Fibres Hygiene

Innovations in polyolefin fibres enhance the quality of life

The personal hygiene market encompasses a broad variety of personal care products for consumers of every age and gender. Although the purpose of the hygiene product may vary, all consumers seek products that enhance quality of life through convenience, safety, ease of use, comfort and – increasingly – enhanced environmental friendliness. Whether baby care, feminine hygiene or elder care; whether diaper, pantyliner, or adult incontinence pad, end consumers have come to rely on the reliable and innovative hygiene products made possible by innovations in polyolefin fibres.

While end consumers value specific properties such as softness and performance reliability (e.g. no leaking of liquids while at the same time remaining dry to the touch), suppliers and manufacturers depend on a reliable supply of cost-effective polypropylene (PP) fibre materials, including:

• Spunbond
• Meltblown
• Staple fibres

Nonwoven manufacturers demand materials of the highest quality in order to enable high output rates and production at high line speeds as well as low levels of both waste and defects. Downgauging potential is also a vital criterion, as it can help promote more efficient use of scarce resources while at the same time enhancing product performance. One good example of the potential offered by downgauging is thinner products: today, the top sheet of a diaper is 50% thinner than it was 15 years ago thanks to advances in converting technologies and improved material properties. Production lines can be operated faster and more efficiently, and with less waste, for the same reasons.

Cost-effective solutions help our customers fulfil sophisticated consumer demands

Our full solution offer and complementary product mix of spunbond, meltblown and stable fibre PP materials address the need for superior performance when it comes to hygiene products:

• Nonwovens providing softness and durability
• High barrier properties (no liquid or other material leakage)
• High liquid permeability (e.g. dry skin feel)
• Enhanced comfort through breathable materials

We can help our customers improve their manufacturing efficiency by offering a reliable supply of grades that allow production at high line speeds and output rates while at the same time reducing wastage. The excellent spinning stability of our materials translates into low defect levels while at the same time enabling downgauging. Our spunbond and meltblown PP grades are reference grades at leading machine suppliers. As a global supplier with a proven and consistent track record and profound technical and regulatory expertise, we continue to work closely with all value chain members and brand owners to continuously improve and innovate when it comes to fibre solutions for hygiene.

A proven track record in advanced packaging and fibre solutions for personal care

For over 30 years, we have been a market leader and reliable supplier of PP solutions for personal hygiene. Thanks to our unique and proprietary technologies and our deep understanding of customer needs and market demands, we can offer superior polyolefin fibre solutions. Our spunbond and meltblown PP grades are in fact listed as reference grades at leading machine suppliers. Ongoing improvement of our products through innovation as well as cooperation along the entire value chain brings real benefits to our customers and partners in the industry.