lighter in weight
and more durable than standard aluminium containers.
Tests conducted by UPS and the US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) also concluded that the new
containers resist fires with peak temperatures of
648.9°C (1200°F) for more than four hours. An
aluminium container would only survive a few minutes
in the same conditions.
In addition to giving flight crews vital additional time to
land an aircraft in the event of a fire, the higher FR
performance of the composite panels will allow cargo
companies to comply with potentially stricter safety
regulations regarding the transportation of lithium-ion
batteries, which have been the cause of a number of on-
board fires(1) and are already banned from being stowed
in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft.
The partners say that aluminium panels in existing
containers are readily replaced by Macro-Lite, allowing
fleet operators to upgrade their ULDs, and
approximately 900 000 aluminium ULDs in use around
the world could be upgraded. The use of the composite
also reduces the frequency and cost of repairs
compared with the use of aluminium.
UPS began using ULDs made from Macro-Lite in 2014.
See also:(1)Technical Textiles International, March/April 2013,
Poles apart—nonwovens provide efficient separation for
batteries, page 23;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/381
Contact: Saskia Verhoeven, Manager Corporate &
Marketing Communication, Teijin Aramid BV.
Tel: +31 (88) 2689-068.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.teijinaramid.com; or: Norris Luce,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Marcia Elkins,
Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Macro Industries Inc.
Tel: +1 (256) 721-1120. Fax: +1 (256) 721-1129.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.macroindustries.com
http://www.technical-textiles.net ©2016 International Newsletters Ltd
Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
2
Aerospace 1 Making air freight safer
Finishing 3 Economical silk finish
3 Natural pigment found to be effective against
drug-resistant bacteria
Automotive 4 Nonwoven soundproofing for Toyota
Composites 5 Commingled yarns for composites revealed at JEC World
6 Integrated production of carbon fibre-reinforced parts
8 Flame-retardant thermoplastic prepreg
Industrial textiles 8 Fabrics tailored for through-air drying of tissues
Safety and protection 9 On-demand intumescence
9 Call for tougher flammability standards for children’s
dress fabrics
Business news10 Glatfelter names site for US airlaid plant
11 Sanitized opens technical centre
12 SGL prepares to exploit expertise in automotive
carbon fibres, composites
Contents April 2016
All paid subscribers have complete access to this and
back issues of Advances in Textiles Technology at:
http://www.technical-textiles.net
Editorial Office44 Friar Street, Droitwich Spa,
Worcestershire, WR9 8ED, UK.
Tel: +44 (870) 165-7211. Fax: +44 (870) 165-7212.
Email: [email protected]
http://www.technical-textiles.net
Printed by Kopy Kats, Worcestershire, UK.
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd http://www.technical-textiles.net
April 2016 Advances in Textiles Technology
3
FinishingEconomical silk finish
A patented process that allows for the production of
short, fine polymer fibres has found its first use in the
creation of a mattress ticking with a comfortable and
luxurious silk finish.
HeiQ Materials AG of Bad Zurzach, Switzerland, says a
new pilot production plant at its research and
development (R&D) subsidiary in Geelong, Australia, is
making the fibres using the coagulation-based method
and can then apply them to the surface of any fabric
with standard finishing techniques. By adopting this
approach to create short silk fibres, it is possible to
create textiles with the key tactile properties of this
expensive material while applying only small amounts.
The company calls this new finishing technology HeiQ
Real Silk and says that it will target the fashion industry,
but the first user is Bekaert Deslee of Waregem and
Zonnebeke, Belgium, which has used the technology to
develop a mattress ticking unveiled during the International
Sleep Products Association (ISPA) exhibition, which was held
in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 9–12 March 2016.
HeiQ also notes that silk has a number of functional
properties: it can help to regulate temperature; it is highly
absorbent; it dries quickly; it has a high tear-resistance.
Currently, the company is scaling-up production of short
polymer fibres at the plant and is therefore limiting
supply to long-standing partners. However, it plans to
make samples available to others from 1 July 2016.
