Technical TEXTILES Autumn2020 · 2020. 10. 29. · Volume 29, Number 3 The US textiles industry adapts rapidly to the pandemic challenge INSIDE: The latest innovations to combat the

T E X T I L E STechnical

international

Finishing first: the technology behind

HeiQ’s anti-viral treatmentfor textiles

Autumn 2020Volume 29, Number 3

The US textiles industryadapts rapidly to thepandemic challenge

INSIDE:The latest innovations to combat the spread of covid-19

The growing markets for fabrics in agricultureNanotube films for climate-control textiles

Informing the industry worldwide

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international

Autumn 2020(Volume 29, Number 3)

Editor: Nick ButlerTel: +44 (870) 165-7210

Email: [email protected]

Nonwovens Editor:Adrian WilsonComposites Editor:James BakewellUS correspondent:John W. McCurry China correspondent:Jason ChenRussia correspondent:Eugene GerdenIndian correspondent:Samuel JosephRegular contributors:Geoff Fisher

Display advertising sales:Jill GwinnuttTel: +44 (870) 165-7210Email: [email protected]

David Kay/Maria BoxTel: +44 (1273) 423512Email: [email protected]

Published by InternationalNewsletters Ltd, PO Box 50, WR15 8XN, UK.

Subscription enquiries, ordersand payments:International Newsletters Ltd, PO Box 50, WR15 8XN, UK.Tel: +44 (870) 165-7210Email: [email protected]://www.technical-textiles.net

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valid to the end of 2020, and include

airmail delivery in Europe and air-speeded

delivery elsewhere.

In the Editor’s opinionSmart textiles—still seeking widespread acceptanceCommercial efforts to develop electronic and smart textiles have beenongoing for about as long as this magazine has been published, more than25 years. Initial successes focused around the integration of electricallyconductive fibres and yarns that, combined with a power source, providedactively heated fabrics for a range of applications. This range of activitynow constitutes a successful market based on mature technologies.

Over the same time-span, other technologies have also been under develop-ment, with the goal of integrating more sophisticated optoelectronic com-ponents (including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), sensors, actuators, capaci-tors, piezoelectric materials, antennae and solar cells) into flexible textiles.The resulting fabrics have the potential for a vast array of applications.

This second wave of activity has delivered many products (as searching ourwebsite www.technical-textiles.net will readily demonstrate), but to date,none of these have led to the levels of commercial success that others vir-tually unheard of 25 years ago (mobile telephones and personal comput-ers, for instance), have enjoyed in the same timeframe. The sector has striv-en repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, to find so-called “killer applications” tohelp establish smart textiles firmly in the minds of consumers.

There are a number of reasons for this lack of acceptance, according toJames Hayward, a market analyst for IDTechEx of Cambridge, UK, who hasobserved this sector for several years:

many of the technologies remain immature;•the applications as yet lack validation in their target markets;•the cross-disciplinary nature of the products (combining the electronics and•textiles industries, for instance) makes the development of a supply chaincomplicated, and resulting inefficiencies are driving-up costs and selling prices;smart textiles face fierce competition from other materials and products•(including wearable ones such as smart watches);the cross-disciplinary nature of the market has also contributed to a lack of•well-defined standards and test methods.

The response of the textile industry to the current pandemic (see also, Covid-19update, pages 4–10 and 42–45) provides a good illustration of this viewpoint.Many companies have rapidly adapted their manufacturing to address theglobal shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) required to fight thespread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Makers of electronic and smart textiles areamong them, but these specialists generally do not have enough capacitygiven the scale of the shortages to make a meaningful contribution in theshort or even medium term, despite the relative sophistication of their prod-ucts, which in any case are commercially immature and so less likely to bewidely adopted.

Nevertheless, Hayward sees long-term potential for smart textiles. Testing andstandards, for instance, is a topic currently being addressed vigorously, and thesupply chain is becoming more efficient. We can hope, therefore, that in the eventof a prolonged covid-19 pandemic or the outbreak of another, smart textiles willbe available to contribute to the kinds of PPE we can only dream of today.

2 Technical Textiles International—Autumn 2020


international

Contents Autumn 20204 Covid-19 update

Freudenberg makes face masks with North Carolina State University۰US textile companiesjoin forces to supply personal protective equipment۰Acrylic fibre shown to deactivateSARS-Cov-2۰Production line for face-mask material inaugurated۰Carbon-nanotube matseffective against coronavirus۰Durable transparent treatment from Affix Labs kills novelcoronavirus۰Finish is effective against SARS-Cov-2, even after it is washed۰Treatmentbased on zinc pyrithione is capable of neutralising SARS-Cov-2۰Wash-durable treatmentfor textiles can deactivate SARS-Cov-2۰Treatment allows for re-use of medical-grade facemasks۰Decontaminating face masks easily using a simple dry-heat method۰NASAinvestigates decontamination methods for protective equipment۰Suominen unveilsnonwoven for surgical masks۰Electroceutical fabric eliminates coronavirus infectivity oncontact۰Embedded zinc ions for antimicrobial polyamide fabrics۰Spunbond nonwovensused in medical face masks for Dutch healthcare initiative

In depth: Pandemic response11 US textiles industry adapts rapidly to pandemic challenges

In depth: Pandemic response17 Commercialising, validating and supplying a vital treatment

In depth: Agrotextiles23 Growing markets for textiles and nonwovens in agriculture

29 Business updateUniversity invests in warp-knitting machine for glass-fibre textiles۰Itema Groupcompletes acquisition of PTMT۰Saertex expands in North America۰Lenzing uses train totransport fibres to China for the first time۰Freudenberg starts-up production line fornonwovens in Taiwan۰Andritz to supply hydroentanglement line to Chinese wipesmanufacturer۰Eruslu Nonwoven Group to diversify with Andritz hydroentanglementline۰Purchase of Stoll prompts name changes in the Karl Mayer Group۰Brücknersupplies back-coating line to manufacturer of blinds۰Suominen to increase capacity forhydroentangled fabrics۰Oerlikon Neumag commissions three production lines inChina۰ACG Group sets-up plant for the production of personal protective equipment inmatter of weeks۰Oerlikon Barmag receives record-breaking order

34 Applications updateAlexium unveils perpetual-cooling technology for textiles and foams۰Richly texturedpolyester fabric wall coverings are easy to print on۰Devan Chemicals adds multi vitaminblend to R-Vital range۰Carbon-nanotube films for the production of climate-controltextiles۰Mann+Hummel’s outdoor-air filter system gains global traction۰Flame-retardantcotton mattress sock passes flammability tests۰Powering devices through sweat usingflexible supercapacitor۰First satellite panel to be reinforced with natural fibres developed

38 Medical textiles updateShrink-resistant superabsorbent fabrics for use in wound dressings۰Empa developselectrospun cellulose wound dressing that kills bacteria۰Flat-knitted compressionproduct variant launched۰Commercial launch of piezo electric fabrics from Japan۰Cotton-based bandages to treat diabetic wounds and burn injuries

40 Testing and standards updateVersatility of top-loading washing machine appeals to manufacturers of sportswear۰Testing the acoustic insulation provided by vehicle parts۰Retech invests in its Swisstechnical and testing facilities۰SDL Atlas introduces fixture for testing stretchable fabrics

46 Events diary48 Index to advertisers

On the cover:

John McCurry talks to US textile

manufacturers about their

efforts to adapt in the face of

the pandemic, beginning

on page 11.

Starting on page 17, Editor Nick

Butler describes HeiQ’s

commercialisation of a new

anti-viral textile treatment.


international

Autumn 2020—Technical Textiles International 3

Further information athttps://www.technical-textiles.net

US textile companies join forces to supply personal protective equipmentIn the face of the human coronavirus(covid-19) pandemic, three large textilecompanies have worked together in orderto help satisfy surging demand forpersonal protective equipment (PPE) inthe USA. As a result of this partnership,millions of pieces of PPE have beenmanufactured in the last 3–4 months.

The partnership comprises MerrowManufacturing Inc, ColorWorks and Bolger& O’Hearn Inc.

Merrow Manufacturing is a large cut-and-sew operation based in Fall River,Massachusetts, and is typically used byfashion and textile companies to makesuch as apparel. The company claims tohave invented the overlock stitch and itsmanufacturing floors house some 500sewing machines and numerous high-precision fabric cutters.

Earlier this year, in response to the covid-19pandemic, Merrow quickly pivoted and

focused on meeting New England’ssudden, urgent need for medical isolationgowns. In less than two months, Merrowquickly became one of the largest manu -facturers of PPE in North America.ColorWorks, which is located in Elizabeth -ton, Tennessee, took charge of the dyeingand finishing of these fabrics using water-,oil- and soil-repellent products from FallRiver-based Bolger & O’Hearn.

