Tencel in Courtaulds Annual Reports (1981-90)

The Courtaulds Annual Reports contain concise statements of the progress of the Tencel development year-by-year.  These statements have been pasted into a series of 10 posts which can be read in sequence by scrolling down from here:

1981-82 - under "Research"

Technology is being developed in the use of novel solvents for the conversion of woodpulp to regenerated cellulose products, leading to lower effluent levels and reduced energy consumption in the manufacturing process.

1982-83 - under "Courtaulds Research"

 A pilot plant incorporating a process which directly dissolves cellulose ran successfully towards the end of the year.  First indications are that the process may provide a low cost route to novel types of fibres and films.

1983-84  - under "Courtaulds Research"

Development of the new process for directly dissolving and regenerating cellulose continued.  Samples of fibres, of fabrics made from them and of transparent films have been produced, all with interesting properties.

1984-85 - Under "Research"

The research progamme into the production of new fibres and films by direct dissolution and regeneration of woodpulp continued successfully.

1985-86 - under "Research"

The development of a direct solvent spinning system for cellulosic fibres and films continued successfully.  An expanded pilot plant will be available by the end of 1986.
1986-87 -  under "Fibres"
Research expenditure was again at a high level for all fibres, but especially in the development of the new solvent-spun cellulose fibre.  Its pilot-plant came on stream and good progress has been made on the next stage of production which will make commercial quantities available.
               - under "Research"
The programme to develop a new range of cellulosic fibres using a new direct solvent spinning system continued with the successful commissioning of an expanded pilot-plant and with engineering developments for further expansion.  The process gives significant improvements over existing fibre properties and environmentally.
1988-89 - under "Fibres"
The first commercial scale Tencel plant was commissioned during the year. Its capacity is modest and design work on larger units is now well underway.
                - under "Research"
Substantial work was undertaken to transfer expertise learned on the pilot plant...to the scaled up plant commissioned...at Grimsby.
1989-90 - under "Fibres and Films"
The new solvent spun fibre Tencel continued to progress well.

N.B.  (1) Tencel is not mentioned in the "Research and Technology" section in 89-90.
        (2) The Textiles business had been demerged and was no longer part of the Courtaulds Group.
        (3) Saiccor Pulp (the best pulp for making Tencel) had been sold in 1988 to fund acquisitions of US sealants and adhesives.
        (4) Bonded Fibre Fabric, the nonwoven business which had been modernised at the end of the eighties, was sold at the end of March.  (Tencel was showing great promise in nonwovens)
        (5) Prior to 1989-90, "Fibres" came immediately after the "Chairman's Statement" at the front of the Annual Report.   Here "Fibres" comes last after Coatings, Performance Materials, Packaging and Chemicals.  Furthermore it has been merged with the "Films" used in packaging - cellophane, polypropylene and polyethylene.  Maybe the continued development of Tencel clashed with the emerging strategy of getting out of Fibres and Textiles and was therefore downplayed.

Thanks to Ted Richards who provided the full set of Courtaulds Annual Reports from 1970 to 98

Innovation: Product Development with Tencel (1985-94)

Work with potential customers started in secret in October 1985 based on Coventry pilot plant Tencel.  All the developments to 1994 were organised by Courtaulds Research in conjunction with sales offices outside the UK and Tencel sales. 
There's a bias to nonwovens and technical textiles here because I have little information on the development of apparel textiles. Comments and additional information from those involved is welcome as always!

1985:

Products:  Hydroentangled dry-laid nonwovens, woven Tencel gauze

Markets:  Surgical Swabs (cotton gauze replacement)

Partners:  Chicopee USA,  Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Alton Bassett, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products:  Hydroentangled Coverstock (Topsheet)

Markets:  Diapers, Femcare

Partners:  Unicharm (Japan)

Key Players:  Migaku Suzuki,
1986:

Products: Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Disposable Wipes

Partners:  Chicopee NV, Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Derek Rochford, John Elves

Products: Thermal bonded nonwovens

Markets:  Interlinings

Partner:  BFF Nonwovens

Key Players:  Taki Tyropolis, Bill Kennard
Products: Thermal bonded nonwovens

Markets:  Wipes

Partners:  J W Suominen

Key Players: Jorma Suominen, Esa Paltaala

Products:  Wet-laid nonwovens/Special Papers

Markets: Abaca replacement, tea-bags, food casings
Partners: JR Crompton (UK)
Key Players: Brian Tomkinson, Ivan Gbur
Products: Wet-laid nonwovens
Markets: Drapes/Gowns/Central Sterilising Room Wrap
Partners:  Dexter USA
Key Players: Alan Meierhofer
Products: Latex bonded nonwovens
Markets:  Disposable Wipes
Partners:  International Paper,
Key Players:  Zoltan Mate, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products: Thermal bonded (Powder Bonding)

Markets:  High Loft absorbents

Partners:  Bonar Carelle

Key Players:  ?
1987:

Products: Wet-Laid Nonwovens

Markets:  Wet-Wipes (Viscose replacement - low odour)

Partners:  Stora Kopparberg

Key Players:  Stefan Fors, Peter Fredericks
Products:  Modified Apertured Fabrics

Markets:  "J-Cloths" (polyester replacement), Swabs

Partners:  Johnson and Johnson (Canada)

Key Players:  Errol Tan
Products:  Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Surgical drapes and gowns (polyester replacement)

Partners:  Chicopee USA,  Johnson and Johnson

Key Players:  Alton Bassett, Eric Attle (CNA)
Products: Tampons

Markets:  Femcare

Partner:  Johnson and Johnson (Germany)

