The Bavarian manufacturer of speciality viscose fibres has been firmly established in the nonwovens industry as a supplier of unique fibre solutions for many years.
Therefore Matthew North, Commercial Director at Kelheim Fibres, is more than happy to present an extended range of new products at this year's INDEX in Geneva. Kelheim's fibre specialists are particularly proud of their new fibres with added functionality.
"We have developed the first viscose fibre with ion exchange properties. Incorporated in special papers or nonwovens it can filter destructive acids out of all kinds of liquids - or provide a better taste of hot beverages when used as water softener in tea or coffee pads.", he explains about Poseidon, one of Kelheim's new fibres.
Poseidon's sister fibre, Deep-Dye, is a cationically activated viscose fibre which stands out thanks to its particularly high dye absorption capacity. Deep-Dye also does an outstanding job in filters, used for example for the decolouration of waste water from dyehouses.
In addition to Poseidon and Deep-Dye - and also of major interest for the nonwovens industry - there are extra absorbent new viscose specialities that offer a number of benefits not only for the end product but also for further processing thanks to their different added functionalities, including high levels of dispersability.
"These new fibres are the result of our consistent strategy of developing innovative speciality fibres. Specialities will gain even more importance in the future. They make the difference: they can give a product new added properties or they can make further processing more efficient - and therefore more cost-effective.", says Matthew North.
At the same time, he is convinced that innovative fibres form the basis for further developments in the future: "The market for tailor-made fibres - fibres that are precisely engineered to meet the specific requirements of the customer, will grow." Kelheim's R&D team is well prepared to meet this challenge. They work together with an international network of scientists and have their own on-site testing facilities and pilot plants, including, for example, a technical centre for paper applications. In this way Kelheim is able to find the answers to very specific requirements of its customers.
In addition to the new fibre specialities from Kelheim their established brands Danufil®, Galaxy® and Viloft® nonwoven will be an important subject at INDEX, as Kelheim Fibres has been the world's leading supplier of viscose specialities for tampon and hygiene fibres for many years. Different cross sections and a wide range of special fibre properties are the characteristics of Kelheim's broad range of products. Beyond that, Kelheim Fibres has made itself a name as the only European manufacturer of viscose short cut fibres for paper applications.