Spunlace-soft new SMS for gowns

Ahlstrom’s latest TenderGuard SMS fabric for surgical gowns is said to be the first in the medical industry with a PFOA-free C6-based fluorochemical surface treatment for effective repellency.

A decade ago, working with the US  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), leading chemical companies voluntarily developed the PFOA Stewardship Program aimed at removing the fluorotelomer PFOA (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), even as an impurity, from products.

PFOA and its salts have been used as surfactants in a number of industries for applications such as electroplating and the production of fire-fighting foams, in addition to the production of fluoroelastomers, eg PTFE. An increasing number of fluoropolymer manufacturers are now avoiding the use of PFOA by using alternative surfactants, since it persists in the atmosphere and while not banned, its effect on the environment and wildlife has been under significant scrutiny.

As a high performance, cost-effective fabric for medical apparel, TenderGuard offers the same protection as regular treated SMS but with added comfort, the company reports. It also has the softness associated with spunlaced nonwovens, but at lower basis weights, and is extremely low linting.