Bekaert Deslee was formed in February 2016 when
Bekaert Textiles of Waregem acquired Zonnebeke-
based DesleeClama to become, the company says, the
world’s leading supplier of fabrics for mattresses.
Contact: Marlen Philipp, Head of Marketing,
HeiQ Materials AG. Tel: +41 (56) 250-6860. Fax:
+41 (56) 250-6851. Email: [email protected];
http://www.heiq.com; or: Dirk Verly,Group, Human
Resources & Operational Excellence Director,
Bekaert Textiles. Tel: +32 (56) 624126.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.bekaerttextiles.com; or: Hans Dewaele,
co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO), DesleeClama.
Tel: +32 (57) 460600.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.desleeclama.com
Natural pigment found to be effectiveagainst drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers based in South Korea have demonstrated
that a pigment produced by naturally occurring bacteria is
an effective anti-bacterial agent when used to dye fabric.
A cotton sample dyed with the violet pigment (violacein)
reduced the growth of drug-resistant strains of
Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), by 99.9%, compared with
untreated samples. The team behind the discovery has
now made prototype facemasks, which it has donated to
a local hospital, Dong Kang General Hospital in Ulsan.
Led by Professor Robert J. Mitchell from the School of
Life Sciences at the Ulsan National Institute of Science
and Technology (UNIST), the researchers developed a
method for extracting the crude violacein before using
it to dye the fabric. According to Mitchell: “This is the
first case where an antibacterial fabric was produced
Figure 2:
On 24 February 2016, the team behind the development
donated facemasks to a local hospital. Pictures courtesy of UNIST.
http://www.technical-textiles.net ©2016 International Newsletters Ltd
Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
4
using violacein.” He adds that the fabric has the
potential to combat the growing problem of drug-
resistant bacteria and their role in the increasing
prevalence of nosocomial infections, also known as
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The widespread overuse of antibiotics has resulted in
the evolution and ever-increasing presence of bacteria
that are resistant to these treatments. Every year, 0.7
million patients around the world die as a result of
infections acquired in healthcare facilities from these so-
called “superbugs”.
The development was the result of collaboration
between UNIST, Yeejoo Co Ltd of Daegu and the
Seoul-based Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and
Technology (KICET).
Contact: Robert J. Mitchell, Associate Professor,
Ulsan National Institute of Science and
Technology (UNIST), School of Life Sciences,
601-6 Engineering Building 1, 100 Banyeon-Ri,
Eonyang-Eup, Ulsan, 689-805, South Korea.
Tel: +82 (52) 217-2513. Mobile/cellular: +82 (10)
9151-1605. Email: [email protected];
http://news.unist.ac.kr; or: Lee Chang-seok, Yeejoo
Co Ltd, Yeomsaek Gongdan Jungang-ro 20-gil 33,
Daegu, South Korea. Tel: +82 (53) 357-5210.
Fax: +82 (53) 354-2510. Email: [email protected];
http://www.yeejoo.co.kr; or: Korea Institute of
Ceramic Engineering and Technology (KICET).
Tel: +82 (55) 792-2500. Fax: +82 (55) 792-2530.
Email: [email protected]; http://www.kicet.re.kr
AutomotiveNonwoven soundproofing for Toyota
Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota has chosen
to soundproof its latest model – the 2016 Prius, which
was launched in Japan in December 2015 – with
material made using a novel nonwoven fabric.
Hayashi Telempu of Nagoya, Japan, is supplying the
soundproofing (V-Wave) made from a polyester (PES)
nonwoven (V-Lap) developed by Teijin of Tokyo, Japan.
The fibres in V-Lap are oriented vertically making the
nonwoven as effective at absorbing sound as
conventional materials, while weighing half as much.
As regulations concerning the fuel efficiencies of cars
are made more stringent, the automotive industry is
pushing to make its vehicles lighter in weight. In
response, Teijin and Hayashi Telempu are co-
developing V-Lap and V-Wave products to provide
lightweight sound absorption in a variety of parts, such
as for ceilings, doors and carpets(1).