ColorWorks was purchased in January 2020by Ocean State Innovations (OSI), which isbased in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. ThePresident of OSI, Bryan Boulis, says: “OSI hasa long history working with both Bolger &O’Hearn and Merrow. In March 2020 Ireached-out to [Chief Executive Officer ofMerrow Manufacturing] Charlie Merrow inregard to his efforts to fill the PPE void,both locally [for hospitals in New England]and throughout North America. Charliepresented his specifications and myteam immediately reached-out to Bolger& O’Hearn.”

The Co-President of Bolger & O’Hearn,Kelly Murphy, continues: “Bolger & O’Hearnis proud to be at the forefront of the effortto rebuild the US textile industry’s PPEsupply chain. The push for PPE is not goingaway anytime in the near future.”

See also: This issue, US textiles industryadapts rapidly to pandemic challenges,page 11.

Merrow Manufacturing Inc.Tel: +1 (508) 689-4095.Email: [email protected];http://merrowmfg.com

Bolger & O’Hearn.Tel: +1 (508) 676-1518.https://bolgerohearn.com

Ocean State Innovations.Tel: +1 (401) 293-5500. Fax: +1 (401) 293-0877.Email: [email protected];https://www.brandandoppenheimer.com

Freudenberg makes face masks with North Carolina State UniversityA major producer of nonwovens fromGermany is to work with a researchinstitute to manufacture face masks foruniversities, government organisationsand hospitals in North Carolina, USA.

As the fight against human coronavirus(covid-19) continues, FreudenbergPerformance Materials of Weinheim andthe Nonwovens Institute (NWI) at NorthCarolina State University (NCSU) in Raleighare to begin production of N95 masks,which are capable of filtering at least 95%of particles of 0.3 µm in size and above,and so-called earloop procedure masks.

The NWI has developed a new spunbondnonwoven that it claims can act as aneffective filter without the need for ameltblown layer. Their fabric is based on twodifferent polymers – such as polyester (PES)and polyamide (PA), or PES and poly -propylene (PP) – that are combined to makea single fibre with significant strength andbulk, as well as being capable of impartingeffective filtration properties, similar tothose of currently used materials(1).

The NWI is supplying FreudenbergPerformance Materials with the necessary

roll goods needed for the production of facemasks, while Freudenberg is contributing itsmanufacturing expertise and the work forceneeded to install, operate and maintain fournew lines. In total, these lines will be able toproduce more than one million face masks amonth. The Executive Director of the NWI,Behnam Pourdeyhimi, says: "By partneringwith Freudenberg, we will ensure thereliable completion of millions of protectiveface coverings to battle the coronavirususing NWI’s novel filter media.”

Further, Freudenberg is in the process ofinstalling six additional production linesfor the manufacture of surgical and N95masks. The addition of the lines hasenabled Freudenberg to create50 more jobs.

See also: This issue, Spunbond nonwovensused in medical face masks for Dutchhealthcare initiative, page 45, and: UStextiles industry adapts rapidly to pandemicchallenges, page 11; and:

(1)Technical Textiles International, Summer2020, Industry responds urgently andrapidly to the global pandemic, page 11;https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75519

Holger Steingraeber, Director GlobalCommunications, FreudenbergPerformance Materials.Tel: +49 (6201) 80-6640.Email: [email protected];http://www.freudenberg-pm.com

Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Associate Deanfor Industry Research and Extension,William A. Klopman DistinguishedProfessor and Executive Director,The Nonwovens Institute.Tel: +1 (919) 515-1822.Email: [email protected];http://www.thenonwovensinstitute.com


The back-side of a line at the Nonwovens

Institute for the production of

spunbond nonwovens.

Covid-19 update

Carbon-nanotube mats effective against coronavirusCarbon nanotube (CNT)-based nonwovenmats that can capture and destroy ananimal coronavirus, a close relative of theSARS-Cov-2 virus that causes covid-19, arebeing developed by researchers in the UKand Israel.

The team comprises researchers from theUniversity of Cambridge in the UK andsubsidiaries of Plasan of Sasan, Israel, Q-Flo of Nottingham, UK, and TortechNanofibers of Ma'alot Tarshiha, Israel.

The mats, called TorStran, can beincorporated into existing air-filtration or -conditioning systems, such as those foundin hospital waiting areas and wards, inemergency vehicles such as ambulancesand on public transport, and used inpersonal protective equipment (PPE).

The team says that TorStran demonstratesthe neccessary filtration and permeabilityproperties for it to capture and disruptvirus molecules contained in aerosols anddroplets, thereby rendering them safe andinert. Both filtration and disruption takeplace at the same time, and the filter canself-clean and be re-used many times.

Tortech Nanofibers is developing andindustrialising the patented process usedfor the manufacture of the ultra-long CNTsthat form the mats. This process is basedon a floating catalyst chemical vapordeposition (FCCVD) technique developedat the University of Cambridge.

Martin Pick, Chief Operating Officer, Q-Flo.Email: [email protected];http://www.q-flo.com


Covid-19 update

Production line for face-mask material inaugurated

Sandler has inaugurated a new line for theproduction of nonwoven filter media forface masks at its headquarters inSchwarzenbach/Saale, Germany.

The new line, the construction of whichwas announced in April 2020(1), enablesthe production of enough filter media forabout 600 million face masks and startedproduction on-schedule in mid-August2020. Commencing in September 2020, itwill be run for 24 hours a day, seven daysa week.

In May 2020, Sandler and its compatriotsPIA Automation of Amberg and Zettl

Group of Weng established the Mask-Alliance-Bavaria, through whichthe companies plan to establish acomplete supply chain for face masksin Bavaria.

See also: (1)German nonwovens producer toadd new line for face-mask materials,https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75560

Kristina Müller, Marketing Manager,Sandler AG.Tel: +49 (9284) 60114-4275. Fax: +49 (9284) 60205.Email: [email protected];http://www.sandler.de

Sandler’s line for the production of nonwoven filter media for face masks in

Schwarzenbach/Saale, Germany.

Acrylic fibre shown todeactivate SARS-Cov-2PyroTex Industries of Hamburg,Germany, claims to have produced thefirst fibre capable of deactivating thestrain of coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2)responsible for the human coronavirus(covid-19) pandemic.

The company says that its acrylic fibre(PyroTex) reduces the infectivity of SARS-Cov-2 by 99% after 14 seconds of contact.These findings have been confirmed by anindependent laboratory in testing under -taken according to the 18184: 2019standard(1) published by the InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) ofGeneva, Switzerland.

Further to its anti-viral properties, thefibre is effective against bacteria such asStaphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coliand Klebsiella pneumoniae.

It is also: inherently flame-retardant;resistant to acids and alkalis; resistant toultraviolet (UV) radiation; withstandsexposure to solvents, water and oxidizingagents; resists heat continuously up to250°C (480°F). The fibre is a good thermalinsulator (its thermal conductivity is just0.030 W.m–1.K–1), and it has a tenacity of18.0 cN.tex–1, an elongation of 29% and adensity of 1.5 g.cm–3.

Supplied in titres of 2.2, 2.8, 3.8 and8.5 dtex (2.0, 2.5, 3.5 and 8 denier) instaple lengths of 20–120 mm (0.8–4.4 inches), the fibre can be processed onany kind of spinning system or be formedas a nonwoven web.

The fibre could be used to produce facemasks, and general protective andmedical clothing. The Managing Directorof PyroTex, Robert Jarausch, says: “We arealready co-operating already with bigbrands who want to contribute to thefight against the pandemic.”

See also: (1)ISO 18184:2019, Textiles —Determination of antiviral activity of textileproducts, https://www.iso.org/standard/71292

Robert Jarausch, Managing Director,PyroTex Fibers GmbH.Tel: +49 (40) 556136-39. Fax: +49 (40) 556136-81.Email: [email protected];http://www.pyro-tex.de

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Durable transparent treatment from Affix Labs kills novel coronavirusA Finnish company claims to havedeveloped a long-lasting surfacetreatment capable of killing the novelcoronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) responsible forthe covid-19 pandemic. The transparentcoating can be applied easily to anysurface, including all types of textile.

Affix Labs of Helsinki has combined itsproprietary chemical binding technologywith a well-established and safedisinfectant to make the product, which itcalls Si-Quat. Independent testing at theBiochemistry Institute of the University ofLisbon, Portugal, has shown the activeingredient in the product kills the SARS-Cov-2 virus on contact. Meanwhile, thecompany’s own tests have shown thetreatment to remain effective for aboutone month on frequently touchedsurfaces such as door handles.

Si-Quat kills 99.99% of the micro organismsit touches within minutes, Affix Labs says.Nevertheless, it is safe to touch, free fromsilver salts and nanoparticles of heavymetals, and non-corrosive. The principalactive ingredient is based on quaternaryammonium, which has been accepted tobe an effective surface treatment againstthe virus by several major regulatorybodies worldwide including: the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) of Geneva,Switzerland; the Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) of Washington, DC, USA; theAmerican Chemistry Council (ACC) also ofWashington, DC; the European ChemicalsAgency (ECHA) of Helsinki.

