PLA progress highlighted in Florida

The nonwovens progress made by NatureWorks with its Ingeo PLA fibre will be showcased at the forthcoming ‘Innovation Takes Root’ conference in Orlando, Florida from February 20-22.

Ingeo spunbond fabrics have been commercial for a number of years from companies such as Fitesa, Ahlstrom, and CL Nonwovens.
Fabrics are available in weights from  less than 20 gsm to 200 gsm in 100 percent homogenous or bicomponent versions, as well as in combinations with other polymers such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

“It’s possible to achieve tensile strength that compares favourably to polypropylene for equivalent base weights,” says Eamonn Tighe, EU business development manager for Ingeo. “Nonwovens and fibres specifically focused on medical, hygiene, filtration, and horticulture applications are proliferating.”

Meltblown materials are one of the most recent areas of development for Ingeo biopolymer, he adds. The specific grade, 6252D, has a low viscosity and fast crystallization. The 6252D grade can also be modified with additives to broaden the operation window, yielding different processing parameters and fabric properties. Fabrics have been developed on various lines of equipment, including that of Biax-Fiberfilm. Weights from less than 10 gsm to 40 gsm are particularly suitable for wipes and filtration applications. Processing is relatively simple with a broad operating window.

The ability to achieve specific end performance via a variety of additives is also contributing to the adoption of Ingeo in the international fibers industry and other industries. Some examples of those available today include:            
•    Cesa-Extend from Clariant – a chain extender, yielding additional melt strength and improvements in processing        
•    CP-LO1 from Polyvel – which significantly improves hydrophilicity
•    Ecoflex from BASF – a biodegradable Co PET which improves processability
•    EBS (ethylene bis stearamide) a nucleating agent offering lubrication and increased abrasion resistance, which also yields hydrophobic characteristics
Goulston Technologies also provides finish treatments for a variety of fiber and nonwovens processes