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| Issue date:01/04/2007 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Apr 2007 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
| by Adrian Wilson |
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Ranges of products at the recent Heimtextil in Frankfurt feature the lifestyle of consumers today. Current preoccupation with health issues offers a further opportunity to claim therapeutic benefits for everything from basic fibers through to bedding and carpets.
Well-being starts from home
In response to the well-being trend, cellulosic fibers leader Lenzing promoted the results of its sleep research project conducted with Austria's Joanneum Research Institute.
Measurements were taken of physiological factors affecting the health, such as the heart beat rate, of 24 people as they slept. Climatic surroundings including the room temperature and humidity level were also taken into account.
The goal was to measure the influence of the various types of materials and their effect on a general feeling of well-being. The sleeping quality index for Tencel bedding was said to be 61% higher than that of polyester.
Compared to the other bedding materials, Tencel then soars ahead in terms of the results. With polyester, on the other hand, the subjective feeling of well-being declines, and with standard cotton products it remains the same.
SeaCell GmbH, based at Rudsolstadt in Germany, was promoting the beneficial effects of seaweed, which it has permanently interlocked with Lyocell cellulosic fibers.
The Lyocell is said to serve as the "functioning surface" for the seaweed, which the company says has been well known in Chinese medicine as a marine plant rich in trace elements. In addition it has been proven to protect the skin and to have anti-inflammatory properties.
It is the structure of SeaCell fiber, its maker says, which facilitates the active exchange of substances between the fiber and the skin — nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and vitamin E, which are released by natural body moisture. The company also produces an active version of SeaCell fiber with added silver for anti-bacterial protection.
Silver containers have been used to keep their contents pure for centuries as metallic silver inhibits the growth of bacteria. This resulted in the development of a number of pharmaceutical products.
But the cost of silver and the challenge of reducing the metal to the ultra-fine particles necessary for optimum performance have, until recently, limited its applications.
The cost barriers are said to have been broken with Ultra-Fresh Silpure, the latest generation silver-based anti-microbial treatment for textiles developed and trademarked by Thomson Research Associates (TRA) of Canada.
Textiles with Ultra-Fresh Silpure |
Applied at the finishing stage for more complete protection of the fabric, it has been proven in tests to be consistently effective, with no tendency to cause discoloration, TRA claims.
Ultra-Fresh Silpure treatments have been approved by EPA in the US, by Oeko-Tex in Europe, and by other major regulatory agencies. They have also passed the most stringent international testing procedures for efficacy and safety.
The ultra-fine particles adhere more effectively to fibers for longer protection and tests have established that the anti-microbial performance of Ultra-Fresh Silpure remains strong after 50 or more washes. In plant trials, using typical application processes on 100% polyester fabrics, bacterial survival was less than 0.1%, even after 50 washes.
Japan's Teijin presented its fascinating materials made of Morphotex fiber. The heavily-engineered new filament fiber mimics the complex structure of the wings of the beautiful South American Morpho butterfly, which change color depending on the angle of light from which they are viewed. It consists of no less than 61 separate nanolayers in a 15-17 micron structure, composed of around 85% polyester and 15% nylon.
According to Hidemi Kitamura of Teijin's global corporate communications department, the Morphotex fiber is popular among brides as they wear wedding dresses and traditional Japanese kimonos that carry shimmering, mysterious colors with the new fibers. The engineered fabrics are also finding their way into furnishings, such as curtains and chairs. The filament yarn is being used in both woven and knitted garments, in blends with polyester, silk, cotton and wool.
Trevira has been offering a well-received Bioactive anti-bacterial polyester for home textile applications. Høie, a Swedish manufacturer, has employed it in bedding, added with Bayscent Aloe Vera microcapsules for a fresh scent from Lanxess.
Now owned by India's Reliance Industries, Trevira has pursued a strategy of specializing in highly functional fibers and yarns for over thirty years. In home textiles, its key brand, Trevira CS flame retardant product for contract interiors, is used among over 1,000 home textile collections around the world.
Wellman International, meanwhile, has teamed up with HealthGuard Healthcare to introduce a range of new anti-dustmite/anti-microbial fibers with a dual-action anti-allergen topical finish.
Wellman Healthguard is an extension of Wellman's Wellcare range in which the anti-allergen is incorporated into the fiber.