The proprietary binding of the productensures that molecules of silane quaternaryammonium (silane quats) are aligned in ahighly effective manner, allowing positivelycharged nitrogen ions to attract viruses andbacteria, and then penetrate their cellmembranes to kill them.

To apply the treatment, users require onlyminimal training and basic protectiveequipment to spray or brush it on thesurface and leave it to dry for six hours.

Affix Labs’ tests have shown Si-Quat isdurable. Tests included repeatedly sittingin and standing up from a car seat tomeasure the loss of the surface treatmentowing to friction. Even after one thousandsuch cycles Si-Quat is still bonded to thesurface and active, the company reports.

Other tests conducted included anassessment of the affects of physical andchemical stresses on hard surfaces (forinstance, holding and turning a doorhandle for one thousand cycles, andsimulations of cleaning cycles onmelamine boards and metal sheets).

Tests of the durability of treated textiles tolaundering are ongoing, but based on thecompany’s other products that use the samebinding technology Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Tom Sam believes Si-Quat should beable to withstand 30–50 domestic washes.

The company’s other products include aninsect-repellent treatment (Repeltec) forfabrics. These treatments combine therepellent ethyl butylacetylaminopropionatewith the binder and can be applied in acontinuous process or in batches duringindustrial laundering. In the latter case, the

treatment can currently only be appliedto cotton. As well as woven, knitted andnonwoven fabrics, it is also possible totreat yarns directly, although this is onlyeconomically feasible for large-scaleproduction operations.

Si-Quat was developed in January 2020 bythe team responsible for Repeltec in directresponse to the covid-19 outbreak andwith funding from the European Union(EU). Affix Labs has now begun todistribute the treatment around theworld, adding new regions every weekand actively seeking partners invarious markets.

Tom Sam, Chief Executive Officer, Affix Labs. Tel: +358 (9) 8561-7167. Email: [email protected];https://www.si-quat.com;https://www.repeltechnology.com

Covid-19 update

A durable antiviral treatment suitable for application to textiles in such as mass-

transport and retail environments is now available from Affix Labs of Helsinki, Finland.


Covid-19 update

SML Maschinenge-sellschaft Mbh

Treatment based on zinc pyrithione is capable of neutralising SARS-Cov-2Biotechnology company Proneem ofMarseilles, France, has developed a textiletreatment that it claims is capable ofneutralising SARS-Cov-2, the virusresponsible for covid-19, on textile surfaces.

Called Viralstop, the treatment exploits theantiviral properties of microencapsulatedzinc pyrithione (ZnP), zinc oxide (ZnO) andother active ingredients.The treatment hasbeen tested on numerous types of textilesby VibioSphen of Labège, France, and hasbeen shown to be effective in neutralisingthe SARS-Cov-2 virus. Specifically, in testscarried out in accordance with the 18184standard(1) from the InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO) ofGeneva, Switzerland, Viralstop neutralised

SARS-Cov-2 with 99.99% efficiency aftertwo hours. The treatment works bydestroying the membranes of viruses andby preventing them from reproducing.

The treatment, which has been developedin partnership with France Chimie andNovachim, is suitable for application to alltypes of textiles. The Founder and Presidentof Proneem, Nathalie Hagege, says: "Withan effective active ingredient and docu -mented textile impregnation systems, wehave proved that it is possible to createtextiles that are able to destroy the virus."


Proneem.Tel: +33 (4) 8426-8070. Email: [email protected];http://www.proneem.com

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Finish is effective against SARS-Cov-2, even after it is washedA wash-durable antimicrobial finish basedon silane quaternary ammoniumcompounds (Si-quats) has been proven inindependent testing to reduce thepresence of SARS-Cov-2 on a textile sampleby over 99% within 30 minutes of contact.

Crucially, the finish – called Bi-Ome anddeveloped by Devan of Ronse, Belgium –maintains a similar level of antiviralperformance (reducing the presence ofSARS-Cov-2, which is responsible for thehuman coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic,by 98.5%) on samples that have beensubjected to 25 wash cycles when testedaccording to the 18184:2019 standardpublished by the International Organizationfor Standardization of Geneva, Switzerland(1).The finish was tested on numeroussubstrates, including polyester (PES), cotton

and PES–cotton blends, against a variety ofenveloped viruses, such as SARS-Cov-2,feline coronavirus, vaccinia and porcinerespiratory viruses.

The Chief Executive Officer of Devan, SvenGhyselinck, says: “We were keen to providetextile manufacturers with concreteassurance regarding virus-reductionperformance on washed samplesaccording to ISO 18184. This exceeds thelimitations of the post-wash antimicrobialresults most commonly shared for othertechnologies, giving the textile industry aclear, more precise overview ofperformance and wash durability.”

Bi-Ome is already used by a wide range ofcompanies for the finishing of such asbedding, clothing, travel accessories and

textiles used in vehicles. The finish works byattracting microorganisms, the cellmembranes of which it then punctures.This deactivates the microorganisms,preventing their growth and proliferation.The product complies with European Union(EU) Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR)and is registered with the US EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA). Further, Devansays that it is inherently biodegradable.


Felix Vanassche, Marketing Assistant,Devan Chemicals NV.Tel: +32 (55) 230110.Email: [email protected];http://devan.net

Wash-durable treatment for textiles can deactivate SARS-Cov-2

A treatment for textiles developed byLivinguard AG of Zug, Switzerland, hasbeen shown to deactivate the SARS-Cov-2virus responsible for the humancoronavirus (covid-19) pandemic.

Testing undertaken by researchersfrom the Institute for Animal andEnvironmental Hygiene at FreieUniversität Berlin and the Institut fürTextiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH AachenUniversity in Germany, show that thetreatment can reduce the presence ofSARS-Cov-2 on the surfaces of face masksby 99.9% within two hours.

As SARS-Cov-2 can be transmittedthrough airborne droplets and aerosols,governments and health authoritiesworldwide, including the World HealthOrganization (WHO), recommend thatpeople wear face masks in order toprotect other people and, to a lesserextent, themselves. These face masksact as a barrier to SARS-Cov-2-containingdroplets ejected from the nose andmouth. However, great care must betaken when handling contaminatedface masks; after use, they must bedisposed of or decontaminated usinghigh-temperature laundering ormicrowave treatments.

The Managing Director of the Institute ofAnimal and Environmental Hygiene,Professor Uwe Rösler, says that whenLivinguard's treatment is applied to facemasks, it can deactivate exhaled virusescontinuously, making the "handling ofthese masks safer overall."

The treatment exploits the ability ofpolycationic surfaces to deactivatemicroorganisms including bacteria,

viruses and severaltypes of fungi.Treated textileshave approximately24 billion chargedsites per squarecentimetre thatattract and bindnegatively chargedviruses to theirsurfaces. Viralprotein capsids orenvelopes aredisrupted throughthis action, and

their now harmless contents leak out anddisintegrate. Once the microbes aredestroyed, they are no longer chargedand fall, or can be washed, from thesurface of the textile, creating space towhich other microbes can attach.

Livinguard has developed a variety ofmethods to bind a range of cationiccompounds to textiles and other surfaces, aportfolio of chemistries that deactivatebacteria and viruses – without the need fortraditional metal-based antimicrobialagents such as silver, copper and zinc – andmethods through which these propertiescan be combined with others, such aswater-repellence and hydrophilicity.

The company says that when testedaccording to the 18184(1) protocol releasedby the International Organization for Stan -dardization (ISO) of Geneva, Switzerland, thetreatment demonstrated a 99.9% reductionin the presence of SARS-Cov-2 after twohours of contact. This performance remainedconstant after ten washes. In testingundertaken by numerous independentlaboratories for other applications and usingdifferent protocols, the treatmentdemonstrated even stronger efficacy againstdifferent microorganisms within five minutesof contact and after 50 washes.

In addition to face masks, Livinguard nowplans to sell washable and re-usablecotton gloves, and wipes treated with theantiviral technology. The company is indiscussions to license the treatment tosuppliers of consumer products, airpurifiers, healthcare products andpersonal protective equipment (PPE).

The treatment has yet to be approved by theUS Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


David Schmelzeisen, Institut fürTextiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University.Tel: +49 (152) 294-41641.Email: [email protected];https://www.ita.rwth-aachen.de

Uwe Rösler, Director, Institute for Animaland Environmental Hygiene, FreieUniversität Berlin.Tel: +49 (30) 8385-1845.Email: [email protected];https://www.vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Victoria Banaszak, Vice President ofMarketing, Livinguard.Tel: +41 (41) 726-1676.Email: [email protected];https://livinguard.com


Covid-19 update

For more on novel finishingtechnologies, see:

Durable, washable textile coating can•repel viruses; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75620Coated polyester fabric combats•shortages of isolation gowns;https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75616Graphene-enhanced face mask from•Directa Plus; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75697Major benefits of graphene coating for•face masks; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75622

In addition, the use of finishingtechnologies in the fight againstcovid-19 will be a topic of discussionat the World Congress on TextileCoating, which will take place on 18–19 February 2021.