To make V-Lap nonwovens, Teijin has developed a
unique manufacturing method that produces bulky,
lightweight and easy-to-mould fabrics. Initially used as a
cushioning material(2) in such as bedding and apparel, the
fabric now finds widespread use in soundproofing for
vehicles and Teijin is developing it as heat insulation and
lightweight ceilings for new houses. The fibres
comprising V-Lap are made from recycled PES, adds
Teijin, and the nonwoven can be bonded to films to
form composites.
V-Lap and V-Wave are produced in contiguous factories
located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan: the nonwoven plant,
which is located on the premises of the Ibigawa Plant of
Teijin’s subsidiary Toho Tenax, began operating in
January 2015; Hayashi Telempu’s Ogaki Plant, also
located on the premises of the Ibigawa Plant, started-up
in November 2015.
Figure 3:
The highly vertical orientation of the fibres in V-Lap
nonwovens creates a lightweight acoustic insulator, which is
being used to make soundproofing for cars.
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd http://www.technical-textiles.net
April 2016 Advances in Textiles Technology
5
Teijin’s fabric is made using technology developed by
the Australian nonwoven machinery builder, Hallam,
Victoria-based V-Lap, a specialist in vertical lapping.
Teijin bought its first machine in 2007 and now has a
licence to produce the fabrics in Japan.
See also:(1)Smart Textiles and Nanotechnology, January 2013,
Mitsubishi opts for V-Lap, page 7;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/49904(2)Advances in Textiles Technology, August 2009, Cushioning
material for swimwear, page 3;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/48849
Contact: Nana Saito, Corporate Communications,
Teijin Ltd. Tel: +81 (3) 3506-4055.
Fax: +81 (3) 3506-4150. Email: [email protected];
http://www.teijin.co.jp; or: Toho Tenax, Ibigawa
Plant, 1801 Godo, Godo-cho, Anpachi-gun, Gifu
503-2305, Japan. Tel: +81 (584) 273153. Fax: +81
(584) 276951; or: Hayashi Telempu, Headquarters,
1-4-5, Kamimaezu, Naka-ku, Nagoya City, 460-
0013, Japan. Tel: +81 (52) 322-2121; Fax: +81 (52)
332-0047; http://www.hayatele.co.jp; or: Hayashi
Telempu, Ogaki Plant, 1801, Godo, Godo-cho,
Anpachi, Gifu, Japan. Tel: +81 (584) 280622.
Fax: +81 (584) 280623; or: Jason Cooper,
Managing Director, V-Lap Pty Ltd, PO Box 5007,
Hallam, Victoria 3803, Australia. Tel: +61 (3)
9703-1211. Fax: + 61 (3) 9703-1911, Email:
[email protected]; http://www.v-lap.com; or:
http://www.toyota-global.com
CompositesCommingled yarns for compositesrevealed at JEC World
A range of commingled yarns consisting of high-
performance reinforcements combined with
thermoplastic fibres to form a uniform mixed roving
was unveiled at JEC World, which took place in Paris,
France, on 8–10 March 2016.
The Synergex range combines reinforcement fibres –
carbon (in tows of 3k–50k), para-aramid (84–316 tex)
or glass (300–2400 tex) – with various thermoplastic
fibres including ultra-high molecular weight
polyethylene (UHMWPE), polypropylene (PP),
polyamide (PA 12), PA 6, polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and
polyetheretherketone (PEEK), according to the
company exhibiting its development, Coats of Uxbridge,
UK, a specialist in industrial threads.
The yarns were developed by Coats Speciality at its
Sevier plant in Marion, North Carolina, USA. Here the
company can commingle the fibres to form yarns that
have a homogenous mixture of the two elements in a
good parallel alignment. Coats also claims that its
technology can largely overcome the problem of the
breaking (filamentation) of some of the stiff
reinforcement fibres when they are spread prior to
commingling them with the thermoplastics. The
resulting yarns have a high level of integrity and can be
embroidered into complicated-shaped composite
preforms using a process Coats refers to as tailored
fibre placement (TFP).
When preforms made from these yarns are
subsequently press-moulded the thermoplastic melts
and forms the matrix of the composite part.