The new product is launched in response to market demand for a fiber finish-based system, since most technologies are either anti-allergen or anti-microbial, but not both. Wellman Healthguard therefore offers a one-step solution, particularly for bedding.
A second Wellman International product, Cirrus fiber, is designed to regulate the heat and humidity levels of a bed's microclimate. Cirrus fibers are able to wick away water vapour and moisture to enhance sleeping comfort.
Well-being was a prime selling point for bedding at Heimtextil 2007, but branding remains critical, especially to teenagers |
European manufacturers and bed retailers do not only supply quality products that meet stringent requirement of the authorities to end consumers, but have also started to upgrade their retail bed outlets to sleep consultancy centers.
In Germany, IGR — Interessengemeinschaft der Rückenschullehrer — an organization comprising 1,200 back school teachers, heads of rehabilitation centers and other ergonomic specialists across the country, is taking the next major step in the direction of sleep-related expertise into the retail bed sector. It established the Ergonomie Kompetenz Zentrum (EKZ) as a separate company in Munich to promote the related expertise since August 2006. Currently, more than 120 businesses and specialist retailers bear the IGR quality certification mark as a sign of differentiation.
The aim of EKZ is to develop a Germany-wide network of centers of excellence for spinal health.
Nonwoven wall-coverings
Another key trend to be noticed was the continuing popularity of nonwoven wall-coverings, especially in Germany, where their consumption between 1996 and 2000 increased five-fold. In 2005, close to 20,000 tons of nonwovens were used in wall-covering products in the country.
Erfurt, based in Königswinter in Germany, is most well known as the originator of nonwoven wall-coverings, "wood-chip" wallpapers, first introduced in Europe 10 years ago. It displayed non-embossed Erfurt Variovlies, which feature crack-bridging properties, specifically for professional applications. Design flexibility of the smooth, seamless surfaces is also greatly enhanced.
Nonwoven wallpapers now account for 60% of the collections designed by Marburg, based in Kirchhain, Germany. This proportion is set to increase, according to Dieter Langer, the company's art director.
"Nonwovens are a very nice medium compared to paper and also printing is different because of the absorbency of the material," he said. "At Heimtextil, it seems that all the latest collections are nonwoven."
In terms of design, it also becomes possible to work on a much bigger scale and Mr Langer said that design possibilities included nonwovens with special finishes, glass beads and random threads, and that ease of use and removal, as well as an absence of problems with seams was driving growing acceptance. The company finds increased acceptance for its nonwoven wall-covering ranges in other markets, including France and the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), Russia and China.
Leading nonwoven producer, Ahlstrom has launched "paste the wall" EasyLife wall-coverings. For converters and manufacturers, in addition to being easy to hang and easy to stripe, Ahlstrom nonwoven wall-coverings also deliver high performance advantages, including low dust levels, less downtime and better print production. For designers, the products made of long synthetic, sisal or flax fibers, enable variations in structure and surface effects.
Ahlstrom's EasyLife wall-coverings |
Most importantly, Ahlstrom says these products are helping to make decorating fun, fast and fashionable as nonwovens have exceptional stability, and unlike paper, they do not shrink or expand when paste is applied.
Such positive note is echoed by the results found in a recent US focus group study held in Boston, Massachusetts by RF Caffrey & Associates on behalf of FSC Wall-coverings and Ahlstrom. It was established that home decorators emphatically prefer paste-the-wall technology to the traditional pre-paste method.
Participants included both inexperienced and experienced wallpaper users who agreed to install both products in their homes. The product made with Ahlstrom's EasyLife nonwoven substrates was preferred by 81% of participants in all attributes tested, including appearance of wall surface, neatness, ease and speed of application, ease of clean up, ease of removal and ease of trimming and aligning.
In general, the paste-the-wall method was often regarded as easier and faster, so it was viewed as in general less messy and more efficient. Conversely, the pre-pasted method was described as sloppier. Most participants said they would be willing to pay more for nonwovens than pre-pasted wall-coverings.
Daniel Bonini, President and General Manager of FSC Home Interiors Group said, "This is the first innovation with real potential to alter consumer perception and acceptance of wall-coverings," as they see how it simplifies and improves their lives.
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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