Performance Nonwovens

Building boost for nonwovens

1 December 2013

Global demand for nonwovens is forecast to rise by an average of 5.4% annually to reach 9.1 Mt in 2017, according to the latest market report, called World Nonwovens, published by Freedonia Group of C

Local knowledge vital for those operating in a global economy

The sheer scale of the global market for hygienic nonwovens requires an awareness of all conditions at local levels, says Adrian Wilson.

Wealth of new growth markets and applications for nonwovens

Nonwovens are no longer just commodity products and increasingly contribute to a range of high-performance end-uses, reports Adrian Wilson in an exploration of the latest applications and trends in the use of such fabrics around the world.

Dynamic innovation and wide range of markets drive Norafin

From its origins, Norafin has remained a pioneer of both technology and product innovation, traits that have survived changes of ownership and fluctuations in external economic conditions. Nick Butler examines what drives such dynamism.

High-performance nonwovens an integral part of Techtextil

During the 21 years of Technical Textiles International, Editor Nick Butler has witnessed Techtextil grow relentlessly as a focal point of the industry. Another constant during this period, he says, has been the growing importance of high-performance nonwovens.

Donaldson pioneers applications for nanofibre webs in filters

Within the US$50-billion filtration market, Donaldson’s products – all of which are based on advanced filter media, including nonwovens and technical textiles – find applications in a diverse range of industries, according to Adrian Wilson.

Diversity and innovation in engineered nonwovens at IDEA13

With its automotive industry currently booming and an upturn in construction anticipated, now is a good time for nonwovens manufacturers to be doing business in the USA, according to Adrian Wilson.

Poles apart—nonwovens provide efficient separation for batteries

Safety concerns have led to the recent grounding of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner fleet and focused media attention on lithium–ion battery technology. Adrian Wilson investigates the role nonwovens play in such devices.

Key developments from two decades of progress for nonwovens

To mark the forthcoming 21st anniversary of Technical Textiles International, first published in May 1992, Adrian Wilson looks back at the state of the nonwovens industry in the early 1990s and assesses the key developments of the intervening years.

Energy-storage market attracts Lenzing nonwoven fibres business

1 December 2012

Austria-based fibre manufacturer, Lenzing has opened a newly constructed pilot plant at its facility in Heiligenkreuz in a bid to develop products for hightechnology electrical applications.

Testing manual updated

1 December 2012

Two leading associations representing the nonwovens industry - INDA (Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry) of Cary, North Carolina, USA, and EDANA of Brussels, Belgium - have cooperated to pub

Protecting sensitive components, preserving food and drink

Lighter weights, engineered performance, and the use of natural and sustainable raw materials are just some of the advantages nonwovens provide when used for packaging, an application with great potential, according to Adrian Wilson.

Technology to make drylaid fabrics with homogeneous properties

1 August 2012

Andritz Asselin-Thibeau of Elbeuf, France, says it has developed a way to feed webs with heavier basis weights and/or thicknesses to the crosslapper in order to produce drylaid nonwovens with homogene

New investor helps expand Norafin

1 June 2012

Norafin Industries GmbH is to install a second line for making hydroentangled nonwovens at its manufacturing location in Mildenau, Germany.

Efficient transport of liquids

1 May 2012

A method for making a nonwoven with a surface shape and fibre structure that encourage the rapid transfer of a predefined liquid has been disclosed by Unicharm of Tokyo, Japan.

Polymer Group unveils technology to produce submicron fibres

1 January 2012

Polymer Group (PGI) of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has unveiled a technology platform to produce nonwovens containing submicron fibres that it says can deliver improved performance properties for

Unrest in Middle East fails to stifle investment in nonwovens

Strong growth is expected for nonwoven products in the Middle East and North Africa and, despite the headline-making political unrest of 2011 in the region, investment plans are being set in place by several manufacturers, says Adrian Wilson.

Avoiding sick building syndrome and other modern hazards

1 October 2011

Concern over the quality of air inside buildings is now receiving the attention that the quality of external air received in the 1970s, and it's another area in which nonwoven filter media are prosper

Spinning preparation and nonwoven carding from Trutzschler

1 September 2011

Trutzschler Card Clothing will introduce its developments for spinning preparation and for nonwoven carding at ITMA 2011.

Staple fibres and nonwovens

1 September 2011

At ITMA 2011, Oerlikon Neumag of Neumuenster, Germany, is to show experimental needlepunch fabrics made on its pilot line in Linz, Austria, using materials such as carbon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTF

Dense wet-laid fabrics made from polyphenylene sulphide fibres

1 August 2011

An amorphous polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) fibre that has a low degree of thermal shrinkage, and a highly electrically insulating nonwoven fabric made from it are disclosed in European Patent EP 2 305

Carriers for trans-dermal systems

1 July 2011

Freudenberg of Weinheim, Germany, has introduced a new range of Vilmed elastic nonwoven fabrics for such applications as carriers for trans-dermal systems.

Magnetic fabrics

1 June 2011

A UK company has invented a nonwoven fabric made from fibres that are coated with a magnetic metal or alloy.

Glass hybrids make smoother and more flexible fabrics

1 May 2011

Johns Manville of Bobingen, Germany, is set to introduce three products at Techtextil (Frankfurt, Germany, 24-26 May 2011; Hall 3.1 E79):

Norafin's hydroentangled flax fabrics

1 May 2011

Nonwovens manufacturer Norafin has now begun processing flax fibres and is offering innovative technical nonwovens made from them.

Late-comer India now starts to show its appetite for nonwovens

1 February 2011

In the production of nonwovens, India lags behind other emerging economies, but the local industry, aided by the government, is determined to catch up.

