Friday 30 November 2012

Friedrich Weninger, CEO Lenzing, Keynote address to Dornbirn 2012

This summary of the keynote speech from this year's Dornbirn Man-Made Fibres Conference is the first of a series of summaries of the papers of most interest to a nonwoven audience.  They will be posted here regularly over the next few weeks and will accumulate, along with earlier posts from Dornbirn, in the Dornbirn 2012 folder.

Friedrich Weninger CEO Lenzing and President of AMFI observed that the USA had a huge advantage economically because the dollar remained the Worlds reserve currency.  The Euro became sufficiently strong to share this role with the dollar but had recently lost its appeal.  If it collapsed, it would not be the Chinese yuan that benefited; it would be the dollar at least for the next 10 years.  However the collapse of the Euro would cost the EU more than saving it, and the current crisis provided the best opportunity to make fundamental reforms to make it stronger.  In fact without the crisis, reform could not happen so we must make the most of the opportunity.

Partnership was becoming more important than Ownership.  Take-overs of complementary businesses were not necessary if stable strategic partnerships could be created.  From within the fibre industry the following examples were noteworthy:
·         In raw materials, Lenzing partnered with SAPPI for pulp supplies.  Lenzing gave SAPPI the guaranteed offtake of high volumes which allowed SAPPI secure long-term investment.  Lenzing bought most of their needs from SAPPI and in return got attractive pricing.
·         In product development, Lenzing had partnered with Ten Cate for many years in FR textiles.  Now they had made the breakthough with the US army thanks to Obama giving Lenzing a waiver to allow Lenzing FR to be imported for military use.
·         Woolmark and Cotton Inc. were both examples of industries cooperating as a defence against synthetic fibres successes in textiles.
·         In nonwovens a similar co-op was needed to communicate the environmental and sustainability advantages of cellulosics over synthetics along the value chain.

Some interesting statistics emerged:
·         China’s GDP is growing more every 11.5 weeks than the total Greek GDP.
·         A Chinese spinner (Wi Chow?) operates 7 million spindles and uses a million tonnes of fibre a year.  This inflexible plant needs to operate at 90% utilization to avoid collapse.
·         70 million packs of Costco’s 70% Tencel wipe were sold last year making it the biggest baby wipe in the USA.  (Asked later what percentage of the US wipe market this represented, Mr Weninger said of the 70,000 tonnes of rayon used in US baby wipes, 18,000 were Tencel.)

In concluding Mr Weninger said Dornbirn was now a global knowledge platform for the fibre industries and he hoped many new co-operations would arise as a result of this meeting.

Thursday 29 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 10 - Last): Chitin-Heparin Bico in Wound Care

Part 10 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)
Chitin and its simple derivative chitosan are highly crystalline which makes them suitable for making high-tenacity structural materials such as fibers and films.   An interesting discovery was made some time ago [10] and remained practically unknown. It resulted from experimentation with solutions of chitosan and heparin, two oppositely charged polymers.   It was observed that at the interface of these two solutions it was possible to form a liquid film which had fiber forming characteristics (Fig. 17).  Thus prepared filaments were composed with a chitosan core and heparin sheath.  The purpose of that study was to combine bacteriostatic and wound-healing properties of chitosan with blood anticoagulant characteristics of heparin.  Potential medical applications of such materials involved for instance vascular grafts.

Another less known property of chitosan and, in particular, some of its salts involves ostensibly self-contradictory interactions with blood.  Chitosan has good hemostatic properties and this is one of the

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 9) - Chitin for Superabsorbents

Part 9 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

Last but not least, chitin is a fascinating polysaccharide for a number of reasons.  First, it is the second most abundant polycarbohydrate used by Mother Nature as a structural component both in the animal and in the plant kingdoms. Second, chitin has a chemical structure which is similar to that of cellulose except for a different functional group on the carbon atom number 2.  Finally, from a practical point of view, chitin has been shown to have interesting useful properties. For instance, chitin exhibits biological activity (e.g. wound-healing, bacteriostatic effect) which makes it very attractive for medical applications.
Chitin can be easily converted into various physical and chemical forms when it is first partially deacetylated to chitosan.  Chitosan’s structural uniqueness relies upon ionizable amino groups which make the polymer soluble in dilute acids. Without further derivatization one can then cross-link the deacetylated chitin and obtain a polycationic superabsorbent material which has very high absorbent capacity (Fig. 15).