Jill Gwinnutt, Marketing Manager,World Congress on Textile Coating.Email: [email protected]://www.technical-textiles.online/WCTCSee also, page 47

Livinguard masks

feature a

treatment that

has been proven

to deactivate

99.9% of SARS-

Cov-2 after two

hours of contact.

Covid-19 update continues on page 42...


One crucial impact of the covid-19 pandemicwas the breakdown of global supply chains forpersonal protective equipment (PPE), which had grownto be over-reliant on Chinese suppliers. This resulted inacute local shortages even in industrialised regions,such as the USA.

Fortunately, many manufacturers rose to the challengeand the initial shortfalls were addressed by pre-existingsuppliers increasing their output and others rapidlyswitching their production to make textiles for PPE forthe first time. While the effects of the pandemic persistin influencing our lives, these manufacturers areexperiencing a continual increase in enquiries andadapting their output in response to evolving needs.

These demands for textile-based PPE have given manysuppliers a welcome boost, providing strong sales at atime their other markets have been drastically curtailed.Moreover, many of them anticipate this heighteneddemand will continue for the next two- to three-yearsor longer, a view echoed by their customers, thePPE manufacturers.

In North America, for instance, there are growingdemands to put PPE production back in the hands ofdomestic manufacturers in order to reduce future risks tothe supply chain, so creating a longer-term local market.

In this article, several North American suppliers explainhow they adapted their businesses during the initialmonths of the pandemic in support of these vital efforts.

Johns ManvilleJohns Manville now supplies USA-made fabrics for facemasks and medical gowns: in April 2020, it began makingnonwoven filtration media for various types of face maskat its plant in Richland, Mississippi(1); from May 2020, it hasbeen producing nonwoven fabric for protective gowns atits facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina(2).

The manufacturer, which has its headquarters in Denver,Colorado, USA, says that its meltblown filter media meetsor exceeds the 95% bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE)and viral filtration efficiency (VFE) requirements neededfor a general-purpose mask, as specified in the testspublished by the ASTM International of West Consho -hocken, Pennsylvania, USA, (see box: ASTM test methodsfor filter layers in face masks, page 12). Further, these testswere conducted by independent laboratories, whichthemselves are registered by the US Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Johns Manville had been selling into the markets for avariety of masks for several decades, but more recentlyonly in small quantities for highly demanding appli -cations. Many years ago, according to the company, thewidespread wearing of masks by Asian consumers,together with the global market demand for the lowestpossible price, helped drive most of the manufacture ofcommodity products overseas, mainly to China.

US textiles industry adapts rapidly to pandemic challengesAs the covid-19 pandemic began to take its toll in the USA from late February 2020, medical facilitiesrapidly became overwhelmed with patients, existing stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE)were exhausted and global supply chains broke down. Happily, local textile manufacturers were ableto adapt their output to compensate for shortages. John McCurry tells the stories of a few of them.

At its plant in Richland, Mississippi, USA, Johns Manville was able to

respond quickly to the pandemic by beginning to make meltblown

nonwoven filtration media for various types of face mask.

In depth: Pandemic response


Elsewhere, manufacturers who had the necessary lines toproduce meltblown nonwovens, including JohnsManville, continued in the mask business, but focused onmarkets where consistency and quality of the productwere more important than price alone. John Vasuta,appointed as President of the Engineered Productsbusiness in May 2019, says the construction industrybecame an important customer and the companyconcentrated on developing technologically advancedfiltration systems for such as the automotive, food andbeverage, medical and biopharmaceutical industries,as well as industrial water-treatment, and heating,ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) applications.

However, with the advent of the pandemic, when USdemand for PPE soared, the company was able to switchproduction rapidly. It still had the necessary knowledgeto make filter media for face masks, according to Vasuta,and it was simply a matter of ramping-up output, whileensuring the products met the latest requirements forquality and level of protection.

The gown fabric (Evalith 017/120H3) is a spunbondmade from continuous polyester (PES) filamentsdesigned to provide a barrier to fluids. The fabric iscoated and calendared, and meets the requirementsfor a Level-3 medical gown as set-out in the standard

PB70:2012 Liquid barrier performance and classificationof protective apparel and drapes intended for use inhealth care facilities, which is jointly published by theAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI) ofWashington, DC, USA, and the Association for theAdvancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) ofArlington, Virginia, USA.

Johns Manville had been using spunbond technologyto make PES reinforcements, filter media and specialityfabrics. With the advent of the pandemic, however, itswitched to the development of the gown fabric,running tests in cooperation with PPE manufacturersto determine and meet their requirements, forinstance, in terms of tear-strength and thickness.

“We had to do a great deal of work to get prepared, butwe did not have to invent anything new,” says Vasuta.The company already had an understanding of thevariations (such as the lengths of the fibres and thedifferent binders) and technologies that it couldcombine to make suitable filter media for the masksand barrier fabrics for the gowns.

The gown materials, for instance, exploit a proprietaryspunbond technology, which is used for production atseveral of the company’s sites, including Spartanburg.A few subtle changes to the manufacturing line wereall that was needed.

Vasuta said Johns Manville has experienced a continualincrease in enquiries throughout the pandemic. Newrequests come from the growing number of companieslooking to enter the PPE market and existing manu -facturers looking for new suppliers. He believesdemand for the company’s medical products willcontinue to be brisk until an effective vaccine forcovid-19 is available.

In the meantime, Johns Manville is investigating otherpotential PPE applications related to the pandemic,cooperating with medical-device and pharmaceuticalmanufacturers to develop new products.

ShawmutShawmut Corp is a global manufacturer based in WestBridgewater, Massachusetts, USA, specialising in auto -motive headliners made from composites(3), technical


ASTM test methods for filter layers infacemasksMaterials used as filtration media in face masks for sale

in the USA are typically subject to verification against

the standards:

ASTM F2100 Standard Specification for Performance of•Materials Used in Medical Face Masks;

ASTM F2299 Standard Test Method for Determining the•Initial Efficiency of Materials Used in Medical Face Masks

to Penetration by Particulates Using Latex Spheres;

ASTM F2101 Standard Test Method for Evaluating the•Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of Medical Face Mask

Materials, Using a Biological Aerosol of Staphylococcus aureus.

Dependent on the filtration efficiency achieved, each media

is categorized as ASTM Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3, Level 3

providing the highest performance. Typically, Level-1 media

are used in general-purpose masks and the more-efficient

Level-3 media are required for surgical masks.



textiles and laminated materials. In March 2020, however,the family-owned company started to concentrate onproducing medical gowns, as well as fabrics for suchgowns, increasing its production as the virus spread.

Shawmut says it became the source of about 2.5 milliongowns a week, either directly or as a result of its supply ofmaterial to others. To meet much of this high demand, thecompany adapted its existing equipment, including all thelaminators used in its large automotive business, in somecases to create a continuous production line. To make thegowns, Shawmut can also cut and sew the fabrics.

Even so, the company has needed to add furtherequipment to meet its commitments. In addition, as itencountered bottlenecks in some parts of the supplychain, it has cooperated with external partners, such asfinishers and laminators, to extend its capacity.

Primarily, Shawmut makes lightweight warp-knit PESfabrics, which it laminates to various polymer films thatprovide a protective barrier. The company says its PPEsatisfies the requirements of the ASTM standards:F1670 Standard Test Method for Resistance of MaterialsUsed in Protective Clothing to Penetration by SyntheticBlood; F1671 Standard Test Method for Resistance ofMaterials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration byBlood-Borne Pathogens Using Phi-X174 BacteriophagePenetration as a Test System. Its range of products spansthe full range of protection from the least (Level 1) tothe most (Level 4) challenging, but the larger part ofthis demand from the market has been for Levels 1 and2. In addition, some of the laminates are breathable,some are washable and some are both.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James Wyner says oneadvantage of using a warp-knit substrate is that outputcan be quite significant, compared with that based on theuse of a more traditional one, often a woven durablefabric. Moreover, his company’s materials are cheaper andlighter in weight, while still having sufficient durability.

Shawmut’s customers are primarily those with contractsfrom the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) of Washington, DC, USA. However, it also sells togown manufacturers supplying directly to clinics,hospitals and nursing homes, a base which is growingand expected to drive increased sales in the coming

months. Shawmut also sells to companies with stateand local contracts to supply medical customers.

The surge in Shawmut’s PPE business has been a directresult of the pandemic, but Wyner also thinks the industrywants to manage risks to the supply chain on a longer-term basis by bringing more production back to USA.Consequently, he believes an established market willemerge for locally made PPE, and he wants Shawmut tobe part of it.

