Kelheim Fibres Presents New Fibre Solutions at Dornbirn

New challenges need new solutions – and true to this slogan of the 52nd Man-made Fiber Congress, Bavarian viscose speciality fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres presents its innovative products at this year’s industry meeting in Dornbirn. The spread of product or trademark piracy is one of these challenges as it inflicts an enormous loss on our global economy every year and is becoming increasingly explosive. Almost 70% of all businesses are affected.
Bernd Probst, a member of Kelheim’s R&D team, will present a range of speciality fibres that protect products from illegal counterfeits with a visible or invisible fingerprint.

Another hot topic is the mega-trend „Ageing Society” and the resulting increasing demand for convenient, discrete and safe incontinence products. Dr. Ingo Bernt presents viscose speciality fibres from Kelheim that enable perfect liquid and moisture management: their absorption levels range from “extra absorbent” to “hydrophobic”; hence they allow the production of incontinence solutions that consist completely of renewable materials and are at the same time washable and re-usable.

Dr. Philipp Wimmer will give a lecture on the opportunities that Kelheim’s viscose specialities offer in the filtration industry, a market which is growing in importance in our increasingly ecologically aware and health-conscious society. In contrast to other cellulosic fibres such as cotton, for example, viscose fibres stand out not only as a result of their definable and reproducible geometry, which enables a perfect match to be made to the specific processing route or end application. The porosity or surface
of a filter, for instance, can be precisely controlled by adding the appropriate viscose fibres with different cross sections. Further, the incorporation of functional additives allows the manufacturing of tailor-made fibres according to the end product’s exact demands.

And finally, Dr. Roland Scholz and Dr. Nina Köhne present a series of interesting analyses regarding ionically activated viscose fibres and their applications. By using different technologies, Kelheim’s R&D can deliver fibres with cationic or anionic functional groups and thus controls the fibre properties. Particularly when it comes to ion exchanging properties, fibres offer a distinct benefit: in comparison with common ion exchange resins, the diameter of the ionically functionalised fibres is considerably smaller and the active surface significantly larger. Hence they operate up to ten times faster!

With these different lectures, Kelheim Fibres scientists give a fascinating insight in their work – and again demonstrate their versatility and ability to develop cutting-edge products.

Tencel sales to nonwovens up 25%

The following paragraphs are extracted from Lenzing's 2nd quarterly report for 2013.  

The global nonwovens fiber market developed robustly in the first half of 2013 against the backdrop of very good volume demand. However, the declining textile fiber selling prices, also in the nonwovens sector, also led to some price pressure.

Lenzing set new sales priorities in its nonwovens business in the first half-year, for example in Europe, where demand developed well. On balance, shipment volumes in the first half of 2013 climbed to about 131,000 tons (H1 2012: 115,000 tons). There was a significant volume increase for TENCEL® of approximately 5,000 tons to close to 23,000 tons.

Average fiber selling prices for Lenzing nonwoven fibers remained stable in the first half-year at EUR 1.75 per kilogram, but were below the comparable level in 2012 (EUR 1.84/kg) in line with the general price trend. As expected, the price decrease was not as pronounced as in the textile segment.

Demand for TENCEL® used in textile applications could also be maintained at the same high level by implementing corresponding marketing campaigns. These measures related to all types of TENCEL® fibers, serving as the basis for full capacity utilization at the TENCEL® production plants. In spite of the disruption in production at the TENCEL® factory in Heiligenkreuz, total volume reached a level of 43,000 tons in the first six months of this year, slightly above the prior-year figure of about 42,000 tons. TENCEL® selling prices developed stably throughout the entire first half of 2013, featuring price premiums of about 50% vis-à-vis viscose, but significantly below the premiums attained in the first half-year 2012. 

Lenzing's full quarterly report is now available for download here.

Presentation slides are also available here

It's OK to use food-crops for bioplastics if...

Berlin, 12 August 2013. The nova-Institute has recently published a paper on agricultural feedstock use in industrial applications shedding light on the controversial public debate surrounding the industrial use of food crops or so-called first generation feedstock. The core finding asserts that efficiency and sustainability assessed on a case-by-case basis should be the sole criteria in judging the choice of feedstock used. The institute further stresses that the real issue is land availability for growing biomass for different purposes.

