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Soft Stretch, No Latex
VitaFlex LLC, an affiliate of Burlington Technologies Inc., Burlington, N.C., has begun manufacturing a latex- and synthetic rubber-free, inherently elastic spunbond material and associated end products using patented technology developed by VitaFlex President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. De-Sheng Tsai. All manufacturing is done in the United States, with final processing of the raw materials and making them into end products done at VitaFlex's plant in Burlington.
The fabrics are manufactured using a proprietary process by which thermally bonded nonwovens are given cross-directional soft-stretch properties. The fabrics are treated at high speeds and are available in a variety of styles, each featuring a high degree of uniformity and having its own performance attributes. Certain polypropylene (PP) spunbonds offer up to 70-percent recovery and 150-percent elongation, and higher-stretch fabrics can offer up to 400-percent elongation.
Because end products do not need to be fitted with latex straps, their production process is simplified, so costs are reduced considerably. The company notes the basic fabrics are suitable for limited-use applications, but it also is possible to combine them with other materials to make composites, and to make durable products. A further benefit is that disposal is more environmentally friendly than for traditional elastic disposables because, in addition to their being recyclable when made from a single polymer type, waste incineration of the VitaFlex™ products produces fewer harmful emissions.
The company envisions numerous other applications for VitaFlex materials as well, including medical, clean-room, food-processing and others; and will introduce products for these uses at strategic points in time. These other products might be layered in different ways, using different components and sandwiching them together to provide the desired function.
Heaton said Tsai, a former technical fellow with DuPont and entrepreneur in Taiwan, also has developed an elastic laminate technology that is expected to be introduced sometime in the future.
Sunoco To Sell Polypropylene Business
Philadelphia-based Sunoco Inc., a manufacturer of petroleum and petrochemical products, has agreed to sell its polypropylene (PP) business subsidiary Sunoco Chemicals Inc. to Braskem S.A., a Brazil-based producer of petrochemicals and thermoplastic resins, for approximately $350 million. The sale will include Sunoco's PP manufacturing plants in Marcus Hook, Pa.; La Porte, Texas; and Neal, W.Va., which combined have the capacity to produce approximately 2.1 billion pounds of PP annually. The sale is expected to be completed by March 31.
Gore, Sefar Partner To Produce Gore™ TENARA® Architectural Fabrics
Newark, Del.-based W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., manufacturer of GORE-TEX® fabric, and Switzerland-based technical textiles manufacturer Sefar AG have entered a strategic alliance under which Sefar will be the exclusive producer of W.L. Gore's Gore™ TENARA® Architectural Fabrics. Used for permanent textile structures such as the retractable roof over the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Gore Tenara fabrics are made with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (EPTFE) fibers and provide complete ultraviolet protection while allowing high natural light transmission. The fabrics also are flexible and can fold or drape better than other building textiles, according to W.L. Gore.
"Extending our product range with Tenara Architectural Fabrics is a major step forward to realize Sefar's vision to be the worldwide leading and innovative partner of choice for uniquely aesthetic and functional textile architecture," said Ingo Thalhammer, business unit manager, Sefar Architecture Solutions.
Industrial Netting Offers Woven Mesh Industrial Fabrics
Minneapolis-based Industrial Netting -- a producer of plastic netting products for filtration, material handling, construction, agricultural and industrial applications -- has added woven mesh industrial textiles to its product line. According to the company, the fabrics have finer openings than traditional extruded nets. Weft or filling threads are run across the width of the fabric at right angles to the warp machine direction yarn, creating square mesh openings as small as 1 micron.
The woven mesh fabrics are offered in a range of nylon, polypropylene and polyester yarns and fibers. According to the company, the fabrics meet technical requirements for use in automotive, biomedical, chemical processing and water treatment applications, and can be used as filter cloths. The mesh fabrics also can be wrapped and ultrasonically welded to the outer surface of Industrial Netting's rigid mesh tubes.
Springfield To Distribute, Expand DuPont Protera™ Line
Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont has signed an agreement with Gaffney, S.C.-based Springfield LLC -- a manufacturer of uniforms, sportswear and outwear, as well as flame-resistant (FR) and protective fabrics for military, government, and other applications -- granting Springfield manufacturing and distribution rights for DuPont's Protera™ fabric in the United States and the Caribbean. Springfield also will develop new fabrics to add to the Protera line.
Protera is an inherently FR fabric with built-in permanent thermal protection properties. According to Springfield, apparel made with Protera is very comfortable and durable, and has better lifecycle value than FR cotton/nylon apparel of a similar weight. The fabric was created to protect industrial workers against electric arc hazards, and it meets National Fire Protection Association Category 2 requirements.
"Springfield LLC FR textile business has had a long relationship with DuPont and with Protera products and services," said Ed Shogan, CEO, Springfield. "This transition will be seamless and add to the success of an already successful brand."
DuPont will continue to offer mills and end users technical and sales assistance for Protera fabrics.
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