Zschimmer & Schwarz, Germany, a manufacturer of spin finishes and additives for fiber and
nonwovens applications, reports its Lertisan HD 50 additive for the manufacture of durable
hydrophilic nonwovens offers superior characteristics compared to products currently used for such
applications.
According to the company, advantages include a simplified emulsion preparation and improved
emulsion stability, simplified application, and superior durable hydrophilic properties. Product
development involved intensive R&D work, and Zschimmer & Schwarz held discussions with
nonwoven producers, industry organizations and consumer goods producers to evaluate the
requirements for a new product in this field. “The bottom line in all these discussions was that a
new product should ‘have it all,'” the company said.
“The focus for the team working on this development was to come up with a product that is of
course fully [Food and Drug Administration] compliant and has an unrivaled safety background as
well as a superior technical performance,” Zschimmer & Schwarz explained. “The work started
with laboratory scale formulations of the finish itself, followed by small scale applications to
fabrics. The next step after this initial phase was the application of the new finish using the
nonwoven treatment pilot line at Zschimmer & Schwarz Centre of Fiber excellence in Lahnstein,
Germany.”
March/April 2011