The paper refers to studies asserting that, even after satisfying food demand of a rapidly growing world population, enough arable land would remain available for purposes other than food production. The best usage of these areas is achieved by considering the land-efficiency of different crops. Studies show that many food crops are more land-efficient than non-food crops. According to the paper, they require less land to produce the same amount of e.g. fermentable sugar (commonly used in biotechnology processes) than non-food crops or so-called second generation feedstock, e.g. lignocelluloses.

“Efficiency and sustainability should be the leading criteria when selecting renewable feedstock for industrial purposes, such as the production of bioplastics”, said Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics, embracing the paper as a welcome contribution to the discussion.

Kelheim viscose has a fingerprint against forgery

With its new viscose fibres “with a fingerprint”, renowned viscose speciality fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres presents an innovative solution for composites at this year’s Composites Europe trade fair. The objective is to protect plastic products against forgery, to ensure product traceability and supply chain control – and to avert fraudulent warranty claims. By incorporating luminescent pigments from Tailorlux, the specialist in inorganic phosphors, in the viscose fibre matrix during the spinning process, Kelheim Fibres has intrinsically bound the pigments to the fibre and created a durable effect.

The pigments are customised from a range of more than 300 billion different combinations. They can be precisely identified by light spectroscopy, a widely recognised and uncomplicated method. The pigment can be detected in a non-destructive or a destructive examination (for example in the ash of a product). For quick checks in the field, Tailorlux offers a simple hand scanner.
The particular advantage of Kelheim’s viscose fibres with a fingerprint: the “detour” via the viscose fibres allows for a very economic dosage of pigments in the plastic, so that in the end, there is less pigment required than when added directly. The customer benefits from a significant economic advantage. With these new fibres, Kelheim Fibres offers a solution for all manufacturers of composites (for example in the automobile industry), who have been searching for affordable protection against forgery for some time.
Kelheim Fibres is able to manufacture various types of viscose fibres incorporating Tailorlux’ luminescent pigments, based on the customer’s specific needs, which allows a perfect match to the end product and to the customer’s production process.

Freudenberg Nonwovens at TechTextil

During the international press conference for the specialist media which took place on the first day of the TechTextil 2013 trade fair Bruce Olson, CEO of the Freudenberg Nonwovens Business Group, outlined the new strategic orientation of the company belonging to the Freudenberg Group. In keeping with its motto “The Solution Engineers – Wherever you are”, Freudenberg Nonwovens presented its broad spectrum of product innovations in all market segments, from the latest generation of Viledon® battery separators and the steady stream of new applications for Evolon® microfilament technology to the new Vildona® Airliner 2.0 in the footwear industry.

Megatrends such as urbanization and energy storage motivate and drive developers at Freudenberg Nonwovens. Dr. Christoph Weber, Head of Separator R&D Department at Freudenberg Nonwovens, presented the company’s solutions for high-performance batteries in the shape of the latest development in separators for Lithium-ion batteries: “This is an ultrathin nonwoven with a special surface coating which outperforms conventional separator materials especially in terms of thermal and mechanical stability. These Vildeon® separators provide the needed improvements in battery technology that play a key role in the safety, reliability and service life of large Lithium-ion batteries for emerging mobile and stationary applications.”

12 years after Evolon® microfilament technology was launched, Freudenberg Nonwovens is investing some €5 million in expanding production capacity at the plant in Colmar, France. From the end of October production will be raised to 3,000 tonnes/year. Jean-François Kerhault, Business Section Manager Evolon®, presented the numerous applications and versatile properties of Evolon® at the press conference. Evolon® is a revolutionary chemical free fabric for anti allergy bedding, the microfilament structure provides outstanding cleaning and lint free properties which makes Evolon a perfect cloth for high-tech wiping, the scratch free characteristics of the fabric offer the best surface protection for the transport of sensitive parts like for example in the automotive or electronic industry. The latest applications relate to LCD wet wipes, sport & bath towels or eco-friendly printing media; banners at the exhibition booth provided a good demonstration of Evolon®’s performance as a printing substrate. Evolon®’s features can be enhanced by all traditional textile finishing processes.

With 300 times more breathability than conventional membranes, Vildona® Airliner 2.0 has exceeded all expectations as a shoe insole. The technology is based on a substrate, in this case a spunlace nonwoven, in which a superabsorbent polymer is anchored using a chemical reaction. At the same time as Techtextil was taking place, an agreement to cooperate with a leading Turkish brand Greyder®, as an addition to the existing technology partnership with the Deichmann Group, was concluded. And that is just the beginning: “Other major brands are also extremely interested in this revolutionary shoe technology,” Simon Browne, who is responsible for the shoe business in Europe, said.

