INDA/AATCC Sponsoring Joint Symposium

CARY, NC – December 16, 2002 – INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, is partnering with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) to sponsor a Nonwovens Enhancements...Coloring and Finishing Conference.

Scheduled for June 17-19, 2003 at the North Raleigh Hilton, Raleigh, NC, the joint symposium will explore the use of color and finishing in the production of nonwoven fabrics for a host of end use markets.

“Because nonwoven fabrics and the technology used in their manufacturing process involve so many diverse markets, INDA has made a concerted effort to seek out and partner with related organizations to spread the word about nonwovens,” says Ted Wirtz, president of INDA.

He points to similar joint efforts such as the INDA/TAPPI International Nonwovens Technical Conference (INTC) held each fall as well as the expansion of the tri-ennial IDEA trade show into technical textiles for IDEA 2004 as examples of this aggressive expansion and partnerships.

“As most textile products include coloration or finishing in their manufacturing process, AATCC is pleased to bring our members’ expertise to the nonwovens arena through this joint program,” comments Jack Daniels, Executive Director of AATCC.

The INDA/AATCC Conference will focus on a number of technologies and end markets:

* Nonwoven Formation and Dyeing Fundamentals Tutorial

* End Use Markets for Nonwovens – Home furnishings, Apparel, Automotive, Medical, and Filtration

* Methods of Coloration – Printing (Traditional and Digital)

* Dyeing, including Dye Selection, Equipment and Applications

* Methods of Finishing – Spray, Foam, Pad

* Post Treatments

* Future Research and Product Development

For more information on the Nonwoven Enhancements...Coloring and Finishing Conference, June 17-19, 2003 in Raleigh, NC, contact INDA at (919) 233-1210, www.inda.org or AATCC at (919) 549-3535, www.aatcc.org.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule, effective November 27, which establishes the name "elasterell-p" as an alternative to the generic name "polyester" for a specific subclass of inherently elastic, multicomponent textile fibers manufactured by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and previously referred to as "T400". The FTC states that because this material is arguably comparable to other multicomponent polyester fibers, other companies that manufacture fibers satisfying the definition of "elasterell-p" may use that name in making required fiber content disclosures on labels.

The FTC is defining "elasterell-p" as fiber formed by the interaction of two or more chemically distinct polymers (of which none exceeds 85% by weight) which contains ester groups as the dominant functional unit (at least 85% by weight of the total polymer content of the fiber) and which, if stretched at least 100%, durably and rapidly reverts substantially to its unstretched length when the tension is removed.