Branford Castle Partners, LP, a New York City-based private equity firm, announced that its affiliate has purchased Fibrix Filtration, a leading provider of specialized high loft and pleat media air filtration products. The company sells its products to many of the large, brand name filter manufacturers throughout the United States. Branford is teaming up with existing management including CEO Keith White, who is one of the current owners and who will be investing in the transaction as well. This investment represents the first transaction for Branford Castle Fund II, which had a first close in late 2019. "Branford's Fund II is off to a fast start, despite the challenging environment, and we are delighted that Fibrix Filtration is the first investment for our second fund. With air filtration an area of increasing concern throughout the world, we look forward to working with Fibrix management to grow the business and develop new products," says senior managing director Laurence Lederer. Based in Charlotte, NC, Fibrix Filtration has been manufacturing air filtration media products for over 50 years. With four facilities located in North Carolina and Texas, the company's products are pivotal in optimizing the performance of commercial and industrial HVAC systems, leading to enhanced system efficiency, lower energy costs and improved air quality. Fibrix's air filtration media products are designed to meet specific technical standards related to particle capture, pressure drop and dust collection. "We are excited about the Fibrix opportunity and believe the company is well-positioned to grow through a number of organic initiatives under the direction of its excellent management team," says Branford senior associate, Ceon Francis. "We are especially pleased to work on this investment with Byline Sponsor Finance, a division of Byline Bank, which is providing senior debt financing, and Brookside Mezzanine Partners, which is providing mezzanine debt financing." Keith White, CEO, further adds, "The team and I are very proud of all that we've accomplished over the last few years at Fibrix.  We look forward to working closely with our partners at Branford Castle in the next stage of growth of our business." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

UPA Corp Bhd’s subsidiary, UPA Healthcare Products Sdn Bhd, is venturing into the manufacturing of meltblown nonwoven fabric in apparent effort to supply the of three-ply and surgical face mask markets, according to a report in The Malaysian Reserve. Total investment for the project is estimated at RM10 million, or about $2.5 million, to be funded through internally generated funds.. Malaysia-based UPA has placed an order with a reputable meltblown technology developer to supply a state-of-the-art production line with the latest technology to produce nonwoven materials meeting required filtration efficiency. The new line will be installed at the group’s existing facility in Seri Kembangan, Selangor and is expected to commence production by the end of November 2020. Maximum annual production capacity for the fabric is at 600,000 kgs while maximum production capacity for the three-ply mask and surgical face mask is estimated at 86 million pieces per year for the first phase.

Technical Absorbents Limited (TAL) has developed a new grade of super absorbent fiber (SAF) specifically for use within a new range of SAF nonwoven fabrics that are more resistant to shrinkage. The new SAF was developed in response to the demand from the medical industry for a super absorbent fabric suitable for use in advanced wound pad dressings. The fiber had to be capable of withstanding the moisture used in the EtO sterilization process that is frequently employed in the production of the pads, in order to ensure product safety and compliance. EtO sterilization is a low-temperature process (typically between 37 and 63°C) that uses ethylene oxide gas to reduce the level of infectious agents. While generally applied in gas form, however, the EtO is usually mixed with other substances – and often steam. “Obviously superabsorbents and moisture generally aren’t a good combination at this stage in processing and can cause problems,” says TAL product development director Dr. Mark Paterson. “Other methods can be used, but when silicone materials are included, which is more frequently becoming the case, EtO is the preferred treatment method. Regular SAF grades tend to shrink a little and can become hard, which is often not desirable. This innovative SAF grade significantly reduces such potential problems.” The amount of shrinkage caused by EtO sterilization depends very much on the product design and construction, he adds, but in general, the new SAF has been tested and proven to reduce fabric shrinkage by around 70%. It is suitable for use in all SAF nonwoven formats, whether needle punched, thermally bonded or airlaid. While the proprietary process developed at TAL for the production of this new fiber and resulting fabrics was prompted by the specific requirements of wound pad dressings, TAL sees opportunities for its application in other areas as well. “It’s an extremely flexible fiber that can be easily switched with existing SAF grades when manufacturing fabrics and we have a number of current projects in which we’re exploring other end-uses,” Dr. Paterson concludes. “We believe this new range could also open up entirely new application areas on the market.”

07.28.20 Freudenberg Performance Materials has partnered with the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University to manufacture face masks for UNC system universities, North Carolina government organizations and hospitals. As the fight against coronavirus continues, the need for essential face coverings continues to rise. Together with the Nonwovens Institute at NC State University, Freudenberg Performance Materials will begin production of disposable nose wire strip procedure and N95 masks. The two organizations are aligning their expertise and supply chains to bring PPE touniversities and healthcare workers as quickly as possible. Through this partnership, NC State is supplying Freudenberg Performance Materials with the necessary roll goods needed for production while Freudenberg provides the textile manufacturing expertise and work force needed to install, operate and maintain the four new production lines. "As the leader in the development of the next generation of nonwovens, we knew we could step in and help fill this critical need. By partnering with Freudenberg, we will ensure the reliable completion of millions of protective face coverings to battle the coronavirus using NWI’s novel filter media”, says Behnam Pourdeyhimi, executive director of the Nonwovens Institute. Once fully operational the site will be able to produce more than one million masks a month. In addition to the face mask lines provided by NC State, Freudenberg is also in the process of installing six additional production lines to manufacture surgical and N95 masks. Not only will the lines help provide essential face coverings, but the addition of the lines has enabled Freudenberg add 50 new positions within the company to operate the lines. “Having the opportunity to make an impact in the fight against the pandemic and to help improve the safety of our community has given new meaning to our business, our operations and the engagement from our employees. We are happy we are able to take advantage of NC State’s capabilities and align them with our own to make this happen,” says Raoul Farer, general manager, Regional Business Unit North America.