Monday 26 November 2012

Repositioning of Lenzing Modal® brand




Lenzing is repositioning the Lenzing Modal® brand to reflect the new Modal production technology. The slogan “Makes the World a Softer Place” will be changed to “CO2 Neutral Softness by Edelweiss Technology”.
Lenzing’s symbiotic production process makes Lenzing Modal® CO2 neutral*: the full integration of the site in Austria– pulp production and fiber production in the same location– leads to the recovery of excess energy and valuable wood substances. Pulp production at Lenzing is energy self-sufficient and also generates energy for Modal production as a whole. “We are proud that Lenzing Modal® is CO2 neutral*. Born from our desire to produce in an increasingly eco-friendly manner, we have developed proprietary production techniques. We have become pioneers in the design of wood organic refineries”, Dieter Eichinger, Vice President Lenzing Textil, explains. “This combination makes Lenzing Modal® unique. Where else can you find Modal production which uses beechwood and operates in an energy self-sufficient manner, recovering 95% of the chemicals required in the process? This is definitely something unique worldwide”, Dieter Eichinger says.
Lenzing Modal® is Edelweiss
“Lenzing Modal® is much more than just simply soft. We wish to pay tribute to this fact and reposition the Lenzing Modal® brand”, Marketing Director Andreas Dorner explains. “Expanding the fiber’s image from softness to eco-friendliness mirrors the changes in the demands from the marketplace. Today customers not only seek a high-quality product. They want to be sure that it was produced in a fair and eco-friendly way”, Dorner continues.
The environmentally compatible production of Lenzing Modal® is reflected with the term “Edelweiss technology“. It is only at Lenzing that all the environmental parameters are applied: pulp production and fiber production at a single site, the use of domestic beechwood, up to 95% recovery of the chemicals used, and environmental technologies specifically developed for this purpose.
Adaptation of Lenzing Modal® production
Now Lenzing Modal® will be available in greater quantities and “bleached with oxygen“. This is another step to make the fiber eco-friendlier. Nearly half of overall Lenzing Modal® production can be manufactured in this process.
 For questions, please contact: 
Mag. Christina Kreuzwieser
Head of Global Marketing Communication
Business Unit Textile Fibers
Telephone: +43 (0) 7672 701-2331
E-mail: press@lenzing.com

Sunday 25 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 8) Starch-based Nonwovens and Superabsorbents

Part 8 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

From the cost point of view, starch may seem even more attractive as a raw material compared to cellulose for a superabsorbent polymer because of its high-molecular weight and abundance of reactive hydroxyl groups.  Indeed, relatively high-capacity products have been commercialized and there were even some attempts to use them for personal care applications.  So far the performance of synthetic SAP is far more superior and it may be hard to replace it in the disposable hygiene area with a starch-based polymer.  Still it is worth mentioning at least one simple technical solution which involved an approach similar to the one referenced above with regard to cellulose [8]. In this case, carboxymethylstarch was cross-linked also by heat treatment to achieve a decent, but not permanent absorbency capacity (Fig.13).  One can speculate that, over a period of time, polysaccharides may undergo morphological changes due to relaxation and reorientation of polymeric chains, which affect the physical crosslink density in the material.   Therefore, the absorbency properties may gradually decline.

Friday 23 November 2012

Germany Blocks Lenzing bid for Kelheim Fibres


Cartel office says takeover would create tampon monopoly

* Lenzing wants to buy 90 percent of Kelheim

* Lenzing says will appeal (Adds Lenzing comment, shares, background)

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Germany's cartel office has blocked the planned takeover of Kelheim Fibres by Austrian cellulose fibre maker Lenzing, saying it would produce a monopoly in tampon fibres.

Lenzing had wanted to buy 90 percent of Germany's Kelheim, which is privately owned with more than 700 employees and exports its specialty fibres to 44 countries worldwide.

"The takeover would create a market monopoly. Competition would come to a halt not only in Germany but worldwide," cartel office chief Andreas Mundt said on Friday.

Lenzing said it would appeal against the decision, saying the vast majority of relevant competitors were in Asia and the 10 million-euro German market was too small to be regulated.