In order to tailor the final properties for a given
application, Coats says it can:
adjust the make-up of the fibre mixture in a given yarn;•
twist various commingled yarns together to form a hybrid.•
Coats believes the resulting composites are suitable for
high-performance applications such as aerospace and
automotive. Rajiv Sharma, Global Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Industrial division of Coats, adds
that the yarns provide a simple means to make
complicated components.
At JEC World the company showed the commingled
yarns, and discussed a recently completed project in
http://www.technical-textiles.net ©2016 International Newsletters Ltd
Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
6
which commingled PA and carbon fibres were used to
make the wheel arch for a new sports car.
The wheel arch is made in four stages:
carbon and PA fibres are commingled •
to form a yarn;
a TFP process is applied to the yarn to create an•
embroidered shape;
the preform is press-moulded to create the wheel arch;•
the final part is trimmed.•
Coats says the final part achieves a high standard
without the need to use resins or an autoclave.
The sports car is the Rp1 being developed by Elemental
Motor Co of Waterlooville, UK, and its wheel arch is part
of a project that only began in December 2015. The part
was to be road-tested after JEC prior to going into
production. Other members of the wheel arch project are:
Shape Machining Ltd of Witney, UK;•
Optimal Aerostructures from Cascais, Portugal;•
IFB (Institute of Aircraft Design), Stuttgart, Germany,•
where the preforms are embroidered via TFP using a
machine from Tajima of Nagoya, Japan.
Contact: Andrew Morgan, Research and
Development Director, Coats Plc. Tel: +44 (20)
8210-5198. Mobile/cellular: +44 (7) 8089-43218.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.coats.com; or: Ömür Suner, Marketing
Services Representative, Europe, Middle East and
Africa (EMEA) – Speciality, Coats Plc.
Tel: +90 (224) 243-1550, x 253.
Email: [email protected]; or: Peter Kent,
Composites Director, Elemental Motor Company
Ltd. Tel: +44 (8456) 448856.
Email: [email protected];
http://elementalcars.co.uk; or: Peter McCool,
Managing Director, Shape Machining Ltd. Mobile/
cellular: +44 (7) 5905-71853. Tel: +44 (1993) 225091.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.shape-machining.co.uk; or:
Optimal Aerostructures. Tel: +351 (210) 997788.
E-mail: [email protected];
http://optimalaerostructures.optimal.pt; or:
Professor Dr-Ing P. Middendorf , Head of Institute
and Head of Manufacturing Technology and
Lightweight Design, IFB (Institute of Aircraft
Design). Tel: +49 (711) 685-62402.
Fax: +49 (711) 685-62449.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.ifb.uni-stuttgart.de; or:
http://www.tajima.com
Integrated production of carbonfibre-reinforced parts
Toho Tenax Europe GmbH has developed an integrated
production system, from fibre to finished part, for
making carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP)
components in a single step.
The system combines Toho Tenax Europe’s own
technology for making CFRP preforms, developed in
2014 and called Part via Preform (PvP)(1), with high-
pressure resin-transfer moulding (HP-RTM).
The company from Wuppertal and Heinsberg,
Germany, says a European automobile manufacturer
has already adopted the combined system and that it is
involved in other projects in the automotive sector.
Figure 4:
Coats and Elemental Motor Co and partners have co-
developed this composite wheel arch made using press-
moulded commingled yarns.
PvP technology exploits a carbon fibre yarn and binder
resin (Tenax Binder Yarn) that allows manufacturers to
produce preforms in a single step. Where isotropic
reinforcement is needed, the yarns are placed
randomly, and in the same process they can be aligned
unidirectionally in areas where specific strength is
needed along a particular axis. As a bonus, using PvP
technology helps manufacturers keep down waste of
the expensive carbon fibre.
With the addition of HP-RTM, manufacturers can make
CFRP parts in an integrated process, making such
components more cost-competitive with their mass-
produced metal counterparts.
Toho Tenax Europe has now begun a research and
development (R&D) programme with the goal of using the
new technology to mass-produce surface parts conforming
to the automotive industry’s Class-A standard for the
visual appeal of such products. In addition, the company’s
parent – the Teijin Group of Tokyo, Japan, which has
developed a carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (called
Sereebo)(2) – says it is now exploring opportunities to
exploit its full product range for the mass-production of
CFRPs, and is looking to develop further both thermoset-
and thermoplastic-based materials.