A consortium of five Egyptian researchers have developed the world’s first high performance fibers and reinforcements extracted from the byproducts of pruning of date palms, such as frond and fruit stalks, also known as PalmFil. The fiber is not only sustainable, but also economical in manufacturing, compatible with textile and composite processing and offers the properties needed for lightweight cars of the future. “In the 1980’s the shift from natural fibers to manmade fibers was mainly to bridge the gap between the increasing demand for textile fibers and the limited supply of natural fibers," says Dr. Mohamad Midani, partner, PalmFil Consortium. "In order to reverse this shift, there is a need to explore more sources of natural fibers and increase the biodiversity of fiber crops. Thisis actually what we did, there are more than 140 million date palms mostly concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa, generating yearly more than 4.8 million tons (dry wt.) byproducts of pruning regarded as agriculture waste. This represented a burden on palm growers, and was the main cause of fire accidents and infestation by dangerous insects. Those byproducts could otherwise be transformed into 1.3 million tons/year natural textile fibers, ranking third after cotton and jute.” There has been several previous attempts to extract fibers from date palm byproducts through crushing and grinding, resulting in a biomass rather than textile fibers. PalmFil consortium succeeded in extracting the first long textile fiber from such byproducts and converted it into fiber tow, chopped fiber, spun yarn/ roving, nonwoven mat, woven fabric, and unidirectional tape. The new fiber represents a sustainable material base for a wide spectrum of industries. Ranging from natural reinforcements for composites in automotive and sporting goods, plasterreinforcements in construction, burlap sacks for packaging, ropes, and twines, non-wood papers, and other consumer products. Mr. Dilip Tambyrajah, secretary general, International Natural Fiber Organization, says: "Date palm byproducts have been used for centuries in the Middle East and it is a heritage related material. It is culturally embedded in Middle Easterns but possibly forgotten in modernity. Recent R&D conducted by PalmFil consortium demonstrates the potential of date palm fiber; its use in the modern context and in industrial settings. Revival of the fiber sector in the Middle East will need dedication and national commitment. The use of date palm fiber is not the issue. The use of most natural materials like the date palm fiber contribute towards maintaining biodiversity, provide employment and income and enable sustainable development in general. However, the key to its revival will be the national will and support to encourage the development of a reliable supply chain that can service the various production sectors that could use the fiber." Dr. Ahmed Hassanin, partner, PalmFil Consortium, comments...

Wet wipes producer Nice-Pak announced that it has generated data showing its products (EPA Reg. No. 9480-5) demonstrated efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Nice-Pak’s wipes are sold under the Grime Boss brand, as well as many popular private labels. The testing was conducted in early May by Microbac, a premier testing laboratory that offers antimicrobial/antiviral testing for disinfectants, antiseptics, sanitizers and medical devices, and was completed in line with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test methods and guidelines. The data will be sent to the EPA for review and approval. If approved, Nice-Pak will update its products’ labels, providing consumers with a proven effective solution to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus, when used according to label instructions. “As the world continues to face the Covid-19 crisis – and as Americans start to reopen businesses and public spaces – effective cleaning and hygiene solutions will remain essential,” says Jim Dalton, vice president and head of Research & Development, Nice-Pak. “These positive test results support Nice-Pak’s mission and commitment to protect consumers from harmful pathogens and help keep them clean and healthy.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health agencies and officials continue to recommend cleaning surfaces followed by disinfection (using EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2) as a best practice measure to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in households and community settings. Frequent disinfection of surfaces and objects touched by multiple people is important, and can be easily done with a wipe product. “Today’s announcement marks a critical step forward as we learn how to control and mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 virus to keep our communities safe,” says Robert Julius, chief executive officer, Nice-Pak. “We look forward to working closely with the EPA as they review these important data, while continuing our ongoing efforts to meet the increased demand for wipes.” Nice-Pak’s sister-company, PDI, announced its Super Sani-Cloth wipes, the No. 1 disinfecting wipe in healthcare, are effective against SARS-CoV-2. The data has been submitted to the EPA for review. This is one of several of the company's hospital-grade disinfecting products being tested for efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 for submission to the EPA for approval. Testing of the additional disinfecting products is still underway and results are expected in the upcoming months. According to the data, the wipes demonstrated a 3-log reduction against the virus. The wipes were tested in compliance with "Disinfectants for Use on Environmental Surfaces, Guidance for Efficacy Testing," the EPA's threshold for deeming a disinfectant effective. "This was an important step in furthering our mission to protect patients and those on the front lines of preventing the transmission of Covid-19," says Sean Gallimore, senior vice president and general manager...