Lenzing shares were up 0.3 percent to 63.6 euros by 1442 GMT, underperforming a 0.8 percent-higher ATX, the Austrian benchmark index. (Reporting by Matthias Inverardi and Angelika Gruber; writing by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by Mark Potter)

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 7) Converting cellulose into superabsorbents?

Part 7 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

There have been many attempts to match the performance and cost of the CMC SAP to those of the synthetic sodium polyacrylate SAP.  On both fronts, however,  these efforts have not been successful enough to make the concept commercially viable for personal hygiene applications.

For instance, one of more interesting approaches was to create cross-links within the CMC polymer simply by using heat [8].  The resultant material had high absorbent capacity (Fig. 12). However,  over time the superabsorbent properties of such a polymer tend to decline gradually.   

There were also attempts to enhance the capacity of cellulose-based SAP by creating micro-porous sponge-like structures by applying organic solvent/water exchange techniques.  For low-cost applications such solutions do not seem to be viable because of their complexity and relatively high cost.   So, the concept of replacing synthetic SAP with a cellulose-based equivalent still may wait some time for a satisfactory practical and inexpensive solution.

















Wednesday 21 November 2012

TENCEL® – Yejimiin introduces premium sanitary pad in Korea


Yejimiin, in Korea, is introducing a new generation of sanitary pads within December 2012: 숲속이야기 TENCEL® is the first pad on the market to feature a top sheet based on 100% TENCEL®. In addition to being available in the Korean market, the product is exported to the U.S. for Korean women living overseas.
Yejimiin aims to satisfy women’s needs with high-quality products. Following the launch of TENCEL®Liner in February - a pantyliner with a top sheet based on 100% TENCEL® - the Korean company is now ready to introduce a new generation of sanitary pads under the product name 숲속이야기  TENCEL®.
Yejimiin is aware of the significant impact of the raw material on the final product. Since the top sheet of a sanitary pad is in direct contact with the skin, the choice of the raw material – the fiber – is crucial. TENCEL® has been demonstrated to be the ideal choice for Yejimiin since it is characterized by a very smooth surface which increases comfort in use. In addition, the natural moisture management of TENCEL® optimizes the conditions for sensitive skin. Furthermore, TENCEL® combines purity with consistent quality which is essential for sensitive hygiene applications.
The botanic value can be seen as another important decision driver for Yejimiin. Based on the renewable raw material wood sourced from responsibly managed forests, the cellulose fiber TENCEL® is fully biodegradable and meets even the enhanced standards of Vincotte Home compostability.
Elisabeth Stanger, Marketing Director of Lenzing’s Business Unit Nonwoven Fibers, explains: “Yejimiin succeeded in launching another innovative feminine hygiene product that offers natural confidence and comfort. We at Lenzing are proud to be part of this success story. The cooperation with Yejimiin underlines our long-term strategy to offer tailor-made fibers for sensitive hygiene applications.”

Monday 19 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 6) Collaboration between modified fibres and SAP


Part 6 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

One of these solutions utilizes cellulose fluff carrying polyvalent cations such as Al3+ [6].  These ions are subsequently released to the entering liquid and can precipitate the soluble sodium polyacrylate fraction which diffuses from the SAP particles. The polyvalent cations can also react with the surface of the superabsorbent granules creating in situ a “skin” on them, which protects the soluble oligomers from leaching out to the system.  This concept is illustrated in Fig. 9.  As a result of the collaborative interaction between the modified fibers and the SAP, the permeability of the system is improved as is the efficiency of the fiber matrix liquid distribution capability.








Here is another example of a system in which cellulosic fibers can help enhance

Sunday 18 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 5) A solution to the ammonia odour problem in personal absorbents

Part 5 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

An example of using cellulose fibers both for this purpose and simultaneously, for absorbency was presented a few years ago at the Insight Conference [5].   The concept of storing a urease inhibitor in absorbent fluff proved to be very effective for eliminating ammonia odor which normally occurs due to enzymatic hydrolysis of urea.   This solution to the odor problem is shown in Fig. 8. 


 Inhibition of microbial ammonia production had an additional benefit for skin wellness, which is maintaining the pH at a level slightly below neutral.

Thursday 15 November 2012

Lenzing - Sales to Nonwovens up but prices down.