As manufacturers strive to reduce the weight of their
vehicles, it is imperative that they maintain safe levels of
tenacity and stiffness in key components.
To reduce the weight of metallic parts, components can
be made thinner, but this reduces their tenacity. At the
same time, structural designs, such as the use of U-
shaped plates made from high-tensile steel, are
commonly adopted to reduce weight and maintain
stiffness. However, the low elasticity of high-tensile
steels makes them unsuitable for press moulding.
Another approach to weight reduction is to combine
several components in a single integral moulding so
lowering the number of joints needed. However, in this
case, the automotive industry still needs materials with
greater levels of formability, tenacity and stiffness than
are currently available. CFRP components could be an
answer, but typical production cycles are complicated
and too long to be economic compared with currently
used technologies and materials.
The adoption of preformed prepregs as a compromise
solution is common, but to date this approach:
has required intermediate steps, which raise•
production costs;
uses chopped carbon fibre placed on the preform•
resulting in large amounts of waste of an expensive
material;
has not been suitable for forming complicated shapes•
or thick components.
See also:(1)http://www.performance-materials.net/node/45051(2)Advances in Textiles Technology, November 2013,
Teijin’s fibre-reinforced thermoplastics enable recycling and
rapid processing, page 8;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/51513
Contact: Frank Oberwahrenbrock, Automotive
Sales, Toho Tenax Europe GmbH, Kasinostraße
19–21, D-42103 Wuppertal, Germany.
Tel: +49 (202) 323219. Email:
[email protected]; or:
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd http://www.technical-textiles.net
April 2016 Advances in Textiles Technology
7
Figure 5:
A surface component made using Toho Tenax Europe’s
integrated production system. The company is now
developing the technology to produce parts to the
automotive industry’s Class-A standard.
http://www.technical-textiles.net ©2016 International Newsletters Ltd
Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
8
Constantin Mützel. Tel: +49 (202) 323304.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.tohotenax-eu.com; or: Nana Saito,
Corporate Communications, Teijin Ltd.
Tel: +81 (3) 3506-4055. Fax: +81 (3) 3506-4150.
Email: [email protected]; http://www.teijin.co.jp
Flame-retardant thermoplastic prepreg
Toho Tenax of Tokyo, Japan, is introducing a flame-
retardant (FR) thermoplastic prepreg reinforced with
high-modulus carbon fibres.
The reinforcement is a woven fabric (Tenax TPWF),
which the company says is designed to allow high levels
of impregnation with the polyethersulphone resin. The
resulting prepreg, to be supplied in 1-m-wide rolls, can
contain more than 55% of carbon fibre and has good
mechanical properties. At the same, according to Toho
Tenax’s tests, the material is compliant with the FR
standard for plastics (UL94 V-0) published by the
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) LLC of Northbrook,
Illinois, USA, and Toho Tenax aims to have the
composite fully certified by June 2016.
The prepreg is made using Toho Tenax’s own press-
moulding technology, which allows the material to be
heated and cooled rapidly, reducing process cycle times
to just 4 min.
Sample shipments began in March 2016, and initially
Toho Tenax will sell the material to manufacturers of
consumer electronic products, medical devices and
sporting goods. Further forward, the company aims to
develop sales for other growing markets such as
industrial equipment and aerospace.
Currently, typical carbon fibre-reinforced plastics
(CFRPs) are made using thermoset resins, such as
epoxy, for the matrix, which require long processing
times and have high associated production costs.
Moreover, often the thermoset-based materials have to
be stored in refrigerators, while their thermoplastic
counterparts can be kept at room temperature. Finally,
the use of the thermoplastic matrix affords the
possibility to recycle the prepreg into pellets for
injection moulding.
Given the advantages of thermoplastic composites over
their thermoset counterparts, several companies are
working to develop the materials as well as processing
technologies that enable them to be mass-produced.
Toho Tenax, for instance, is focusing on further reducing
the cycle times for its press-moulding technology.
