From the June Newsletter….
In addition to the workwear, outdoor fabric, and military segments, Alexium has identified another large market where NF could potentially be disruptive. This market, which is an application within the bedding industry, produces over 20 million units annually in the United States. Not only is this market large, but this particular part of the mattress is essential to passing the stringent industry FR standards. Being able to provide a unique FR solution at an extremely competitive cost would allow potential customers to use Alexiflam NF versus these inherent yarns used today. These inherent yarns come with their own set of problems, such as propensity to breakdown and potentially cause skin irritation. Initial in-house testing has already proven positive and steps to identify potential partners are moving forward.
From the July Newsletter…
A recent development in our labs is the application of Alexiflam™ NF for FR barrier fabrics. FR barrier fabrics are used as layers within a composite structure that will insulate any underlying materials from a heat source. The FR barrier fabric is effectively “sacrificed” during the burn process so that it can provide a strong, consistent char that protects these underlying layers. Due to the strength and consistency of the char formed by an Alexiflam™ NF-treated fabric, our product can provide a cost-effective, easily processed product to replace the current inherently and costly FR fabrics that are used for these barrier fabrics. The cost decrease enabled by Alexiflam™ has the potential to be a truly disruptive product in this space. Alexium has identified a number of opportunities in this area and is working with companies in these markets for product development. The opportunities span both home textile and industrial applications.
I’m thinking this means that the “potentially disruptive” application of NF in the bedding industry, which was referred to in last month’s newsletter, is FR barrier fabrics. Current inherently fire resistant textile fibres used for this application, such as Kevlar, Nomex and fibreglass, are relatively high cost, potentially skin irritant and have a propensity to breakdown, according to the June newsletter. FR treated cotton nonwoven may also be used as a fire barrier but current cotton FR treatments such as Proban and Pyrovatex CP have their own problems (Refer Slide 17, May presentation).
What does the mattress industry desire in an FR barrier?
According to a presentation given to the US Consumer Product Safety Division:
- “Drop-in” or “Substitute” production for the manufacturer
- White in colour
- No free chemicals on production
- Durable over the life of the end use product
- Comfortable and invisible to the consumer
- Availability of national distribution channels
- Economical
I’m thinking that Alexiflam NF can meet all those criteria.
FR barriers in mattresses…. it may not appear to be much of a market until you consider that there are 20 million units produced annually in the United States….
(20min delay)