“Our primary [PPE] business is supplying the gownmaterial,” Wyner says. “If it continues, we see a lot ofpotential for innovations.” Potential developments couldinclude improvements to the durability and breathabilityof the fabrics, as well as their barrier performance. He addsShawmut might start making materials for face masks, butbelieves it will continue to focus on gown fabrics.

Wyner’s father, Justin, is 94, still serves as the company’sChair and has been active in the PPE effort. His soncontinues: “We have a 100-year history of helping-outduring national crises: in World War I, we made anklesupports for the soldiers; during World War II, wesupplied bomb parachutes; during the Korean War, wesupplied long underwear.”

During the crisis, Shawmut Corp has focused on making laminate

fabrics for protective gowns and even the gowns themselves. To

meet the huge demand, it has converted all the laminators for its

large automotive business, invested in more equipment and

formed partnerships with others. Shown here are two employees

inspecting substrate fabrics at the company’s Park Avenue Plant

in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.


In the current pandemic, shipments of the productsthe company normally makes for the automotiveindustry disappeared, removing a significant slice of itsincome. Since then, according to the younger Wyner:“it’s been a heads-down effort.”

Bally Ribbon MillsBased in Bally, Pennsylvania, USA, Bally Ribbon Mills is amanufacturer of narrow woven fabrics (including tapesand elastic materials)(4) with a long history of supplyingcomponents used to manufacture medical devices, suchas materials for securing prosthetic devices to patients.

Ted Fetterman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing,says the company’s products for PPE are fabrics thatare a maximum of 30.5 cm (12 inches) wide and alwaysused as structural components, such as in helping tosecure the PPE to the wearer. For masks, for instance,the fabric would go over the head or behind the ear.

Bally Ribbon Mills has been making components for PPEsince March 2020 and needed to boost its productionquickly to meet the demand. One example is a webbingwith a high tensile strength, which is used to secureventilators to patients. The company says it has won alarge contract to supply the webbing, which a third party

coats with urethane to ensure both low elongation andthermal stability.

Bally Ribbon Mills uses PES for the webbing, becausethe resulting fabric is inherently hydrophobic, whilewicking moisture. For the contract, the company wasalso able to count on its yarn supplier in order to beable to increase its production of the fabric. Fettermansays: “Within four weeks we were in full production andhad begun shipping it out.” The company continues toship the webbing, he adds.

In terms of the overall impact of the pandemic, Fettermannotes that the company has enjoyed a steady, eight-yearrun of growth, but now revenue is down about 15% fromlast year, which he describes as significant. Bally RibbonMills’ traditional businesses, except for defence andaerospace, have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.At least in partial compensation, he believes PPEcomponents will continue to be a growth market forthe company: “covid-19 is not going away soon. We aregoing to be dealing with this throughout 2021.”

Without the PPE market, Bally Ribbon Mills would havebeen in a worse position. If its customers had not beenable to shift their production to make PPE, it would nothave been able to adjust its own supply of products.Fetterman concludes: “We are doing what the market isdemanding of us. Without that nimbleness, we wouldnot have been able to keep our employees working.We have not laid-off anybody. We are operating at100%, even though our sales are down.”

Gerber TechnologyDuring the pandemic, Gerber Technology of Tolland,Connecticut, USA, has shared its technical expertise ofcutting, pattern-making, design and packaging, as wellas its knowledge of the industry, with manufacturers andsuppliers through its programme called the Gerber PPETask Force(5). Those wishing to switch existing productionlines to the manufacture of PPE can join the programmeto gain access to several resources including:

introductions to companies with experience of•making PPE;contact information for potential suppliers (PPE•Manufacturing Matchmaking Program);production-ready cutting patterns, files and markers;•


Gerber Technology (a specialist in equipment and software

for cutting, pattern-making, design and packaging) has

formed partnerships with several companies that switched

their usual production to make personal protective

equipment in response to the pandemic. One is Hardwire,

which usually makes protective armour. The partner from

Pocomoke City, Maryland, USA, has installed two of Gerber

Technology’s cutting machines and associated software to

help it produce face shields.



technical help for setting cutting parameters for fabrics;•training, software, equipment and the help of•service technicians;general support.•

Within the programme, experts in software, equipment,production and design at Gerber Technology triageenquiries from customers looking to convert theirmanufacturing production. A company wanting to startmaking face masks, for instance, can be connected to asupplier of sewing and cutting services.

By July 2020, the Gerber Technology reports it hadreceived more than 150 requests for this service. Mostof the companies that switched production weretraditional apparel manufacturers, but others madeautomotive fabrics, furniture upholstery, and signs andgraphics. They are now making a range of PPE includinggeneral-purpose face masks, medical gowns, faceshields, biohazard suits, coveralls and shoe covers.Gerber Technology says its equipment is not used tomake high-quality surgical masks.

Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Leonard Marano saysmany of the company’s customers believe PPE willbecome a permanent part of their business for the nextfew years and that they continue to increase capacity.“The need for our customers to drastically ramp uptheir production was pretty immediate,” Marano said.In response, Gerber Technology kept the productionlines for its standard equipment running, supplying itand the expertise needed to adjust each set-up to suitthe specific product being made as quickly as possible.Gerber Technology also supplies some pre-setmachinery (Paragon PPE) re-designed specifically forthe production of face masks and gowns.

Dimension-PolyantDimension-Polyant, which has its headquarters inKempen, Germany, is a specialist in making sailcloths(particularly woven and laminated fabrics, andmembranes). In early March 2020, however, thecompany’s facility in Putnam, Connecticut, USA, begansupplying laminate film to customers for making faceshields for medical staff. These customers includedsailmakers, fashion brands and Flowfold, a manufacturerof backpacks in Gorham, Maine, USA, who all switchedproduction to supply their local communities.

At its Connecticut facility, Dimension-Polyant laminatesdifferent types of film with fibre reinforcements, saysTaylor North, Head of Technical Fabrics: “It turns-outthat our window material we use for sailcloth actuallymakes a very good face shield.” As a result, the companyhas been selling a significant amount of its clear film forthis purpose. By early July 2020, the company reports ithad provided the materials needed for 650 000 faceshields. “That’s been our primary response in the PPEmarket and allowed us to get through some difficultweeks in March,” North added.

The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films are typically0.18 mm (0.007 inches) in thickness, which North

Thin polyethylene terephthalate films are laminated to

fibre reinforcements to make transparent windows for

sailcloths. One US manufacturer of such laminates quickly

realised the films are suitable for the manufacture of face

shields and started sales of the material for this purpose.

Dimension Polyant’s customers for this new business

include sailmakers and others with no previous

experience of making such products, but willing to switch

their output to address the urgent needs of many workers

for this type of protection. Shown here, for instance, is a

face shield made by Flowfold, a manufacturer of

backpacks and accessories from Gorham, Maine, USA.


describes as good in terms of the stiffness and stabilityneeded for the shields. However, the company’stechnologies allow it to make films at whateverthickness is required. North also predicts that differentcolours of tinted shields may become of interest foroutdoor applications.

Further, most of Dimension-Polyant’s fabrics arewaterproof up to 1.38 MPa (200 pounds a square inch)and so could be used as fluid barriers in medicalapplications. North is not sure if they are currently inuse for that purpose, but could be, he asserts.

The company does have a range of fabrics it suppliesto manufacturers of products used to move patients. Adevelopment based on a type of racing sailcloth usedin Europe for many years, the polyamide (PA) fabricsslide easily beneath the patient, he says. The fabrics aresupplied from the company’s site in Kempen.


Further InformationJohn Vasuta, President of Engineered Products,Johns Manville. Tel: +1 (303) 978-2000. Email: [email protected]; https://www.jm.com

James Wyner, Chief Executive Officer, Shawmut Corp. Tel: +1 (508) 588-3300. Email: [email protected]; https://www.shawmutcorporation.com; https://www.shawmutcorporation.com/medical

Leonard Marano, Chief Commercial Officer,Gerber Technology. Tel: + 1 (860) 871-8082. Email: [email protected]; https://www.gerbertechnology.com; https://www.gerbertechnology.com/ppe;https://www.gerbertechnology.com/covid19

Hardwire LLC. Tel: +1 (410) 957-3669. Fax: +1 (410) 957-3424. Email: [email protected]; https://hardwirellc.com

Ted Fetterman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing,Bally Ribbon Mills. Tel: +1 (610) 845-2211.