The first nine months of 2012 were characterized by full capacity utilization of all production facilities in Lenzing’s Segment Fibers and a new record level of fiber shipment volumes, but also declining fiber selling prices in the course of the year. Segment sales in the first three quarters of 2012 amounted to EUR 1,414.3 mn (Q1-3 2011: EUR 1,436.1 mn). Segment EBITDA totaled EUR 262.1 mn (Q1-3 2011: EUR 345.0 mn), whereas the segment’s EBIT amounted to EUR 187.3 mn (Q1-3 2011: EUR 275.9 mn). Specialty fibers accounted for 35.4% of segment sales. The average fiber selling prices in the first three quarters of 2012 equaled EUR 2.00 per kilogram, down from EUR 2.25 per kilogram in the prior-year period. In the third quarter of 2012 the average fiber selling prices equaled EUR 1.95 per kilogram, compared to EUR 2.04 per kilogram in the second quarter of 2012, and was accordingly at the lower end of our price guidance (EUR 1.95-2.00). The underlying reason for the price decline was the under-utilization of production plants operated by many cellulose fiber manufacturers in Asia, as well as the lower cotton price compared to the previous year.

The two business units, Textile Fibers and Nonwoven Fibers, performed well in a weak market environment, with total fiber sales of 589,304 tons, a new all-time

The global economy impacts Lenzing and the entire fiber market


In the third quarter of 2012, the unsatisfactory global economic environment continued to dampen the development of the entire fiber industry, similar to the situation in the first two quarters of the year. The market continues to be provided with a sufficient supply of fibers. The cotton price, the most important benchmark for the entire fiber industry, tended to move sideways, ranging between 80.8 and 86.8 US cents/lb. In the light of weak demand, no quick or substantial increase in the cotton price is anticipated as a consequence of the disproportionately high cotton inventories around the world and the expectations for the current 2012/13 cotton harvest, which foresee a decline in the cotton harvest of only 6%. Conversely, in spite of the high volume of available quantities, the downward trend in the cotton price has bottomed out and now hovers at the considerably higher level of 80-85 US cents/lb compared to the all-time lows recorded in the past decade.

The Chinese textile industry, by far the largest in the world, suffered from the

Wednesday 14 November 2012

P&G Announces Progress Toward Long-Term Vision in Annual Sustainability Report

Delivers absolute reductions in all operations footprints and improves the lives of over 400 million children worldwide

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 2012-- Today the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) released its 14thannual Sustainability Report, demonstrating its commitment to making everyday life better for people around the world through an integrated approach to environmental and social responsibility. The report includes the Company’s sustainability results from the past Fiscal Year, announcing absolute reductions in its energy, waste, water and CO2manufacturing footprints over the past five years.

“P&G's commitment to environmental and social sustainability is unwavering,” said P&G Chairman, President and CEO Bob McDonald. “From our founding, we have invested in the communities where we sell our products, and we have embraced the responsibility of ethical and sustainable operations. To grow and thrive for another 175 years requires us to accelerate our sustainable innovation and resource efficiency so that we have less environmental impact and, at the same time, continue to invest in our communities to help create the conditions for future growth.”

The report published today shares specific progress in P&G’s sustainability focus areas of Products, Operations, and Social Responsibility. Highlights from this year’s report include:

Monday 12 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 4) Cellulose fibres to store functional agents

Part 4 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)
The coarseness and length of natural wood or cotton-linter cellulosic fibers may vary depending on the origin, geography and age of the plant.  There are tools known by cellulose pulp experts to control or modify fiber geometry but only to a limited extent since the basic parameters have been already defined by Mother Nature.   Cellulosic fiber webs possess excellent absorbent properties, in large part because of their high surface energy.  Water-based liquids, depending on their liquid rate constant W [4], can move more quickly within the pores of cellulose fiber networks than in other kinds of porous materials.  The liquid rate constant is defined here as a ratio of surface tension to viscosity of a given liquid.   The units of W are the same as the physical units of velocity.   This parameter can be used in mathematical descriptions of the rate of fluid flow for instance in the Laplace and Lucas-Washburn equations (Fig.6).


