Welcome at the Kelheim Fibres News-Center
07th June 2013FibreNewsPaper 02/2013:
More functional fibres!
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28th Mai 2013
Viscose Fibres with a Fingerprint – a New Product from Kelheim Fibres
Protecting products against forgery, product traceability, supply chain control and legal protection against fraudulent warranty claims: product security is becoming increasingly important in a globalised economy.
Kelheim Fibres, experts in manufacturing viscose speciality fibres, offers an innovative solution: In cooperation with Tailorlux, the specialist for anorganic phosphors, Kelheim has developed a viscose fibre “with a fingerprint”.
To achieve this, luminescent pigments from Tailorlux are incorporated in the viscose fibre matrix during the spinning process – so the pigments are intrinsically bound to the fibre and durable. Tailorlux produces customised pigments in a range of more than 300 billion combinations, each with its own individual spectrum.
Fibres incorporating these pigments bear their characteristic spectroscopic fingerprint in the body of the fibre; the fibres – as well as the products made using them - can be precisely identified and are therefore impossible to forge.
Validation is by light spectroscopy, a widely recognised and uncomplicated method. The pigment can be detected in a non-destructive or a destructive examination (for example in the ash of a product). For quick checks in the field, Tailorlux offers a simple hand scanner.
Kelheim Fibres’ latest development is primarily aimed at the paper industry: Viscose fibres can be easily integrated in the papermaking process and remain – together with the pigments incorporated in the fibre - in the paper. Thus loss of pigments in the process is a thing of the past!
More possible applications can be seen in the textile or nonwovens industry – namely whenever products need an invisible but unique identification mark. These fibres can ensure the traceability of filters or other products for example – or they can help to control the compliance of predetermined supply chains in the textile industry.
Kelheim Fibres is able to manufacture diverse types of viscose fibres incorporating Tailorlux’ luminescent pigments, based on the customer’s specific needs, which allows a perfect match to the end product and to the customer’s production process.
15th Mai 2013
Kelheim Fibres to present the versatility of viscose specialities at this year’s Techtextil
Technical textiles offer new technical solutions for the various demands of modern society. As a result, interest in technical textiles is continuously growing.
With its range of newly developed functional fibres, the Bavarian viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres offers the perfect raw material for a wide range of technical textiles, from nonwoven applications to functional apparel, from sportswear to filtration.
Their latest development, Olea, is the world’s first intrinsically hydrophobic viscose fibre. Olea combines the typical properties of a viscose fibre such as softness, skin-friendliness and wearer comfort with water repellency and is therefore an ideal raw material for functional clothing. A further advantage: as the additive is incorporated in the fibre matrix itself, the hydrophobic effect is durable and cannot be washed out.
In contrast to Olea, Bramante delivers significantly increased levels of absorbency and water retention capacity relative to standard viscose fibres. Bramante is characterised by its segmented hollow structure in the wet state – it stores fluid inside the fibre, which minimises rewetting – even under pressure. Functional textiles, hygienic applications and washable incontinence products are just some end-uses in which Bramante helps deliver enhanced performance.
Another addition to Kelheim’s range of products is Danufil® CS, a flame retardant viscose speciality, which has been adopted from the bankrupt Finnish fibre company Avilon. Particularly in the US market with its strict regulations on fire safety, the fibre is used as a protective nonwoven in mattrasses.
With Bramante, Olea and Danufil® CS, Kelheim Fibres offers viscose specialities for completely different needs – yet they are just examples for the versatility of Kelheim’s viscose specialities: By modifying fibre dimensions and cross sections or by incorporating additional functionalities in the fibre matrix, Kelheim’s R&D team makes use of a valuable tool box to create tailor-made solutions according to their customer’s specific needs
“By delivering fibres that improve the end products in which they are used, we generate added value for our customer – and that is our most important goal”, says Matthew North, Commercial Director at Kelheim Fibres.
In addition to the new fibre specialities, Kelheim’s established brands will also be an important focus at Techtextil. These include the extremely versatile Danufil® fibre, which can be found in a wide range of technical applications.