Diaper Design Optimisation

Carlos Richer of Richer Investments (USA) dominated the opening day of this year's INDA VIsion Conference in Orlando with a first-class workshop on diaper design and production for new entrants, especially those in the developing economies.  He commenced with the biology resulting in the production of urine and how the quantities produced vary with fluid intake, age and climate.  He  moved on to practical  diaper designs and factors affecting absorbency, retention and leakage before considering skin irritation, comfort and the ways to optimise diaper design for different markets.  He concluded with a tour of the latest constructions and some speculation about future products. Noteworthy points follow:

·         Whereas on a normal day 62% of fluid is lost as urine, 18% as sweat, 16% as respiration and 4% as faeces, on a hot day sweat increases to 30% at the expense of urine. This reduction in urine output is more pronounced and more important for design in the under-developed markets.

·         Disposable diaper sales decrease in hot sunny weather due mothers preferring to use washables when they can be line dried – at least in markets where disposables penetration is lower than in the USA.

·         Most new diaper producers define their absorbency for a medium size and then adjust the capacity for other sizes in proportion to baby’s weight.  However, a 2kg baby produces about 200mls urine/day and a 26kg baby produces 1650 ml/day from a much larger bladder.  Mls/kg/hour of urine should be considered and this goes down as baby grows.

·         Diapers are worn for 4.5 hours on average before changing but this increases to 6.5 hours as baby grows and varies dramatically with culture.  Japan and Korea change much more frequently.

·         Probability of diaper leakage decreases as the amount of urine absorbed increases.  This is because leakage failure is usually occurs on first urination through the cuffs due to poor construction.

Suominen increases its spunlace production capacity...

Suominen, the global leader in nonwovens for wipes, will invest approximately EUR 2.5 million in the capacity expansion at one of its assets at the Windsor Locks plant in Connecticut, USA. The investment increases Suominen’s capacity to produce value added nonwovens products, particularly for the growing segment of flushable products.

“We have decided to proceed with this investment in order to be able to answer to our customers’ increasing demand. We will further strengthen our position in the wipes market, and particularly in this market segment, and the investment will expand the production capacity of our proprietary HYDRASPUN® Substrate technology”, says Jean-Marie Becker, Executive Vice President of Suominen Nonwovens.

“The investment highlights our commitment to the wipes market and is in keeping with our strategy to further increase the share of value added products in Suominen’s portfolio”, adds Nina Kopola, President and CEO of Suominen Corporation.
The investment is aimed to increase the production capacity of Suominen’s Hydraspun® Substrates. Suominen’s Hydraspun® Dispersible Substrate is a product defined as flushable as defined by industry guidelines developed by INDA and EDANA, the industry associations.

The market for flushable products is growing in many regions across the globe and Suominen is, by implementing this investment, addressing both the current and future demand.

Suominen Corporation Press release 18 June 2013 at 15:00 (EEST)

... and Suominen divests Codi

Suominen Corporation has divested its wet wipes business unit, Codi Wipes, to the Value Enhancement Partners investment company. The deal further strengthens Suominen’s strategic focus on nonwovens and clarifies its corporate structure. Due to the divestment, Suominen revises its outlook concerning the Group net sales development in 2013.

The sale of all Suominen’s shares in its subsidiary, Codi International BV, to Cogitandum BV, a subsidiary of Value Enhancement Partners, has been confirmed today. Codi International is a leading European wet wipes producer located in the Netherlands, with net sales of nearly EUR 50 million in 2012.

The estimated acquisition price is in total EUR 9.2 million. The final acquisition price will be contingent on the financial performance of Codi International in 2013 and on other conventional terms and conditions of the transaction. Due to the divestment, Suominen will recognize, in accordance with the IFRS 5 standard, a loss of approximately MEUR 16 in the second quarter result of 2013 of its discontinued operations. Previously, Codi International has been reported as part of Suominen’s Wiping segment. The transaction has been approved by the local works council. The closing of the transaction is still dependent on the fulfillment of the conditions precedent by both parties.

“Divesting Codi Wipes business unit is very well in line with our “In the Lead” strategy as the deal clarifies both our corporate structure and our position in wipes value chain, particularly in relation to our nonwovens customers. We can now concentrate even better on further strengthening our competitiveness in nonwovens”, Nina Kopola, President and CEO of Suominen Corporation says.

“Due to our major expansion in nonwovens, the strategic role of an own converting unit has clearly diminished from 2003, when Codi International was acquired. For Codi International, this transaction assures an owner with strategic interest to develop the company further”, Nina Kopola continues.