Cellulosic fibers have unique properties such as surface polarity and reactive

Saturday 10 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides (Part 3) Fibre Bonds and Geometry

Part 3 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for Part 1)

Physical and chemical properties of the fibers have obvious impact on the characteristics of the nonwoven products and their use performance.  It is always worth it to be able to predict and quantify these relationships when selecting appropriate fiber raw materials and designing new products.  There is much useful science behind this, which has been generated by specialists focused on specific areas of web-forming technologies.  Sometimes however, it is helpful to tap into the existing knowledge in other areas.  For example, some principles of fiber physics which are well known and commonly used in traditional paper-making may be of value to nonwovens structures produced via different forming techniques.  For instance, one of basic equations in paper science and technology is Page formula (Fig. 4) describing the effect of individual fiber and fiber-to-fiber bond characteristics on the mechanical properties of paper.   This equation is probably not well known among the nonwoven experts but may prove useful for example in the case of latex-bonded airlaids.

Friday 9 November 2012

P&G Releases New Fiber Sourcing Goals for Absorbent Hygiene Products

Ongoing collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) helps enable new level of commitment to forest certification

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2012-- The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announced new fiber sourcing goals for the pulp it purchases for its tissue-towel, baby care, and feminine hygiene brands. These new goals help deliver progress toward P&G’s long-term environmental sustainability vision, which includes having all products and packaging made from 100% sustainably sourced renewable or recycled materials. The new fiber sourcing goals, developed in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will be published in P&G’s 2012 Sustainability Report issued on November 12th. The goals commit that by 2015:

  • All of the pulp used in P&G’s tissue-towel, baby care, and feminine hygiene products will be third-party certified under one of the following five certification programs used in different parts of the world to promote responsible forestry: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which P&G will continue to preference; Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Systems (PEFC); Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI); Brazilian National Forestry Certification Scheme (CERFLOR); Canada’s National Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (CSA-SFM).
  • At least 40% of the pulp used in P&G’s tissue-towel products will be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.

Thursday 8 November 2012

Practical Polysaccharides - Part 2 - Cellulose

Part 2 of the paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia. (Click here for  Part 1)

Cellulose is the main component of biomass whose total annual production is estimated at more than 100 billion metric tons based on its carbon content [2].  Most of this carbon is stored in woodlands and is produced by the plants through photosynthesis using atmospheric carbon dioxide. The global balance of so-called biomass carbon cycle is not certain and the plants producing cellulose are our allies in controlling the greenhouse gas effect.  According to the results available from the U.S. Forest Service [3] within the United States the growth of woodlands measured as the volume of trees historically has had a positive trend. It is suggested that this trend should have a favorable impact on the biomass carbon balance in North America (Fig. 2)





Fig. 2. Biomass carbon balance.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

7TH EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS CONFERENCE DEMONSTRATES FUTURE POTENTIAL OF THE INDUSTRY

Berlin, 7 November 2012. The significance of bioplastics as a central component of the European bioeconomy strategy is undisputed. This was the core message of the plenary talks by Alfredo Aguilar Romanillos, European Commission, Clemens Neumann, Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Germany, and John Williams, NNFCC, during the 7th European Bioplastics Conference on 6 and 7 November in Berlin. More than 400 participants caught up on the latest developments and progress in the bioplastics industry.


Numerous questions connected to the growth of the bioplastics industry were discussed during the 7th European Bioplastics Conference – such as: How is the growing supply of bioplastics affecting public awareness? Which market segments will grow in particular and what impacts will this growth have? What are the potential side-effects of adding bioplastics to existing recycling streams? In particular the latter was a hot topic at the conference. “Give us a sufficient amount of any plastic – be it PLA or any other bioplastic – and we can sort it and recycle it”. This was the main message of the recycling industry to the bioplastics industry during a podium discussion moderated by Thomas Probst of the Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal.

The „7th Annual Global Bioplastics Award“ ceremony by bioplastics MAGAZINE was another highlight of this year’s conference. 2012, saw two winners take the award. Both companies come from the automotive industry and achieved

Practical Polysaccharides: Some Less Known Stories of Cellulose, Starch and Chitin

This paper by Jacek K. Dutkiewicz of Buckeye Technologies Inc was given at this years Insight Conference organised by MTS in Norfolk Virginia.  We thought it was good enough to appear here in several instalments so here's the first part. (The nonwovens from thermoplastic starch look particularly interesting.)

Polysaccharides are everywhere and all around us. They are in plants, animals, LCD screens, tires, medicines, cosmetics, paints, nonwovens, and binders. We use them as food, tools, furniture, paper, home, cloth … and so on and on.
Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer followed by chitin. Starch belongs to the group of most common polycarbohydrates and its importance is mainly due to the fact that it is digestible by humans and stores energy. 