19th April 2013
Kelheim Fibres GmbH Acquires FR Fibre Technology from Bankrupt Avilon
In line with its strategy of continued specialisation, Kelheim Fibres GmbH, the world's leading producer of speciality viscose fibres, has reached an agreement with the bankrupt Finnish fibre company Avilon for the acquisition of knowhow and technology for the production of flame retardant viscose staple fibres, previously marketed under the Visil® name. In the late 1990s, operating as Saeteri, Avilon pioneered the production of such fibres designed to meet the requirements in place for furnishings in the American market. Matthew North, Commercial Director of Kelheim Fibres GmbH, comments: "The US market has become dependent on supply of FR viscose fibres from China. The agreement we have reached will allow us to finalise development of FR fibres based on the knowledge and experience of the historical market leader and offer a reliable, high-quality alternative to Asian sources". Initial production trials at Kelheim with the support of Avilon technicians were completed successfully in April 2013 and the fibres are currently undergoing testing. It is expected that samples of the new fibre will be available for customer tests by early May 2013. Kelheim Fibres GmbH will be showing its full range of speciality viscose fibres at the IDEA International Engineered Fabrics Exhibition in Miami, USA from 23. to 25. April 2013.
05th April 2013
Kelheim Fibres at this year’s IDEA: Discrete Incontinence Solutions and Hydrophobic Viscose Specialities
In our ageing society, the need for discrete incontinence solutions is growing. At the same time, the waste problem with these products is increasing. Kelheim Fibres, the leading manufacturer of viscose speciality fibres, has created a fibre, named Bramante, which combines an outstanding liquid absorption capacity and an extremely high retention level with the well-known benefits of viscose fibres, which are physiologically neutral and skin-friendly, made of 100% renewable materials and are therefore compostable or low-emission when disposed of in incineration plants. But Bramante also enables the production of thin and discrete washable and re-usable incontinence pads – in contrast to other washable products that can be bulky and uncomfortable.
Sebastian Basel, Business Manager at Kelheim Fibres, explains: “The characteristic of our new fibre is its hollow cross section. While other products absorb the liquid between the individual fibres (in a nonwoven, for example), Bramante stores the liquid in its hollow centre. So, it not only delivers an excellent absorption capacity, but also a moisture retention level of 250% - in contrast to 80% in standard viscose fibres. The liquid remains inside the fibre, even under pressure; as a result, the wearer feels comfortable, dry and safe.”
Bramante, which is already produced on industrial scale, is only one of a range of newly developed viscose speciality fibres which Kelheim Fibres will present at this year’s IDEA show.
Another new speciality from Kelheim is Olea, the first viscose fibre with intrinsic water repellent properties. Fully biodegradable like all viscose fibres, Olea offers an environmentally friendly alternative for the cover- and back-sheets of hygiene products, e.g. for nappies, sanitary towels or incontinence pads.
With Olea, it is now possible to manufacture completely eco-friendly hygiene products with uncompromising commitment to top-quality and functionality. Visitors to IDEA can convince themselves of Olea’s properties at booth nr. 1657: samples and video material will impressively demonstrate the effects of this new fibre.
In addition to the new fibre specialities from Kelheim their established brands Danufil®, Galaxy® as well as Viloft® nonwoven will be highlights at the IDEA show, as Kelheim Fibres has been the world's leading supplier of viscose specialities for tampon and hygiene fibres for many years. Beyond that, Kelheim Fibres has made itself a name as the only European manufacturer of viscose short cut fibres for paper applications and now supplies these fibres to speciality paper manufacturers around the world.
02nd April 2013
FibreNewsPaper 01/2013:
A small amount of fibres can go a long way
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25th March 2013
Galaxy® - new directions for the world's leading tampon fibre
How varied the possible fields of applications for the viscose speciality fibres from the Bavarian producer Kelheim Fibres can be is proven by their patented viscose fibre Galaxy®. Galaxy® is the world's leading viscose fibre for tampons - and can now be found in a completely different application, namely in a direct solar desalination panel. The solar desalination panel called CarocellTM made by the Australian company F Cubed, is used for the cleaning and the desalination of water and is designed to provide access to clean drinking water on a global scale. Almost one billion people have no safe drinking water supply which causes a death rate of 10,000 people per day due to water borne diseases and the majority of these deaths are among children; with its CarocellTM product F Cubed offers a solution for this huge social problem.