Contact: Nana Saito, Corporate Communications,
Teijin Ltd. Tel: +81 (3) 3506-4055.
Fax: +81 (3) 3506-4150. Email: [email protected];
http://www.teijin.co.jp
Industrial textilesFabrics tailored for through-airdrying of tissues
Xerium Technologies Inc has introduced a range of
fabrics designed for use with through-air driers in the
tissue manufacturing industry.
The company from Youngsville, North Carolina, USA,
says its Drysoft fabrics are designed to help create soft,
bulky tissues and keep the through-air driers working
efficiently. The fabrics have strong seams and reinforced
edges to make them durable and stable.
The warp and weft of the fabrics are hydrolysis-
resistant polyester (PES) woven in one of three weave
patterns (3 × 2, 4 × 1 or 1 × 4) each offering a charac-
teristic pore that can be matched to the specific type of
tissue required.
To form the belts, the fabrics are spliced together,
rather than glued or welded. As a result, there is no loss
of permeability in the region of the joint, allowing
Xerium to make the seam length greater, which results
in a seam strength that is 40% higher than that for
conventional through-air drying belts. The absence of
welds, glues and coatings also means there are no marks
on the tissue caused by the joints.
The use of Drysoft products produces tissues that are up
to 50% more absorbent and require 20% less fibre than
those of an equivalent size and appearance made with
conventional through-air drying fabrics, the company says.
Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Technology
Officer (CTO) Bill Butterfield says the company has
already conducted successful trials with customers and
is now receiving orders for the new range.
Contact: Steve Cole, Director, Global Marketing,
Xerium Technologies Inc. Tel: +1 (919) 556-7235.
Fax: +1 (919) 556-2432. Email:
[email protected]; http://www.xerium.com
Safety and protectionOn-demand intumescence
An intumescent mat that can be activated on demand to
provide protection without needing to experience the
heat of a fire was shown for the first time at JEC World
in Paris, France, on 8–10 March 2016.
Technical Fibre Products (TFP) of Burneside, UK, says it
has developed the mat (Technofire) for use in remotely
controlled fire-protection systems.
As a bonus, owing to the incorporation of conductive
fibres, the material also acts as an electromagnetic
interference (EMI) shield.
In Paris, TFP also revealed the latest additions to its
range of veils made from high-performance
thermoplastic fibres(1) including: polyphenylene sulphide
(PPS); polyether imide (PEI); polyetheretherketone
(PEEK); polyamide (PA); polyimide (PI).
These lightweight materials are intended to be used as
interleaves between layers of carbon fibre-reinforced
plastic (CFRP). The company says that using the
interleaves improves the fracture toughness of the
materials compared with those without: mode-I
fracture toughness is up to 160% higher; mode-II
fracture toughness improves by as much as 430%.
See also:(1)Advances in Textiles Technology, April 2015, Thermoplastic
veils introduced to toughen composites, page 4;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/17083
Contact: Rosie Fisher, Marketing Manager,
Technical Fibre Products. Tel: +44 (1539) 818229.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.tfpglobal.com
Call for tougher flammabilitystandards for children’s dress fabrics
A UK textile manufacturer has launched a range of
flame-retardant (FR) fabrics for children’s dresses
together with a plea to toughen-up the safety
requirements for such textiles.
Tiverton-based Heathcoat Fabrics’ range (Heathcoat
1808) includes dress nets, tulles and costume fabrics all
with FR properties resulting from the application of its
own unique technology (Flare-Free).
Flare-Free-treated fabrics meet the requirements of the
European standard for the flammability of toys (EN71
part 2), as verified in independent tests, together with
all other legal dress fabrics on the market, but
Heathcoat believes these standards are not sufficient.
The company therefore demands that Flare-Free-
treated fabrics also meet its own standard, which
specifies that no residual flame should be present after
the textile has been exposed to a gas flame for a stated
time, flammability requirements that are even greater
than those of the UK’s standard for nightwear (BS5722).