Particle respirator receives 2011 Visionary Award

1 February 2011

Designed to help save lives and protect individuals from harm from airborne particles, the Readi Mask from Global Safety First of Manasquan, New Jersey, USA, received the 2011 Visionary Award presente

Advanced nonwoven media for liquid filtration--a growth area

1 December 2010

Nonwovens manufacturers - in cooperation with their major customers - have an important role to play in ensuring that future demand for clean water, both for drinking and advanced industrial processes

Lenzing and Weyerhaeuser make progress on direct formation of cellulosic webs

1 November 2010

TencelWeb is the name given to a new technology that allows the direct manufacture of cellulosic nonwoven webs from a spinning solution of lyocell, according to Lenzing's Mirko Einzmann.

Better production route for nanofibre webs

1 October 2010

The best way to produce nanofibre nonwovens for filters is now to process 1.11 dtex (one denier) 300 islands-in-a-sea bicomponent spunbonds, says Arnold Wilkie, President of US extrusion specialist Hi

Kimberly-Clark reveals cheaper way to make conductive fabrics

1 October 2010

Building on its 135 years of experience in papermaking, Kimberly-Clark says it has developed a material in response to the need for low cost conductors in consumer products.

Polyolefin blends improved for spunlaid fabrics

1 August 2010

ExxonMobil has been developing polyolefin blends for use in spunlaid (spunbonded) fibres and fabrics that are soft and elastic but maintain their integrity when stretched so as to be useful for such a

Inorganic additives strengthen electrospun fibres

1 January 2010

A method of electrospinning nanofibres that are strengthened by the addition of inorganic additives is described in European Patent EP 2 108 718.

Cohesive webs of electrospun fibres

1 January 2010

Researchers in the USA have proposed a way for making webs of electrospun fibres more cohesive.

Low density polypropylene

1 December 2009

Foamed polypropylene (PP) fibres have lower densities and increased roughness and can be used to make nonwovens that have a better web coverage and so improved barrier properties, according to Europea

Nanofibres now an option for Nonwovens Research Lab

1 October 2009

The Nonwovens Research Lab at The University of Tennessee (UTNRL) says it has added nanofibre meltblowing capabilities to its 15 cm (six inches) line.

Heat-resistant polyphenylene sulphide fabric is dimensionally stable

1 October 2009

A Japanese company has developed a nonwoven that is made from polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) fibres and claims that it does not need to apply subsequent thermal treatment to make the fabric dimensionall

Faster, cheaper hydroentangled fabrics

1 September 2009

Kimberly-Clark has patented a process that the company claims is a fast, cheap and reliable way of making hydroentangled nonwovens from relatively stiff fibres.

Cushioning material for swimwear

1 August 2009

Teijin Fibers Ltd of Japan has developed what it describes as the world's first polyester-based cushioning material for swimwear bra cups.

Searching for alternatives to petrochemical fibres in nonwovens

1 June 2009

Despite the many advantages of standard polypropylene and polyester with respect to the processing of nonwovens, efforts continue globally to replace them with alternatives such as bioplastics or natu

Protective clothing--a high growth market for nonwovens

1 June 2009

From medical drapes in hospitals to suits to protect wearers in nuclear, biological and chemical attacks--nonwovens can be engineered to shield against a wide range of threats, while also keeping the

Advanced Materials Laboratory for TexasTech University

1 May 2009

The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University (TIEHH) has opened a new, state-of-the-art fabric laboratory to help researchers continue creating products that can protect bo

Resilient market for European nonwovens machinery makers

1 May 2009

Suppliers to the nonwovens industry are looking to capitalize on new initiatives in China that are aimed at boosting industrial activity.

Investment in medical grade needlepunched nonwovens line

1 May 2009

NonWoven Solutions LLC has installed a production line inside its newly constructed 0.37 ha (40 000 square feet) facility in Lakemoor, Illinois, USA.

Reducing jet streaks in hydroentangled webs

1 April 2009

Researchers in the USA have developed a method to reduce the effects of jet streaks in hydroentangled webs and say that their approach offers other advantages too.

Hydroentanglement for large, continuous filaments

1 March 2009

A means of making hydroentangled fabrics using relatively large, continuous filaments while operating at rates of production substantially the same as spunlaid processes is the goal of work at Polymer

Wipe for warfare agents and hazardous chemicals

1 January 2009

Emergency workers and military personnel charged with cleaning up chemical warfare agents and toxic chemicals have a new tool to call on: a decontamination wipe developed by researchers at The Institu

Fabric with regions of differing densities

1 December 2008

A nonwoven that intentionally contains regions with differing fibres densities has been developed by Milliken & Co of Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA.

Strong growth predicted for nonwovens in the Middle East

1 December 2008

The varied markets of the Middle East and North Africa, in addition to Turkey and Israel, offer vast potential for both hygienic disposables and functional nonwovens for construction projects, accordi

Nonwoven composites: the benefits of winning combinations

1 December 2008

Due to their origins as hybrids - combining materials and processes from the disparate fields of textiles, plastics, paper and glass - nonwovens can make further progress in the wider field of industr

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10 February 2026

Please find below the list of forthcoming conferences and exhibitions on technical textiles and nonwovens.

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Local knowledge vital for those operating in a global economy

Wealth of new growth markets and applications for nonwovens

Dynamic innovation and wide range of markets drive Norafin

High-performance nonwovens an integral part of Techtextil

Donaldson pioneers applications for nanofibre webs in filters

Diversity and innovation in engineered nonwovens at IDEA13

Poles apart—nonwovens provide efficient separation for batteries

Key developments from two decades of progress for nonwovens

Protecting sensitive components, preserving food and drink

Unrest in Middle East fails to stifle investment in nonwovens