World demand for nonwovens to exceed 11 million metric tons in 2019
Global demand for nonwovens is forecast to rise 5.4 percent annually to 11.1 million metric tons in 2019. Demand will be driven by an expected increase in the manufacture of …
Up to 95 % light reflectance: Kelheim tests new IR-reflecting viscose specialty fiber
Kelheim Fibers, a leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers, has completed the next step in the development of IR-reflecting fibers. During the last months, the incorporation of mineral IR-reflecting particles has been …
Goulston Tecnologies achieved new ISO certification
Goulston Technologies, Inc. achieved certification to the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Standard. The certificate is issued by American Global Standards and awarded on October 29, 2015. American Global Standards is …
Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment wins large orders for latest staple fiber technologies
Based on latest technologies presented at ITMA in Milan this fall, Oerlikon’s Manmade Fibers Segment received a number of large orders totaling more than CHF 50 million for their Oerlikon …


Enabling breakthrough technologies using nanofiber expertise
By Haydn Kriel, R&D Manager; Dr. Megan Coates, Senior Scientist; and Dr. Eugene Smit, CEO, The Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company (Pty.) Ltd. (SNC)
Nanofibers have a range of applications in medicine, cosmetics, environmental monitoring, energy generation and the manufacture of smart materials. The high surface area-to-volume ratio of these nanomaterials is highly beneficial for drug delivery and catalysis, and their controllable pore sizes, that can be tailored to selectively exclude components like bacteria or pollutants, makes nanofiber webs ideal for filtration, tissue engineering and wound care. Nanofibers are also versatile in that additives can be encapsulated within the fibers or coated on to the surface. The choice of the polymer and the nanofiber dimensions can be changed to obtain specific material properties.