Business Manager for Heathcoat Fabrics, Philip
Wignall believes; “There is a definite need for more
stringent controls over flame spread. Other than our
Flare-Free fabrics, all alternative dress nets available
for children’s costumes will simply combust in
seconds, offering no protection.” He adds: “The
Federation of British Retailers has proposed recom-
mendations to modify EN71, but it would be good to
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd http://www.technical-textiles.net
April 2016 Advances in Textiles Technology
9
http://www.technical-textiles.net ©2016 International Newsletters Ltd
Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
10
see more stringent legislation specifically relating to
apparel, similar to BS5722.”
To demonstrate its concerns, the company has released
a video(1) comparing the burn time of a child’s tutu
purchased in the UK with that of a similar tutu made
with a Flare-Free dress net. Heathcoat says the video
starkly shows that a typical child’s costume offers no
protection from flame and will fully combust in a matter
of seconds, while the Flare-Free equivalent will not burn.
Unveiling the range during the Première Vision Fabrics
exhibition in Paris, France, on 16–18 February 2016, the
company added that it also makes the fabrics such that
they contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of
formaldehyde, which is below the detectable limit.
“While formaldehyde has been used for decades in
washing powders and clothing, it is flammable, emits
carbon monoxide when heated, and has been found to
be toxic and corrosive,” said Wignall. In 2014, for
instance, the European Union (EU) classified
formaldehyde as a Carcinogen Category 1B as defined
by its registration, evaluation, authorization and
restriction of chemicals (REACH) regulations.
Anticipating these concerns, Heathcoat has spent eight
years developing technology to create low-
formaldehyde fabrics and has introduced its Zero4 brand
to indicate its use. “While the risks from apparel are
low, we have invested in developing our Zero4 brand,
giving consumers more choice in what they wear.”
At Première Vision Fabrics the company also exhibited
stiffer Flare-Free fabrics for adult dresses, including
those for bridal gowns.
See also:(1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeczfYk1K6U
Contact: Philip Wignall, Business Manager,
Heathcoat Fabrics. Tel: +44 (1884) 254949. Fax:
+44 (1884) 244332. Email: [email protected];
http://www.heathcoat.co.uk; or:
http://www.premierevision.com
Business newsGlatfelter names site for US airlaid plant
Glatfelter has chosen Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the location
for its first airlaid manufacturing facility in the USA.
The nonwovens manufacturer, which has its
headquarters in York, Pennsylvania, USA, says it is close
to buying a building at Chaffee Crossing, formerly used
by Mitsubishi Power Systems.
The new facility will cost about US$80 million and is
expected to have an annual capacity of approximately
20 kt (22 000 short tons), increasing Glatfelter’s total
global capacity for airlaid materials to approximately
117 kt (129 000 short tons).
When, at the end of 2015, it first announced plans for a
facility in the USA, Glatfelter said the investment was
underpinned by customers’ commitments to purchase a
significant amount of the additional annual capacity.
The new facility will also be a base for the company’s
speciality assets in the USA and host a centre of
excellence for other lightweight products. Glatfelter
anticipates production will start in late 2017 and says
the project will be funded by a combination of cash on
hand and its existing credit facility.
Figure 6:
Heathcoat Fabrics has released a video comparing the burn time
of a child’s tutu purchased in the UK (left) with that of a similar
tutu (right) made with its own dress net (Heathcoat 1808). The
video shows the typical child’s costume fully combusts within
seconds, while the company’s equivalent will not burn.
©2016 International Newsletters Ltd http://www.technical-textiles.net
April 2016 Advances in Textiles Technology
11
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President of Glatfelter’s Advanced Airlaid Materials
Business Unit and a Senior Vice President of Glatfelter,
Chris Astley said the company chose Fort Smith
because: “Locating here benefits our business in a
number of ways it will: enable us to expand capacity to
meet our customers’ growing demand for advanced
airlaid products; provide us with closer proximity to key
suppliers and customers, and link us to highly efficient
transportation routes across the South; allow us to tap
into the area’s high-quality workforce.”
The company anticipates the creation of 83 highly
skilled jobs at the plant and will begin recruiting in the
next few months.
Glatfelter’s Advanced Airlaid Materials Business Unit has
existing production facilities in Canada and Germany.
