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Michelman unveils new Unyte surface modifiers

08 Mar '19

3 min read

Pic: Michelman

Michelman has unveiled its new family of Unyte surface modifiers formulated specifically for manufacturers of technical textiles and pre-preg fabrics. These water-based emulsions, to be introduced at JEC World 2019, have been designed to help technical textiles and pre-preg fabrics achieve advanced form and function in both woven and nonwoven materials.

These include binders for carbon, glass, aramid, basalt, UHMWPE, natural, and other polymeric fibres.

“We are known in the fibres and composites industry as the interface adhesion experts,” explained Steve Bassetti, global marketing director for the Industrial Manufacturing Group at Michelman. “Our expertise in formulating surface treatments such as sizings, binders, and film formers, strengthened by our understanding of end-use applications, provides technical textile manufacturers an unequaled set of solutions offering various functionalities that can be applied at the fibre level or as an oversizing. Specifically, we help the construction, ballistic, medical and hygiene, automotive, filtration media, pre-preg, and consumer products industries improve the performance and functional behaviour of textile applications.”

The performance and production of technical textiles are enhanced through six distinct pillars of functionality: binding, adhesion, processability, heat resistance, print receptivity, and anti-blocking.

Unyte Bind offers multiple solutions that improve fibre-to-fibre adhesion. This improved binding of fibres creates a better structure for applications such as laid or woven scrim and pre-pregs.

Unyte Grip promotes the adhesion between fibres and polymeric matrices helping to improve mechanical properties. Increased fibre-to-matrix adhesion is beneficial to pre-preg fabric for composites and multi-layer systems, such as roofing underlayment, that combine woven and non-woven materials.

Unyte Glide is for manufacturers of pre-preg fabric and multi-layer systems combining woven and non-woven materials, who can use these grades to increase lubricity and slip and facilitate tow spreading of fibres in technical textile production. They are also used as over-sizing to improve release, drape, and fabric processability.

Unyte Heat can be used where elevated temperatures are present, without degradation, and can withstand more thermal cycling operations. This series provides heat resistance during primary and secondary processing, as well as in the end-use product, making it an ideal solution on braided three-dimensional structures where thermal insulation is required.

Unyte Print boosts ink adhesion for improved print receptivity and minimal colour bleed. Fabrics that are over-printed for decoration and branding, or with identification codes where legibility is essential, can benefit from these solutions.

Unyte Slip produces outstanding anti-block properties making it perfect for fabrics, nonwovens, and pre-pregs which need to be stacked or rolled. It helps prevent finished goods from sticking together, and improve inter-layer release and stack-ability. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India