Email: [email protected]; https://www.ballyribbon.com

Peter von Maffei, Dimension-Polyant Inc. Tel: +1 (860) 928-8320. Fax: +1 (860) 928-8330.Mobile/cellular: +1 (401) 369-4054. Email: [email protected]; https://www.dimension-polyant.com

Flowfold. https://www.flowfold.com ASTM International.https://www.astm.org; https://www.astm.org/Standards/F2100.htm; https://www.astm.org/Standards/F2101.htm; https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1670.htm;https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1671.htm

American National Standards Institute (ANSI);https://www.ansi.org

Association for the Advancement of MedicalInstrumentation (AAMI); https://www.aami.org

Food and Drug Administration (FDA);https://www.fda.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency.https://www.fema.gov; https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus; https://www.coronavirus.gov

References(1)Johns Manville starts production of nonwovens for face masksin the USA; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75575

(2)Johns Manville starts production of nonwoven fabric for medi-cal gowns; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75668

(3)Glen Raven Technical Fabrics to be merged with Shawmut;https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/74219

(4)Bally’s webbings for wearables; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75279

(5)https://www.gerbertechnology.com/covid19; and: Coatsjoins taskforce for production of personal protective equip-ment; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75548

See also:Technical Textiles International, Summer 2020,Industry responds urgently and rapidly to the global pandemic,page 11 ; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75519


Unveiled in August 2020, the Just5 jacket (see also,page 19)(1) provides protection against the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the pathogen responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, and is one of the latest chapters inthe fast-moving story of a commercial textile treatment(Viroblock NPJ03) that was little more than an idea at theend of 2019. The treatment’s speedy commercialisation isthe work of HeiQ of Schlieren, Switzerland(2). It is also astory that echoes many of the profound changes we haveall experienced in the last few extraordinary months.

HeiQ was founded in 2005 by two former employees ofthe Zurich-based Swiss Federal Institute of Technology(commonly known as ETH): Carlo Centonze is nowChief Executive Officer (CEO); Murray Height is ChiefScientific Officer (CSO). During a hike in the Swissmountains with their life partners, the two co-foundersdecided to find a way to treat textiles to suppress theodours generated by their physical activity.

They wanted to use science to help manufacturersmake clothes that stay fresh for several days andsucceeded by applying a silver-based treatment topolyester (PES) fabrics. The strong positive electricalcharge of the silver ions attracts and binds them to theoppositely charged membranes of the bacteriaresponsible for the odours, which proliferate in thewarm, moist sweat generated by exercise. The boundsilver causes structural damage to the membranes,leading to the death of the microbes.

The company name is in part derived from that “hike”,but also represents “high-quality” materials and highintelligence quotient (“high IQ”), an allusion tointelligent materials and technologies. Centonze andHeight describe HeiQ as a three-in-one company,which aims to develop treatments that improve thefunctionality of textiles based on: scientific research

(currently, more than 40 PhD students are engaged inwork relating to HeiQ projects); the manufacture ofspeciality materials; consumer branding of products.Centonze also likens the company to the Swiss Armyknife (a multi-tool pocketknife manufactured byVictorinox of Ibach, Switzerland), providing customerswith all the tools and services they need in one source.

By 2019, HeiQ’s portfolio included about 200 productsdistributed among several brands:

HeiQ Pure—a silver-based finish to combat odours;•HeiQ Fresh—a silver-free treatment to help control•odours and volatile organic compounds (VOCs);HeiQ Smart Temp—for thermoregulation;•HeiQ Eco Dry—perfluorocarbon (PFC)-free repellents•to water and water-based stains;HeiQ XReflex—a radiant barrier to enhance a•material’s thermal insulation;

Commercialising, validating and supplying a vital treatment From the beginnings of the current pandemic in China in late 2019 to the present, our industryhas responded swiftly to provide the vital personal protective equipment (PPE) needed byfrontline workers and the public. By forming partnerships, increasing production and developingnew products, it has contributed significantly to help prevent the uncontrolled spread of thevirus responsible. Editor Nick Butler picks the as-yet unfinished story of HeiQ’s commercialisationof a new anti-viral textile treatment as a prime example among many impressive achievements.

HeiQ co-founder and Group Chief Executive OfficerCarlo Centonze explains how Viroblock kills viruses to hisdaughter. (Picture courtesy of HeiQ.)



HeiQ Clean Tech—an additive to reduce waste and•costs during the dyeing of PES;HeiQ Sun Block—to provide protection from•ultraviolet (UV) radiation;HeiQ Glide—to reduce the friction of fabrics;•HeiQ Real Silk—a treatment to give textiles the soft,•dry, cool and comfortable feel of silk.

It had also grown in geographical reach, employing morethan 90 staff in 12 countries on five continents. Thecompany has production facilities in: Bad Zurzach,Switzerland; Geelong, Australia; Concord, North Carolina,and Calhoun, Georgia, USA; as well as additional officesin: Maia, Portugal; Shanghai, China; Taoyuan City, Taiwan.In addition, it has official distributors in the USA,Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Guatemala,Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Mexico,the Republic of Mauritius and Japan.

Customers include major global retailers and brands in:sports and outdoor wear (including Speedo, Burtonand Patagonia); intimate apparel and hosiery (such asTriumph, Sloggi and Hanes); fashion (for instance,Champion, Gap and Marks & Spencer); domestictextiles (including Bekaert Deslee, American Textile Coand Sealy); footwear (for example, New Balance);workwear (Dickies, Duluth Trading and Carhartt).

Quick turnaroundBy December 2019, however, the company hadrecognised the growing threat of a global pandemicand switched its attention to finding a way to help toprevent the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, which it isbelieved can persist on surfaces such as those oftextiles for a few days(3). As a result, even face masksworn to help prevent the airborne spread of the diseasecan be a cause for concern, because of the threat oftransferring viruses accumulated on their outer surfacesto vulnerable points on the wearer’s skin.

Healthcare professionals, for instance, are trained inthe use of masks, such as the need to wash their handsafter doffing them, but while working under extremepressure can forget to follow this advice, and the threatto untrained users can be even greater. In part, suchconcerns prompted the World Health Organization(WHO) of Geneva, Switzerland, to recommend in theearly days of the pandemic against the routine use offace masks by healthy members of the public(4).

Consequently, HeiQ began to produce a treatment thatwould rapidly kill the virus on contact with fabric surfaces.Centonze proudly recounts how it did so in a very shortspace of time: from the production of the first batch to theonset of global distribution took just six weeks, a processthat would typically take one-and-a-half to two years.

Combined in a patent-pending development, thebreakthrough exploits two of the company’s pre-existing technologies:

its registered silver-based antiviral and•antibacterial treatment;a technology based on the use of fatty vesicles or•liposomes (originally introduced in 2011).

As above, the silver ions attract the viruses and bind tothe sulfur groups in their membranes, but in this case, thebreakdown of the pathogens is assisted by the presenceof the liposomes. While the fatty membranes of theliposomes resemble those of the viruses, they differsignificantly by enclosing only empty spaces. Thisestablishes a concentration gradient between the bareinteriors of the liposome particles and any chemicalswithin adjacent viruses, which results in cholesterol withinthe latter being drawn out. The depleted virus is brittle,and the accelerated destruction of its membrane leads tothe oxidisation of its exposed ribonucleic acid (RNA).

The synergistic effect is unique, according to Centonze,and results in destruction of viruses (as well as bacteriaand yeasts), helping to prevent contamination of andtransmission via the treated surface. One early test of theefficacy was conducted according to the ISO 20743: 2013Textiles—Determination of antibacterial activity of textileproducts(5) method published by the InternationalStandards Organization (ISO) of Geneva, Switzerland, butmodified to use the Murine respirovirus, (formerly known asthe Sendai virus). This showed that the residual infectivitywas insignificant after only two-to-five minutes of contactbetween the treated nonwoven fabric and a viral load.

Further testing, reported by HeiQ in March 2020(6),showed that the treatment is highly effective againstthe 229E strain of the human coronavirus, which has amembrane structure like that of SARS-Cov-2. Thesetests showed that within minutes of contact, treatedface masks had a 99.99% reduced level of infectivitycompared with untreated ones.




By this time, momentum was building and severalcompanies were working to incorporate the treatmentinto their products, including:

Suzhou Bolisi of Zhangjiagang, China—a•manufacturer of protective masks;Kayser-Roth of Greensboro, North Carolina, USA—•traditionally a producer of legwear, which had begunmaking hand protectors (called Ghluv) in response tothe pandemic;Lufeng of Zibo, China—a manufacturer of apparel fabrics.•

Demand soon outstripped HeiQ’s capacity to supply.Since the official launch on 16 March 2020, its fourplants had been running at full capacity making 145 t aday. To make more available, therefore, the companyissued free licences to three of its competitors(7):

CHT Group of Tübingen, Germany;•Jintex Group from Taipei, Taiwan;•Piedmont Chemical Industries based in High Point,•North Carolina, USA.

