Li-ion bulk production at Japan Vilene
Japan Vilene is currently building a bulk production line for lithium ion battery separators with an anticipated annual capacity of 30 million square metres, once in full production by 2014.
Making a greener splash
Viledon Hydrotexx ECO is a new filtration media made with post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyester nonwovens being introduced in North America by Freudenberg Filtration Technologies.
The company worked with Meissner Manufacturing, which manufactures the Unicel brand and is one of the largest North American producers of replacement cartridges for the pool and spa market. The Unicel team initiated its concept for a recycled filter cartridge with the design of end caps and filter cores made of recycled materials. Freudenberg approached Unicel with the concept of Hydrotexx ECO and the Unicel green cartridge line was born.
Hydrotexx ECO is produced in Freudenberg’s Durham, North Carolina plant which has been manufacturing with post-industrial recycled (PIR) materials for several years and has just recently transitioned to processing 100% PCR material, in this case from converting used polyester bottles into a raw material that can be fed into the manufacturing process. About 23% of all polyester bottles in the US are recovered through recycling and reprocessing.
The process begins with the collection, bundling, shredding and cleaning of discarded beverage bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Freudenberg then uses proprietary spunlaid manufacturing technology to make nonwoven polyester media from the shredded plastic.
“By incorporating recycled ECO products into filtration systems and applications, we are helping our customers achieve their own recycle targets and together becoming better stewards to the environment by promoting the use of PCR products,” said Chris Murray, general manager of liquid filtration for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies NA. “The incorporation of recycled products, improvements in energy efficiency, the reuse of expended energy and landfill avoidance are all areas of focus for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies.”
Sales boost at Biome
Biome Technologies achieved revenues of £15.3 million in the nine months to the end of September 2011, reflecting, among other things, a 110% increase in bioplastic sales made by UK-based Biome Bioplastics.
The company has a range of bioplastics which can be spun into fibres for use in nonwovens.
Fine fibre products such as continuous filament yarns and nonwoven webs, for which biodegradability is of high importance, can be spun on existing equipment to provide fibres that are both strong and can provide improved absorption over existing materials, the company says.
New blends for Biolace
Suominen reports that its state-of-the-art liquid compounding facility is developing new blends of environmentally friendly ingredients to make the most of Biolace nonwovens and the new concepts being developed around them.
Following the completion of the acquisition of Ahlstrom’s Home and Personal business for €170 million on November 1st and the appointment of Jean-Marie Becker as general manager of the Nonwovens business unit, Suominen has become the global market leader in nonwovens for wipes, with an estimated share of 18%.
Bioplastic packaging launched
During 2011, Melbourne, Australia-based Stellar Films has introduced a new range of sustainable films for nonwoven-based disposables employing patented Biohybrid technology from Cardia Biotechnology.
Cardia’s 100% subsidiary Cardia Bioplastics Malaysia has just been awarded Bionexus status from the Malaysian government’s Biotechnology Corporation.
Events
INDA announces new CAB conference
Recognising a need for an inclusive conference to service the needs of multiple production and bonding technologies for nonwovens and the converter segment, INDA, will hold its first CAB converting and bonding conference from April 17-19, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, South Carolina, USA.
CAB 2012 is an expansion and replacement of INDA’s highly successful Needlepunch conference. The new event will encompass the full range of nonwoven bonding technologies, including needlepunch, chemical, spray, foam, powder, stitch, thermal, through-air and ultrasonic, plus the latest in converting technologies and applications.
“Our Needlepunch conference served the industry well for many years, but to respond to industry needs, it has been expanded to include all other bonding technologies and converting,” explains INDA president Rory Holmes. “We expect CAB to be a valuable information and networking event for a wide range of nonwovens producers, converters and their customers.”
The CAB 2012 programme highlights will include:
- The latest converting applications using ultrasonic, coating, laminating, water jet, and laser technologies.
- New market opportunities and applications in medical, military, alternative energy, automotive, geotextiles, building/construction and protective barriers.
- New capabilities in converting.
- Machinery innovations.
- Bonding and converting tutorials.
- Innovations in thermal and other bonding technologies.
- The latest trends and developments in sustainability, raw materials and governmental affairs.
Details: www.inda.org/CAB12
World’s first fully renewable, biobased PET
Japan’s Toray Industries reports success in producing laboratory-scale samples of the world’s first fully renewable biobased PET fibre.
To achieve this, it used fully renewable biobased PET polymer derived from biobased para-xylene supplied by Gevo, a leading US company in renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels.
Gevo has succeeded in converting isobutanol, produced from biomass, by employing its own highly effective production method employing synthetic biology to synthesize para-xylene employing conventional chemical processes used in commercial operations.
Perfect solutions for electronics
Apple, Dell, Foxconn, Pioneer, Pansonic and Sony are among the leading electronics companies now employing Livesen packaging materials converted from spunmelt (SSMMS) nonwovens by Perfect Packaging.
Headquartered in Hong Kong with manufacturing in Korea and a second plant recently built in China, this company has quickly secured a leading position in the rapidly growing field of nonwovens for packaging applications and has strong ties with Toray Saehan, the principle supplier of its nonwovens.
Perfect Packaging’s processes are completely Greenhouse Gas neutral and all of its materials are 100% recyclable and non toxic.
New small batch process for tissue growth
An advantageous new semi-continuous web-formation process with the ability to produce small batches of even fibre nonwovens for use as human tissue scaffolds has been developed in Germany.