Contact: William Yanavitch II, Senior Vice
President, Human Resources & Administration,
Glatfelter. Tel: +1 (717) 225-2747. Email:
http://www.glatfelter.com
Sanitized opens technical centre
A Swiss specialist in antimicrobial additives for textiles
and polymers has invested in a new technical centre.
Sanitized AG has built the TecCenter at its
headquarters in Burgdorf and says the facility will allow
it to develop and optimize its products taking into
account all the production processes its customers
might apply to them. The company says support for
research and development (R&D) into products for the
management of odours in textiles will be a priority.
The centre will allow the company to work with its
customers to assess the best product for any given
application, understand and resolve processing issues,
and conduct microbiological tests and an assortment of
analyses.
Scientists in the centre can conduct thermogravimetric
analysis, thermal testing, testing of a material’s
endurance to environmental exposure (solar light,
ultraviolet radiation and sprays), as well as assessments
of wash-resistance. They can also measure mould
ORDER FORM
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Advances in Textiles Technology April 2016
formation, bacterial growth, odour development,
material deterioration and the presence of dust mites.
In addition, the centre houses equipment to make
textile coatings and plastic films, and allows users to
apply finishes to textiles using pad-transfer and
extraction techniques, and dye baths.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Urs Stalder says the
company can now conduct laboratory tests on behalf of
its customers, saving them vast expense in terms of
time, money and energy consumption.
A further objective of the TecCenter will be to develop
new applications for the company’s existing products.
Contact: Sibylle Hänni, Sanitized AG.
Tel: +41 (34) 427-1624. Fax: +41 (34) 427-1619.
Email: [email protected]; or: Heinz
Studer, Sales Manager, Sanitized AG.
Tel: +41 (34) 427-1622. Fax: +41 (34) 427-1639.
Email: [email protected];
http://www.sanitized.com
SGL prepares to exploit expertise inautomotive carbon fibres, composites
Effective from the beginning of 2016, SGL has formed a
new business unit, Composites – Fibers and Materials
(CFM), combining its existing activities in composites
with those for carbon fibres for the automotive industry.
The SGL Group, a specialist in carbon-based products
and materials with headquarters in Wiesbaden,
Germany, has appointed Andreas Wüllner to head CFM.
Wüllner will also continue as Managing Director of one
of the new business’ two constituents, SGL Automotive
Carbon Fibers, which is a joint venture with the BMW
Group, the automaker based in Munich, Germany(1).
SGL offers expertise in fibres, materials and
components for lightweight composites constructions,
according to Wüllner, who says the combination of the
businesses provides a single point of access to all its
services for customers in the automotive, aerospace,
wind energy and acrylic fibre markets. The Group’s
regional sales teams around the world will support
other industry sectors.
In addition, the new business will be able to sell
materials and products that SGL Automotive Carbon
Fibers had previously made exclusively for BMW.
Building on its experience with heavy tow fibres for
automotive applications, for instance, CFM will target
the aerospace industry.
CFM’s headquarters are at SGL’s existing site in
Meitlingen, Germany, where the Group is to invest in
the establishment of a new Lightweight and Application
Center (LAC) to help customers develop processes,
prototypes and products, as well as conducting small-
scale production. During 2016, CFM will install
specialized machinery and production equipment, as well
as setting-up teams with expertise in digital simulation
methods. As a result, LAC will be operational in 2016,
although SGL says it will not be fully complete until 2018.
The formation of CFM is part of a broader strategy to focus
SGL on globally important industrial trends such as the
drive for energy efficiency, the need to develop alternative
means of transport and the digitalization of processes.
See also:(1)Advances in Textiles Technology, May 2010, BMW and SGL
invest heavily in carbon fibre use for automobiles, page 8;
http://www.technical-textiles.net/node/50258
Contact: SGL Group, Corporate Communications.
Tel: +49 (611) 6029-100. Fax: +49 (611) 6029-101.
Email: [email protected]; http://www.sglgroup.com
12
Figure 7:
Sanitized AG has built the TecCenter at its Swiss headquarters.