To safeguard the product’s reputation in a turbulentclimate, when the claims of many manufacturers werebeing openly challenged and accusations ofimpropriety were even being made by world leaders(see also, Technical Textiles International, Summer 2020,Industry responds urgently and rapidly to the globalpandemic, page 11), the company stipulated thelicensees must have their treated fabrics tested byaccredited third-party institutes to establish the efficacyand quality as per HeiQ’s standards. In addition, use ofits HeiQ Viroblock trademark with respect to treatedarticles required the company’s authorisation.

Currently, HeiQ has the capacity to make 250 t a day,but Centonze says that the three licences will remain inforce as long as the terms are respected.

The company’s caution was justified when, in June 2020,HeiQ reported some products on the market purportingto be treated with Viroblock were fake(8). In response, itthreatened to instigate legal proceedings, urged buyersto be wary and offered to help prospective customers ofproducts claiming to be protected by Viroblock to checktheir authenticity. To date, the company has issued atleast a dozen letters demanding companies ceasemaking their false claims, which it says have all been

heeded without the need for further action, but HeiQcontinues to monitor for such misrepresentations and toprotect its intellectual property.

Testing achievementJust a few days before, HeiQ had announced animportant milestone had been achieved: tests at theworld-leading Peter Doherty Institute for Infection andImmunity in Melbourne, Australia, had confirmed thetreatment is effective against the SARS-Cov-2 virus(9).Centonze believes his company was probably the first totest and to establish such an effect by a treated textileagainst the virus responsible for covid-19 and was able todo so thanks to its strong partnership with the Institute.

Based on the ISO 18184 Textiles—Determination ofantiviral activity of textile products standard, adapted forthe SARS-Cov-2 virus, the partners were able to developtwo different test protocols, which demonstrated theinfectivity was reduced by 99.99% after 30 minutes ofcontact with a treated woven PES fabric, comparedwith the control (an untreated woven PES fabric).

To test the effect of the treatment on face masks, HeiQchose a high-quality product manufactured in China,one satisfying the FFP2-level requirements of the

The Just5 jacket serves as a showcase for the

technologies being developed by HeiQ and its partners

using Viroblock NPJ03 (see also, page 17).



References(1)Partners create jacket that provides protection fromviruses and bacteria; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75805

(2)Antiviral textile treatment is effective against strainof corona virus; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75507

(3)See, for instance, Persistence of coronaviruses on inani-mate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents;https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022

(4)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52945210

(5)https://www.iso.org/standard/59586.html

(6)Antiviral textile treatment is effective against strainof corona virus; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75507

(7)Free licences issued to boost production of anti-corona -virus treatment; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75586

(8)HeiQ warns of fake products; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75692

(9)Antiviral treatment tested successfully against covid-19-causing strain of coronavirus; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75657

(10)https://wwwn.cdc.gov/PPEInfo/Standards/Info/ASTMF210114

(11)See, for instance, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-laboratory-practice-glp-for-safety-tests-on-chemicals

(12)Assessment of Experimental and Natural Viral Aerosols,Peter J. Gerone et al., Bacteriological reviews, Volume 30,Number 3, September 1966, page 576; https://mmbr.asm.org/content/mmbr/30/3/576.full.pdf

(13)See, for instance, https://heiq.com/2020/08/13/partner-news-mas-and-heiq-partner-to-create-functional-ppes-to-fight-covid-19; https://heiq.com/2020/08/11/partner-news-hollander-partners-with-heiq-to-serve-consumer-and-hospitality-markets; https://www.viromasks.com/en/press-releases/viromaskslaunch; https://www.ddecor.com/new-introductions/viroguard-by-ddecor;

https://heiq.com/2020/06/23/partner-news-south-asia-

textiles-partners-with-heiq-materials-ag;

https://heiq.com/2020/06/22/artistic-denim-mills-and-

heiq-collaborate-to-launch-safe-to-touch-denim-and-

face-mask-collection;

https://heiq.com/2020/04/30/partner-news-novara-

technology-and-heiq-viroblock-npj03-aid-medical-

textile-production;

https://www.alchemietechnology.com/Viroblock;

https://mailchi.mp/heiq/high-demand-for-antiviral-

heiq-viroblock-quickly-served-by-supply-chain_1

(14)https://sertasimmons.com/news/serta-simmons-bedding-

developing-u-s-first-antiviral-mattress

(15)https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-

disease-2019-covid-19-emergency-use-authorizations-

medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-

euas#appendixa

(16)During the preparation of this article for publication,

for instance, another three developments were

announced: Antimicrobial shop signage produced using

HeiQ finish, https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/ 75833;

HeiQ produces branded antiviral face masks for Swiss ice-hockey

team; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75861; (17)Coats to incorporate antiviral treatment into threads and

yarns; https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75783

(18)https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en

See alsoTechnical Textiles International, Summer 2020, Industry

responds urgently and rapidly to the global pandemic,

page 11;

https://www.technical-textiles.net/node/75519

US textiles industry adapts rapidly to pandemic challenges,

this issue, page 11;


HeiQ highlights safety and sustainability of

antiviral treatment;


Covid-19 Update, this issue, pages 4–10 and 42–45.



European standard EN 149: Respiratory protectivedevices—Filtering half masks to protect against particles—Requirements, testing, marking. Tests on several maskswere conducted according to the ASTM F2101 StandardTest Method for Evaluating the Bacterial Filtration Efficiency(BFE) of Medical Face Mask Materials, Using a BiologicalAerosol of Staphylococcus aureus(10). These test methods,published by the ASTM of West Conshohocken,Pennsylvania, USA, were adapted for use with virusesand are lengthy and expensive to conduct, but the mostmeaningful in this context, HeiQ says.

Conducted according to the principles of goodlaboratory practice(11) using a dozen differentmicroorganisms, the data showed a reduction in thetransmission of viable particles through the masks(treated against untreated) of log 2.5–3.5. For anexposure of 100 000 droplets, roughly equivalent to theamount anticipated from a single cough(12), the resultssuggest untreated masks would permit more than 23viable droplets to pass through them, compared withfewer than one on average for treated masks.

While the untreated masks clearly offer effectivefiltration, Centonze notes that just a few viral particlesare sufficient for a person to become infected and thatthe level of protection of the treated masks assessed inthis manner is more than 20 times higher.

The Viroblock treatment can be applied to all types offibres and fabric constructions, and crucially is durableto washing. HeiQ claims the treatment remainseffective for 30 domestic washes at up to 60°C (140°F).Consequently, it is suitable for applications other thanface masks, including:

medical nonwovens (such as surgical gowns, scrubs,•drapes and curtains);apparel;•domestic textiles;•textiles used on public transportation;•air filters.•

The initial focus was to supply manufacturers of facemasks for healthcare workers, but increasing consumerdemand meant that by the middle of June 2020, morethan 1000 companies(13) were looking to use Viroblockto make a variety of products. These included majormanufacturers of fashionwear (Burberry), intimate

apparel (Hanes), shirting (Albini) and mattresses(Serta Simmons(14)).

Meanwhile, HeiQ’s China office had set-up a manu -facturing capacity for treated face masks, beginningshipments in March 2020. By the middle of June, ithad shipped 300 million units for the public andanother four million high-quality masks suitable forhealthcare workers.

Celine Huang, CEO in China, explained that, althoughthis is not the company’s core competence, it felt a dutyto help address the shortages of personal protectiveequipment (PPE) caused by the severe disruption toglobal supply chains. Working with Chinese partners,HeiQ succeeded in finding a way to use the paddingmethod to apply the treatment to a variety of fabrics,even nonwovens where the lack of warp and weft fibresmakes it difficult to maintain a uniform tension in thematerial during processing. In this way, the companycan apply 5–20% by weight of the treatment to a fabric.

Testing of the treated fabrics, according to thestandard ISO 18184, proved that they reduced the viralactivity by 99.99% in a few minutes. Treated anduntreated FFP2 face masks were also compared withan aerosol challenge test featuring a variety of viruses.These studies showed that, depending on the virus,the treatment reduced the infectivity by 30–200 times.

In China, the company makes and supplies disposable(maximum wearing time eight hours) masks in a varietyof styles. In Switzerland, meanwhile, it makes twoversions of a washable (up to 30 times at 40°C) three-layer mask. In this case, the outer and inner layers areboth PES knitted fabrics and the double-layer filter inthe middle is a water-repellent meltblown treated withViroblock and conforming to the requirements ofEurope’s toughest such standard EN 14683:2019 IIRMedical face masks—Requirements and test methods.The outer layer is also treated with Viroblock, while theinner face is a soft, untreated fabric to make the maskcomfortable to the wearer’s skin.

For sale in the USA, one of the disposable masks(designated HVB-FFP2-01) has already been approvedby the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of SilverSpring, Maryland, under its Emergency Use


Authorization regulations(15), making HeiQ the firstauthorised Swiss supplier of such products. Currently,the others are pending approval.

