A recent trade show, Techtextil 2009 in Frankfurt, this June. This is a premier show where most of the technical textile producers are present. This year exhibitors representing 1,201 companies from 43 countries attended. Over 23,300 people visited the show. This year Techtextil was an event full of intensive activity. "We at Thai Acrylic experienced three very busy days with the international trade audience. What was particularly noticeable was the wide spectrum of trade visitors, from sports apparel to home textile. The show has opened the way to new growth areas outside our core customer business." said Ashwini Chotani, Thai Acrylic Fibre.
Thai Acrylic plans to enter technical textiles in a major way. It acquired AMICOR in 2007, which produces fiber for use by fibrillators to produce synthetic pulp, fiber for cement reinforcement. It is currently developing a pigment-dyed and flame-retardant acrylic staple fibre, and hopes to commercialise this soon.
Amicor has been a leader in bioactive textiles and is a well-established brand in Europe. Asian markets have always been our focus too, and with expansions planned in Egypt we were looking to expand our markets more in Europe.
The Amicor fiber technology is very special. This fiber is manufactured using a low-temperature, water-based solvent. This means it is possible to incorporate organic pharmaceutical additives into the fibre structure. Very few fiber manufacturing processes can do this. In the case of Amicor, two organic pharmaceutical additives are used, one has specific antifungal properties and the other has a broad range of antibacterial properties. The antifungal fiber is patented, and these patents are now owned by Thai Acrylic Fibre.
The Amicor fibers contain antimicrobial additives which are not water-soluble. This is very important, as it allows Amicor to be functional at quite low-blend proportions in commercial yarn and fabrics, through dyeing and finishing and repeated laundering. For example, it is possible to make dyed and finished products which are protected from the development of bacteria and fungi with only 20% Amicor within the fabric. These products can be laundered up to 200 times at high temperatures (100 deg c) and still be effective with good antibacterial and anti fungal activity. The Amicor fiber is available in tow and staple form in a wide range of deniers (1 dtex through to 17 dtex) and can be blended with any fibre to make a large range of functional blend yarns.
As a result of the antimicrobial properties of Amicor, particularly the antifungal properties, Amicor is widely used in home textiles, where it delivers considerable benefits to people who suffer from allergies and indoor allergens. Within home textiles (bedding, carpets and upholstery) there are often problems associated with dust mites which live within all of these things. The dust mites live on skin cells and moisture that we provide within the home environment, but the presence of particular fungi within home textiles is also important in the food chain for the dust mites. Amicor is able to break this food chain by removing the presence of fungi from within the articles. This particular claim is substantiated by significant clinical studies carried out over more than six years.
Due to the versatility of the Amicor fibers, it is possible to consider using this technology in many different ways. Amicor has established itself in two particular end uses at the moment but it has significant benefits in two other end uses as well. It is well-established in top-end brand socks/hosiery/shoe linings, where it can help greatly with odour reduction. However, the main commercial use for Amicor has been in home textiles, specifically, beds and bedding. Amicor is found in a number of leading brands of bedding where it is used for mattress ticks and in non-woven fillings. It is also used in pillows, duvets, mattress protectors and bed linens. Amicor has proven anti-allergy properties and has a number of endorsements from leading European organisations.
"Our research shows that when blended with micro denier fibres, Amicor has exceptional moisture management properties and anti-microbial properties. This dual functionality is marketed at Amicor Dry and is taking us into the world of sports apparel. Finally, our research over many years shows that Amicor is capable of reducing the risk of cross contamination in healthcare environments by reducing the bio burden within healthcare textile articles." said Ashwini Chotani.
The original Amicor fibers developed by Acordis in the UK were certified by Okotex as Class 1 and were also the first antimicrobial fibers to be certified by Okotex through its bioactive textiles certification procedures. The original Amicor was certified by Allergy UK through its "Seal of Approval" procedures as products which can benefit people with allergies. Both of these certifications were picked up by Thai Acrylic and enabled the Amicor products to be re-certified. Amicor has also been endorsed by two paediatric allergy experts in the Red Cross.
About Thai Acrylic Fibre
Thai Acrylic fibre was set up in 1987 to produce acrylic fiber in collaboration with Japan Exlan Co., Ltd., Japan. Since its inception, Thai Acrylic has adopted a system-focused approach and has successfully implemented various Total Quality Management systems. It successfully implemented international standards and achieved ISO 9001-2000 quality management systems, ISO 14001 environment management systems, ISO 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Systems), SA 8000 (Social Accountability Standards) and International Quality Rating Systems (IQRS) from DNV, Norway. Thai Acrylic Fibre has won several international and national awards for its quality management system. Some of the coveted recognitions won by Thai Acrylic are the Japan Quality Medal, Deming Award, International Asia Pacific Quality Award, Thailand Quality Award, and the Golden Peacock International Environment Management Award. We have ambitious plans to become one of the world's largest acrylic fiber producers by expanding production capacity and product range.
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