This looks a bit peripheral, but bear with me. Courtaulds Research work on hydroentangled nonwovens was intensified in joint work with the Kendall Corporation aimed at reducing residues extracted from rayon by the high pressure "washing". Kendall and International Paper formed Veratec and in the course of continued joint work we showed them (late 80's) how a knitted Tencel fabric could be stabilised by fibrillation in hydroentanglement. I had no idea the process was later used on woven Tencel denim. Were they trying to fibrillate it to create peachskin or simply create a washed look? (The Interspun trade mark was abandoned by Polymer Group in 2003)
InterSpun, a
hydroentanglement technique developed by InterSpun Veratec, Sort Mill, SC, USA,
changes the surface fibre arrangement of textiles to give increased bulk,
greater opacity and improved handle. The method is suitable for use with
various textile fabrics including wool, silk, cotton, nylon, polypropylene,
polyester and rayon. Applications include garments, furnishing fabrics and
industrial textiles and because the fabric's permeability can be adjusted using
the treatment, it may also be used for air bags and gas or liquid filtration
materials. JPS Automotive LP has patented this application in connection with
production of InterLochen air bag technology, which will be incorporated into
vehicles from 1997. Greenwood Mills uses InterSpun technology to produce Tencel
(lyocell) denim and chambray fabrics.
Smith W C., Tech. Text. Int., vol. 5, no. 8, Oct. 1996, p. 11
No comments:
Post a Comment