More chapters to followOne of the latest, but clearly not the last(16), parts of thisstory is the development of the Just5 jacket, a result ofHeiQ’s collaboration with four specialist partners:

2A-NyGuard SpA of Borgaro, Italy, which has helped to•develop the self-sanitising zips (NyShield);Coats of London, UK, which has incorporated•Viroblock into its sewing threads to make every stitchin the jacket antiviral and antibacterial;Sitip of Cene, Italy, which has developed a treated warp-•knitted fabric for use on the jacket’s extendable cuffs;Vagotex SpA of Colognola ai Coll, Italy, which has•combined the treatment with its waterproof,windproof, but breathable laminate fabrics (Windtex).

All the elements of the jacket render viruses and bacterialanding on them ineffective within five minutes of contact.In addition, HeiQ has signed an agreement granting Coats,a specialist in industrial yarns and threads, exclusive globalrights to use Viroblock on its products(17).

According to Centonze, the consensus of thosedeveloping vaccines for covid-19 is that even if theyare successful soon it will be 18–24 months from nowbefore this approach can become effective inmanaging the current pandemic. Further, following theoutbreak in China in late 2002 of the related diseaseSARS(18), the habits of many in the most affected region(southeast Asia) changed permanently and even afterit was suppressed, they continued to use PPE,particularly face masks. Virologists, meanwhile, expectfurther epidemics and pandemics will occur. All ofwhich suggests that, as rich as it is already, the story ofViroblock has many more chapters to be written.


Further informationCarlo Centonze, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), HeiQ

Materials AG.

Tel: +41 (56) 250-6850. Fax: +41 (56) 250-6851.


Marlen Philipp, Head of Marketing, HeiQ Materials AG.

Tel: +41 (56) 250-6860.


Celine Huang, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Greater

China, HeiQ Materials Co Ltd.

Tel: +86 (185) 0165-0296.


Colleen Nipkow, Marketing Director North America, HeiQ.

Mobile (cellular): +1 (801) 556-4663.

Email: [email protected];

http://www.heiq.com

CHT Group.

Tel: +49 (7071) 154-430.


https://www.cht.com

Jintex Group.

Tel: +886 (2) 2578-8999. Fax: +886 (2) 2579-8008.


https://www.jintex-chemical.com

Piedmont Chemical Industries.Tel: +1 (336) 885-5131. Email: [email protected];https://www.piedmontchemical.com

Catherine Somerville, Senior Media andCommunications Officer, Peter Doherty Institute forInfection and Immunity.Tel: +61 (3) 8344-8378. Mobile/cellular: +61 (422) 043498.Email: [email protected];https://www.doherty.edu.au

Kristina Blissett, Head of Group Communications, Coats.Tel: +44 (208) 210-5084.Email: [email protected];http://www.coats.com

Suzhou Bolisi. http://en.szbolisi.comKayser-Roth Corp. http://www.kayser-roth.com2A-NyGuard SpA. https://www.nyguard.comSitip. https://www.sitip.itVagotex SpA. https://www.vagotex.it

World Health Organization (WHO). https://www.who.int;International Standards Organization (ISO).https://www.iso.orgASTM. https://www.astm.orgFood and Drug Administration (FDA).https://www.fda.gov


Growing markets for textiles and nonwovens in agricultureConcerns about our ability to feed everyone as the world’s population continues to expand arecreating opportunities for agrotextiles, according to Sarah Gibbons and Keith Nuthall, but the nextgeneration of such products must be developed to reduce their overall burden on the environment.

Agrotextiles are used to control the growingenvironment, in order to improve the quality ofcrops and boost the productivity of the agriculturalindustry. In the form of covers, nets and mats, they canoffer shade and protection for crops (from birds,insects, frosts, winds and hailstones), and they cansuppress the growth of competing weeds and help thesurrounding soil retain groundwater. In addition, palletcovers can protect plants during transportation.

The textiles employed often need to have high tensilestrengths, and good resistances to solar radiation,microorganisms and abrasion. In addition, the natureof these applications makes the use of environmentallyfriendly materials particularly apposite.

The global market for agrotextiles (including fishingnets, itself an important sub-sector) was worthUS$9.61 billion in 2019, according to the report Agro

Textiles Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product,By Application, and Regional Forecast, 2020–2027(1),published in June 2020 and available from FortuneBusiness Insights of Pune, India. In addition, the reportstates that the market will grow at a compound annualgrowth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% to reach US$13.46 billionin 2027, driven by increasing concerns aboutfood security as the global population gets bigger:“technologies such as agrotextiles will play aninstrumental role in meeting the challenge of foodsecurity in the coming decades”.

The report also predicts a growing demand for fabricsthat can be used for longer and have a higher degree offunctionality than at present, as well as being producedin a more sustainable manner.

An earlier study (published January 2018), Agro TextilesMarket Analysis By Product, By Application & Segment

Light-reflecting textiles, such as Beaulieu Technical Textiles’ Lumilys range, help reflect more sunlight onto ripening fruit

crops. Compared with those grown without these reflective surfaces, more of the fruits are considered to be of high

quality and so growers can charge higher prices. Images copyright Beaulieu Technical Textiles (see also, page 26).

In depth: Agrotextiles


Forecasts, 2018–2025(2), available from Grand ViewResearch of San Francisco, California, USA, predictedthe global market would reach US$12.77 billion by2025. In terms of volume, demand for agrotextiles was1. 49 Mt in 2016, with consumption predicted to growat a CAGR of 4.4% from 2017 to 2025.

Jacques Prigneaux of EDANA, meanwhile, isoptimistic for the growth of nonwoven applicationsin agriculture. Prigneaux, Market Analysis andEconomic Affairs Director for the Brussels, Belgium-based nonwovens industry body, told TechnicalTextiles International: “As well as innovation driversand the growing range of applications for nonwovensin the sector, growth in sales will also be spurredby environmental regulations that focus onpreventing harmful materials from contaminatinggroundwater supplies.”

Professor Parik Goswami, Director of the TechnicalTextiles Research Centre at the University ofHuddersfield, UK, adds that a significant proportion ofagrotextiles is already made from nonwovens,

principally spunbonded polypropylene (PP). However,he cautions: “If we’re serious about food sustainability,we have to create new ways of doing things. PP is inert,so it doesn’t degrade quickly.”

Sustainable farming, therefore, needs agrotextiles madefrom materials that decompose quicker. Goswami alsocalls for research to focus on developing agrotextilestailored for specific environments, matching theneeds demanded by local weather conditions andprevalent pests.

Plenty of innovationBio-based polypropyleneBorealis, from Vienna, Austria, supplies a range of PPgrades for the production of staple fibres, tapes, yarnsand monofilaments, which its customers use to makenonwoven, woven and knitted textiles. In October2019, the company announced it was to begin acollaboration with Neste Oyj of Espoo, Finland,a specialist in making chemicals and fuels fromrenewable raw materials. As a result, from the end of2019, Borealis began using Neste’s 100% renewablepropane as feedstock for its plants in Kallo andBeringen, Belgium.

Borealis says this is the first time that it has partiallyreplaced feedstocks derived from fossil fuels in thecommercial production of propylene and subsequentlyPP, and it is the first time ever that dehydrogenationat an industrial scale has been performed usingrenewable propane. Nevertheless, the PP produced ishigh-quality, has the same properties as existinggrades and can be fully recycled.

“Using renewable feedstocks produced primarily fromwaste and residue streams is a major contribution toreducing our reliance on fossil-fuel based feedstocks,”explains Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis’ Executive VicePresident Polyolefins, Innovation and Technology andCircular Economy Solutions.

Recycled materialsAnglo Recycling Technology of Rochdale, UK, usesrecycled flooring materials to produce its Growfeltrange of agricultural textiles, which includefabrics based on wool, viscose, polyester (PES)and acrylic fibres.


Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis’ Executive Vice President

Polyolefins, Innovation and Technology and Circular

Economy Solutions.



In 2020, for instance, the company plans to deliver onemillion of its nonwoven mats (Growmat) to a majorcustomer in the Middle East who grows herbshydroponically. Simon Macaulay, Anglo Recycling’sChair, told Technical Textiles International that demandfor fresh salad, particularly from the United ArabEmirates (UAE)’s big tourism sector, is increasingsignificantly; orders for the mats in 2017 were 360 000.The UAE currently imports around 85% of all its food,he added: “The country wants to do something aboutthis and has turned to expertise developed in the UK tohelp it develop its own urban farming infrastructure.”

Anglo Recycling is also undertaking trials to developa fully biodegradable version of the product thatprovides protection from the weather and pests, whilestill using raw materials derived from waste: “It’s notproving easy, but we’re sure we’ll solve it.”

Macaulay believes that good agrotextiles can bemarketed for their contribution to sust

Technical TEXTILES Autumn2020 · 2020. 10. 29. · Volume 29, Number 3 The US textiles industry adapts rapidly to the pandemic challenge INSIDE: The latest innovations to combat the

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