CarocellTM is a very simple system which can easily be positioned almost anywhere; the polluted water is fed into the CarocellTM panel by gravity, pressure or a solar pump. Following the natural water cycle of evaporation and condensation, an average of 15 litres per day of pure water is produced - that is enough to meet the needs of a single family - and up to 25 litres and more can be produced on hot summer days. Only solar energy is used and there is no pollution of the environment with chemicals or greenhouse gases. CarocellTM is a modular unit and can therefore operate as a single panel or as multi-panels for higher water production for towns and commercial applications such as treating industrial or mining waste water.
In order to keep the cost of CarocellTM panels as low as possible while maintaining high levels of efficiency, the developers paid particular attention to the design and the materials used in the panel: so, the nonwoven inside the panel is made of the viscose speciality fibre Galaxy®. The excellent liquid absorption and distribution capacity of the Galaxy® fibre are not only of value in tampons: in a comparative test on different nonwoven fabrics, carried out by an independent institute, the fibre with its typical trilobal cross-section delivered the best distribution of water in the nonwoven; at the same time, the high surface area of Galaxy® improved the evaporation of the water.
Another benefit is the fact that Kelheim Fibres delivers the fibres in spun-dyed form and additional dyeing, which would be costly and laborious considering the small amount of fibres needed, is not necessary.
The CarocellTM units are already being exported to 23 countries with a growing demand from governments, NGO's and corporations looking for a sustainable future.
08th February 2013
Kelheim Fibres receives AEO C certificate
Kelheim Fibres is particularly reliable and trustworthy. The AEO C certificate, which Kelheim Fibres has received following a thorough examination by the customs authorities, proves what long-term business partners of the viscose fibre specialist already know at first hand.
This certificate has been developed against the background of growing global trade and therefore increasing security threats – it is a keystone within the efforts of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) to create a universal framework for effective and modern risk management within the customs authorities. Its intention is to secure the international supply chain and to prevent crimes like smuggling, forgery or terrorism. Accordingly, the criteria for certification are customs compliance, appropriate record-keeping, financial solvency and appropriate security and safety standards. After passing the certification process, Kelheim Fibres can now make use of simplified customs processes – and the customers of the viscose fibre manufacturer benefit from the less complex customs handling, too.
29th January 2013
Kelheim Fibres develops OLEA: first viscose fibre with intrinsic water repellent properties
The Bavarian viscose fibre specialist Kelheim Fibres has developed the first viscose fibre with intrinsic water repellent properties; the fibre has been named Olea. In contrast to other methods of creating hydrophobic properties, Kelheim has been able to maintain the typical properties of the viscose fibre by incorporating the hydrophobicity in the fibre matrix itself.
Thanks to incorporation of the additive during the spinning process, the hydrophobic effect is durable and cannot be washed out.
The additive used for the production of Olea fibre is made of renewable materials, like the fibre itself, and so Olea is a fully biodegradable fibre. While viscose fibres are usually known for their excellent liquid absorption capacity, there are also numerous applications which can benefit from Kelheim's hydrophobic Olea fibre. "Olea is an environmentally friendly alternative for the cover- and back-sheets of hygiene products - for example nappies, sanitary towels or incontinence pads: In order to protect the wearer's skin, these sheets need to remain dry while they facilitate the transport of liquid away from the skin", explains Dr. Philipp Wimmer from Kelheim's R&D team. "Beyond that, our Olea fibre offers advantages for both, wearer and environment: the former benefits from the comfort, skin-friendliness and extra softness of our viscose fibre, the latter from the fact, that Olea enables the production of functional nonwovens made of 100% viscose fibres ~ which are therefore completely biodegradable."
In addition Olea fibres are suitable for demanding hygiene and food applications as the additive is FDA approved. Kelheim's range of viscose specialities now covers the two poles of absorbency performance - from the hydrophobic Olea fibre to viscose fibres with water retention up to more than 400% - and so offers a comprehensive choice for the nonwovens industry.
At the same time, Kelheim Fibres is testing Olea for textile applications. The unique combination of hydrophobic properties and the typical excellent moisture management and wearer comfort of viscose fibres are very promising, especially for sportswear and other functional textile applications.