“Codi International holds a very strong position in the European wet wipes industry with a highly automated production that provides some of the highest quality converting possibilities in Europe. The fragmented market and growth in upcoming markets presents opportunities to increase the scale of the company and to diversify its production into more geographies and products, thereby also potentially being better able to serve its globally operating customers. We look forward to realizing the growth plans together with management”, Kenneth Tjon, Managing Partner of Value Enhancement Partners says.

After the closing of the deal, Suominen will operate two business units, Nonwovens and Flexibles, which will be reported in two separate reporting segments.

Due to the divestment, Suominen revises its outlook concerning the net sales development for 2013. Suominen expects that the full year 2013 net sales of its continuing operations will remain at the level of 2012. Previously, Suominen had stated that its net sales for the full year 2013 would remain at the level of 2012.

TENCEL®ePower for EDLC applications

The botanic fiber TENCEL® enhances the performance of electrical separators in advanced demanding electrical applications. The latest TENCEL® innovation – TENCEL®ePower – will revolutionize the double-layer capacitor industry.

The fourth European Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) held in Strasbourg/France from June 24-28, 2013 will examine the advanced battery market with a focus on the activities and needs of European automakers. For the first time, the Lenzing group will exhibit at AABC presenting innovative solutions in the fields of energy storage, power and substrate density.

As Lenzing fibers are made from wood, they are naturally absorbent and pure. These properties make them ideally suited for numerous nonwoven applications including technical end-uses. During its appearance in Strasbourg, Lenzing will focus on the botanic fiber TENCEL® enhancing the performance of electrical separators in advanced electrical applications. Most high-capacity energy storage devices contain separators with the main purpose of optimizing ion transport. Refined TENCEL® supports this task. The micro-fibrillar structure prevents short circuits and failures whilst improving capacity and performance in advanced technical applications*.

In addition, Lenzing will present the latest innovation TENCEL®ePower which is the sustainable solution targeted at the new energy market for use in electrodes in high performance capacitors. The technology behind is based on a combination of TENCEL® fibers from Lenzing and the proprietary technology of Nanocarbons LLC, Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA). A new pilot line for activated carbon for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) derived from high purity TENCEL® has been built and is sampling for pre-market development. Exceptionally high capacitance values are obtained from a unique tailored structure based upon TENCEL®. The superior purity of TENCEL®ePower is the basis for enhanced stability and operating life of EDLC cells.

Lenzing press Release 11/6/2013

* These EDLC separators were first developed by Courtaulds Research in conjunction with Nippon Kodoshi in Japan in the early 90's.  Click here for more information.

Viscose Fibres with a Fingerprint – a New Product from Kelheim Fibres

Protecting products against forgery, product traceability, supply chain control and legal protection against fraudulent warranty claims: product security is becoming increasingly important in a globalised economy.

Kelheim Fibres, experts in manufacturing viscose speciality fibres, offers an innovative solution: In cooperation with Tailorlux, the specialist for anorganic phosphors, Kelheim has developed a viscose fibre “with a fingerprint”.
To achieve this, luminescent pigments from Tailorlux are incorporated in the viscose fibre matrix during the spinning process – so the pigments are intrinsically bound to the fibre and durable. Tailorlux produces customised pigments in a range of more than 300 billion combinations, each with its own individual spectrum.

Fibres incorporating these pigments bear their characteristic spectroscopic fingerprint in the body of the fibre; the fibres – as well as the products made using them - can be precisely identified and are therefore impossible to forge.
Validation is by light spectroscopy, a widely recognised and uncomplicated method. The pigment can be detected in a non-destructive or a destructive examination (for example in the ash of a product). For quick checks in the field, Tailorlux offers a simple hand scanner.

Kelheim Fibres’ latest development is primarily aimed at the paper industry: Viscose fibres can be easily integrated in the papermaking process and remain – together with the pigments incorporated in the fibre - in the paper. Thus loss of pigments in the process is a thing of the past!

More possible applications can be seen in the textile or nonwovens industry – namely whenever products need an invisible but unique identification mark. These fibres can ensure the traceability of filters or other products for example – or they can help to control the compliance of predetermined supply chains in the textile industry.

Kelheim Fibres is able to manufacture diverse types of viscose fibres incorporating Tailorlux’ luminescent pigments, based on the customer’s specific needs, which allows a perfect match to the end product and to the customer’s production process.