Key Players:  Fritz Weinstrauch, Rolf Altdorf
Products: Tampons

Markets:  Femcare
Partner:  Tambrands (USA)

Key Players:  Ken Merrill, Eric Attle (CNA)

Products: Dry-Laid Nonwovens - various bonding

Markets:  Interlinings

Partner:  Freudenberg (Germany)

Key Players:  Gerhard Schaut, Johannes Knocke
Products:  Hydroentangled Nonwovens

Markets:  Surgical Dressings (cotton and polynosic replacement)

Partners:  Unicharm (Japan)

Key Players:  Migaku Suzuki, Kunihiko Tozaki (CJL)
1988:

Products:  Flame Retardant Tencel
Markets:  Workwear

Partners:  Albright and Wilson(UK)

Key Player:  David Cole, Les Pearson

Products: Dry Laid Thermal Bonded

Markets:  Floppy Disc Liners

Partners:  Freudenberg

Key Players:  Holger Buchwald

Products: Dry-Laid Latex Bonded

Markets:  Battery Separators

Partners:  BFF

Key Players:  Andrew Kelly

Products: Hydroentangled Coverstock

Markets:  Diapers/Femcare

Partner:  Kendall/International Paper

Key Players:  Drew Horn
Partner: J&J Personal Products
Key Player:  Beth Stern
1989:
Products:  Paper

Markets:  Security Papers

Partners:  Portals (UK), Tumba Bruk (Sweden)

Key Player:  Paul Howland,

Products: Wet-Laid Hydroentangled

Markets:  Industrial Wipes

Partners:  Molnlycke (Holland)

Key Player: Bernt Johannsen

(1990's developments follow)

COURTAULDS SLIMS VISCOSE CAPACITY: SOLVENT SPINNING DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES (1985)

An early mention of the Genesis project to leaven the viscose plant closure announcement. ("per day" is clearly a typo!)

This article confirms the closure by Courtaulds plc of its Greenfield viscose staple and Holywell viscose tow plants and the policy of reduction of viscose rayon staple production capacity, at present estimated at 90,000 tons per day and planned to fall to 60,000 tons after the Greenfield closure. Production of viscose tow is to be transferred to the company's Grimsby plant, while short run output of speciality viscose fibres is likely to be produced from the 15,000 ton/year capacity Calais plant. The closures do not mean a lessening Courtaulds interest in viscose, and development work continues on the new solvent spinning process for rayon, which uses direct dissolution.

Anon., Nonwovens Rep. Int., no. 170, June 1985, pp 6-7

The Greenfield viscose plant was the largest in the world in the 1960's producing 100,000 tonnes/year of fibre, about half of which ("No 1 Unit") was going into the new tufted carpets. No 1 Unit was closed in the 70's when bulked continuous filament nylon took over the cheap carpet market in the UK.  A few years before this 1985 announcement the batch process for viscose production in No 2 Unit (50,000 tpa capacity) had been replaced with a continuous viscose process at great expense.  

The decision on whether to close this remaining modern and flexible Greenfield factory or the older and inflexible Grimsby plant of similar size could not have been easy.  At that time Grimsby was the lowest cost producer of commodity rayon in Europe while Greenfield had, prior to modernisation, developed such specialities as Modal and Polynosic (Vincel 64 and 28), HS Fibro, Viloft, SI Fibre, Sarille crimped, Evlan carpet fibre, and Tow.  

("Moving the specialities to Calais" was not that practical.  Calais would need investment, could not match Greenfield economy of scale, but it was probably more complicated to close down.  In the event it only survived until 1991.)

Tencel in hydroentanglement at Unicharm (1985)

Unrelated to the main Genesis project, we were evaluating the Unicharm hydroentanglement system for possible installation at BFF in Bridgwater.  Following a 1985 visit to the Unicharm plant on Shikoku island with Siggy Waegner (BFF and Viscose Div. Director) and Bill Kennard (BFF MD)*  we arranged blind trials with several different "viscoses" on the Unicharm pilot line.  In addition to several Grimsby Fibro types, one of these "viscoses" was an early batch of Tencel from the Coventry Genesis pilot line: another was Toyobo's "Tufcel" polynosic viscose.

If the test data turns up I'll post it here, but from memory Tufcel and Tencel were similar in nonwoven form in this low-pressure HE process, but both were significantly stronger wet and dry than the Fibro.  As in other trials elsewhere at this time, the low cohesion of the Tencel fibre meant web handling was difficult. 

Following the visit BFF decided to instal a Unicharm line and became one of the first companies to commence production outside the Dupont and Chicopee patents on the process.

The first Tencel in Hydroentanglement Trial (1985)

The first presentations of Genesis outside Courtaulds Group companies were made during a series of visits to US nonwovens producers between 21/10/85 and 1/11/85.  Such visits were routinely made to Courtaulds North America's viscose customers, usually bimonthly, and usually accompanied by Eric Attle, CNA's Staple Sales Development Manager until his retirement in 1987.  For Genesis we targetted companies with the latest nonwoven technology, especially hydroentanglement and thermal bonding, but also wet-laid producers in view of the Genesis processes's ability to produce tow which for viscose was a premium variant.

From this first series, Johnson and Johnson's Chicopee R&D labs in New Jersey were most enthusiatic and saw the fibre's potential in medical products and wipes.  They wanted the first machine trials to be done at their plant in Cuijk on an MEF 1 (Modified Entangled Fibre) production line.  

As a consequence the first bale of Genesis fibre produced in Coventry would be shipped to Chicopee in Holland in 1986.