Wipes in the age of COVID-19
Fibers are the basis for a nonwoven wipe. Whether it be staple fiber or a continuous fiber – fibers are the heart of the wipe, as they dictate key physical properties. There are a number of web-forming technologies that employ fibers in a web in conjunction with bonding process to make material for a wipe. …
Bicomponent fiber – get more than 2x
A biocomponent fiber, or bico, is a fiber that combines two separate polymers into a single filament. The term conjugate fiber is also used as a synonym. The process of making a bicomponent fiber is relatively straightforward. There are a number of patents that describe this practice. Commonly, the fiber is constructed of two …
What is a microfiber, really?
Microfiber can be found everywhere, from cleaning products, furniture, active wear and in filtration, but what is it exactly? The term microfiber, refers to a synthetic fiber that less than one denier in diameter, but larger than 0.3 denier. To be certain that is a very small fiber, as it is thinner than silk and …
Graphene offers significant promise for fiber applications of the future
Graphene is a wonder that I believe represents the next phase of nanoevolution. It is, in fact, my new favorite material. Graphene is one single atomic layer of carbon. Graphite is many layers of graphene stacked. Separating the layers in graphite by various processes (termed exfoliation) is the way most commercially available graphene is made. …
The future of the ‘Forever Molecule’
The history and evolution of “the forever molecule” is both revolutionary and fortuitous. Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, was discovered completely by accident on April 6th, 1938 by a DuPont Chemist, Dr. Roy Plunkett, while he was conducting research on chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants. Its first broad commercial use was non-stick cookware in 1960. PTFE has since evolved and is utilized in an extensive array of products that take advantage of its unique properties.