New Deals, Fibers and Finishes; Playday Turns 60
Eastman’s Latest Puts Performance in Non-wovens
The Eastman Chemical Co. has introduced a line of chemicals designed to give non-woven fabrics performance features, including durability, tensile strength, and abrasion and water resistance.
The Kingsport, Tenn.–based company unveiled Synthebond at the International Engineered Fabrics Conference & Expo in Miami Beach, Fla., last month.
Eastman introduced five finishes under the Synthebond brand:
bull; Synthebond AC Emulsion Polymers, acrylic emulsion chemicals that improve strength and colorfastness and prevent linting in fibers made into non-woven fabrics.
bull; Synthebond SF Specialty Finishes, chemicals that give polyester substrate fibers hydrophilic properties and softness. The application gives manmade non-woven fabric the appearance and some of the properties of cotton. Fabrics made from these fibers absorb and retain moisture, which is released when the fabric is washed.
bull; Synthebond SP Polyester Resins add strength, durability and a firm hand to fibers used in industrial applications.
bull; Synthebond HB Hybrid Emulsion Polymers use a patented technology that combines the properties of acrylic and polyester emulsions, enabling the chemicals used on blended fibers to achieve a uniformity of performance. According to Wayne Steinberg, global business manager for textile chemicals at Eastman, this emulsion has shown “excellent adhesion to polyester while providing the cost advantage of acrylic.”
bull; Synthebond FX Fluorochemical Extenders repel water and oil. These chemicals were designed for the “growing market for apparel with soil-release properties,” Steinberg said. The acrylic polymers enhance the soil-release properties at a lower cost than other products available, said Steinberg, who noted that other products on the market average $5 to $10 per pound while Eastman’s products average $1 per pound. In addition, Eastman’s fluorochemical extenders use fewer volatile organic compounds, which contribute to air pollution, he said.
Steinberg said the development of the Synthebond line for non-wovens was a natural step for Eastman, which has experience in the textile market and in the wide usage of non-woven fabrics.
“The non-woven market in this country is growing,” he said. “We’ve spent 40 years producing these technologies in traditional textiles.”
Eastman has a few customers on the West Coast—primarily printers and dyers—but most of its business is with companies in the Southeast and overseas, Steinberg said.
More information about the Synthebond line is available at www.eastman.com.
Koch Completes Invista Purchase
It’s official. Wichita, Kan.–based Koch Industries Inc. has completed its purchase of DuPont Textile & Interiors for $42 billion, including the assumption of debt, joint venture and equity interests. The purchase brings fiber brands Lycra, Tactel, Antron and Coolmax under the same roof as Koch’s KoSa brands: Polarguard, ESP and Avora FR. Koch has renamed the newly expanded fiber division Invista.
Invista will be overseen by six presidents: William Ghitis for apparel, David Trerotola for performance fibers, Alan Wolk for interiors, Kenneth Wall for intermediates, Kevin Fogarty for polymer and resins, and Gerold Linzbach for textile fibers. Ghitis and Trerotola will relocate to a new office near Wilmington, Del.; Wolk will work in the Atlanta area; Linzbach will work in Charlotte, N.C.; and Wall and Fogarty will work out of the Wichita office. Jeff Walker will serve as chairman and chief executive officer.
Lenzing Buys Tencel, Introduces Microfiber
Lenzing AG purchased Tencel from investment firm CVC Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum. The purchase brings together the two major producers of Lyocell fibers after years of fierce competition.
German company Lenzing has also introduced a Lyocell microfiber. The ultra-fine fabric with a smooth, silky hand has applications in the lingerie industry, according to the company, which also stressed the ease of production of the new fiber. Lenzing’s low-fibrillation technology simplifies the production process of the ultra-fine Lyocell knits for knitters and finishers.
The new fiber has high-moisture characteristics and high-steam absorption, which help control the wearer’s body temperature by keeping the area surrounding the body dry, according to Lenzing. By controlling body temperature, the fiber has applications for both coolweather and warm-weather fabrics, said the company.
More information about Lenzing’s new micro Lyocell is available at www.lenzing.com.
TALA Plans 60th Playday
The Textile Association of Los Angeles will celebrate its 60th annual Bob Berg Invitational Summer Playday on May 14 at the Los Robles Greens Golf Course in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Registration will commence at 10:30 a.m. The putting contest will begin at 11 a.m., and a shotgun golf tee off will start at 12:30 p.m. Dinner and the presentation of trophies and door prizes will begin at 6 p.m., after the golf tournament.
The cost is $145 for golf and dinner or $55 for dinner only. For more information about Playday or to R.S.V.P., call (213) 627-6173.