Combined together, polysaccharides represent the largest group of polymers harvested and produced in the world [1]. It is because they are renewable and extremely useful in countless areas of applications whose number is steadily growing. Cellulose, chitin and starch are liked by scientists and researchers due to their chemical and physical properties and by product developers due to their availability and affordability depending on the grade and on specific target applications. Starch is the cheapest of all three, cellulose is much more expensive and chitin, especially its preferred derivative chitosan, in order of magnitude is more costly than starch.

What can these natural polymers offer as raw materials? Fig. 1 illustrates

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Lenzing Group: Expansion to 320,000 tonnes viscose fibre capacity at SPV completed.


SPV President Director Wolfram Kalt and his employees with the first viscose fiber bale of the fifth production line
SPV President Director Wolfram Kalt and his employees with the first viscose fiber bale of the fifth production line
South Pacific Viscose (SPV) is now the world’s largest viscose fiber plant.
In late October, trial operations of the fifth production line started successfully at Lenzing’s Indonesian subsidiary PT. South Pacific Viscose. With an additional nominal capacity of 80,000 tons of viscose fibers p.a., the annual total capacity of SPV will increase to 320,000 tons once Line 5 has been launched. SPV will thus exceed the capacity of the parent plant in Lenzing/Upper Austria (250,000 tons p.a.) for the first time and become the world’s largest viscose fiber plant.
“Asia is the most important market for the Lenzing Group. It’s where we generate more than half of our fiber revenues. Therefore it is only logical that our largest plant is located in Indonesia”, Peter Untersperger, Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing, explains the general thrust of the expansion. “More than half of our fiber production capacity is now located in Asia.”
Indonesia has a significant textile industry, which represents one of the largest industrial sectors of the Southeast Asian island state. SPV has been an important supplier and reliable partner of the local industry for nearly 30 years. Moreover, customers are supplied with high-quality fibers for textile and nonwovens use from the Purwakarta plant not only in the Asian region, but in nearly all continents as part of the global market presence of the Lenzing Group.

For more information please contact:
Angelika Guldt
Head of Corporate Communications
Phone: +43 (0) 7672 701-2713
E-mail: a.guldt@lenzing.com

Sunday 4 November 2012

Suominen Nonwovens closes Finnish PP fibre plant..

Suominen Corporation has decided to stop the production of polypropylene staple fibres at the Nakkila facility of Suominen Nonwovens Ltd. This is part of the company’s broader performance improvement program aimed at creating cost savings representing about two per cent of net sales.  For Suominen Corporation’s Nonwovens business area it is no longer strategically relevant to have in-house fibre manufacturing, therefore it has been decided to stop this activity.  Suominen Corporation has negotiated a long term supply agreement for the raw material, in order to replace the in-house production.

The fibre lines at the Nakkila facility of Suominen Nonwovens Ltd are to be closed by the end of 2012. This has no effect to the earlier announced lay-offs in Suominen Nonwovens. 

The closure of the production will lead to a write down of about 3 million euros in Suominen Nonwovens Ltd 2012 results. Write down has no cash flow effect.

Helsinki, 2 November 2012

Suominen Corporation

Nina Kopola
President and CEO

For additional information, please contact 
Mrs. Nina Kopola, tel. +358 (0) 214 300

Saturday 3 November 2012

P&G Celebrates Seven Top C+D Partners for Accelerating Innovation, Increasing Productivity

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2012-- They helped get products to market in half the time. Drove global innovation breakthroughs. Helped build connections, collaborations and product equity.
They are P&G’s (NYSE:PG) top Connect+Develop open innovation partners. And this week, as part of its Annual C+D Partnership Celebration, P&G is recognizing seven, among its hundreds of partners, for their innovation and collaboration that have driven business results.
“Our Connect+Develop partnerships are helping us deliver game-changing innovations and strengthen our productivity culture,” said P&G Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Bob McDonald. “We celebrate their work, and thank them for their partnership.”
The collection of winners are widely diverse: from small firms to global operations to academia. Some are located near P&G’s global headquarters in Cincinnati, others are scattered around the world. “Their collaboration with our teams has been seamless and wholly focused on helping deliver a superior product for consumers,” said Laura Becker, General Manager P&G Global Business Development.
This year’s winners are: