New Developments in High-Performance Fibres: An Overview.

Such meta-aramid fibers as DuPont's Nomex and Teijin's Conex have applications in flame resistant apparel and filter fabrics. DuPont's Kevlar, Akzo's Twaron, and Teijin's Technora para-aramid fibers feature high tenacity, modulus, and heat resistance, as well as strength and modulus values three to seven times higher than meta aramid fibe..

Fibers of the Next Decade.

A review of developments in the manmade fiber industry focuses on the history of the sector, biomimetism, heat protection, fibers encapsulated with phase change materials, bifunctional fibers (therapeutic properties, color change with temperature, and perfumed fibers), protection from ultraviolet radiation (colorants, titanium dioxide pig..

Stronger Than Steel, Thinner Than a Hair.

Researchers at Northwestern University developed hexagonal boron and nitrogen atom nanostructures that are twice as strong as steel and 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. The molecules, which resemble carbon nanotubes, have walls 1 atom thick. Whereas oxidation of carbon nanostructures produces potentially harmful carbon monoxide or c..

Nano Size Alumina Fibers.

Advantages of nanoparticles include high surface areas with a high ratio of external surface to volume and surface energy, conferring a range of novel chemical and physical properties. A new type of ceramic nanofiber is made of aluminum oxide, or alumina, approximately 2-4 nanometers in diameter. Two processes for manufacture are in devel..

Practical Experience with Carbonic Acid Polyester-Based Fiber Finishes.

Stockhausen Incorporated manufactures chemical aids to processing for the finishing industry, spin finishes, secondary processing lubricants, and polymer processing additives. Product development has led to a new class of lubricants with biodegradability, good skin compatibility, low toxicity, thermal stability at conventional heat settin..

Using Catalysts to Solve New Problems.

Presentations at MetCon 2001 addressed new single site catalyst technologies, including Univation Technologies' process that uses metallocene catalysts to manufacture bimodal high molecular weight, high density polyethylene in a single stage Unipol gas phase polyethylene reactor. DuPont's Verispol catalysts consist of nickel and iron base..

Zimmer Unveils Eco-Friendly Heavy Metal Free Catalyst Systems for PET Production.

Zimmer AG's Ecocat B and T Catalysts for the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) consist of a heterogeneous carrier with a large internal surface, a particle diameter of 0.5 micron, and low concentrations of metals, such as titanium, germanium, tin, zirconium, or aluminum, on the inside. The resultant PET has no heavy metals, ..

Du Pont Soy Polymers Gets Growing.

Polymer Products Group of Protein Technologies International recently became DuPont Soy Polymers. The company's major market is the paper coating industry. DuPont Pro-Cote water soluble paper coating products improve production rates to up to 5,000 feet per minute, final sheet quality, and resistance to heat. The soy polymers also have ap..

Molecular Weight Dependence of Tensile Properties of Ramie and Linen Fibers.

An experiment scoured 60/1 ramie yarns and 40/1 linen yarns, mercerized the yarns without tension in a 20 percent by weight aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide at 20 degrees centigrade for 20 minutes, washed the yarns in water, and dried them. Hydrolyzing the yarns for 0.5-120 hours in a 5N aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid at 25 deg..

A New Method for Modification and Processing of Flax Fibre.

Flax fiber requires complex and costly mechanical and chemical treatments to make it suitable for use in the manufacture of woven or knit apparel fabrics. The Rieter RCZ 120-3 shortened line form modifying flax fibers consists of a C50 carding machine and an adapted BT905 rotor spinning machine. In mill trials, the new spinning line manuf..