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On the Leading Edge of Technology

For more than 25 years, Air Products has been a leading producer and supplier of emulsions to the nonwovens industry. In fact, over the years the company has brought many innovations to the industry, including the technology for producing vinyl acetate-ethylene pressure emulsions. Other notable achievements have included the development of the first high-efficiency binders for airlaid operations; the first series of high-performance, low-formaldehyde emulsion binders; and the establishment of the first airlaid pilot machinery facility in North America.

Air Products offers customers unique capabilities in airlaid processes, wet wipe production, industrial wipes, underpad coverstock, high-loft materials, needle-punch fabrics, and flame-retarding products. Other key applications for the company's products include protective clothing, filtration media, automotive fabrics, antimicrobial formulations, and flushable wipes.

Today, more than ever, the company is committed to remaining on the leading edge of binder research by developing new, high-performance emulsion binders that are cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly.

Cost-Effective Performance Products

Air Products produces a wide variety of Airflex vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) emulsions for a wide range of applications. These binders provide a combination of wet strength, absorbency, durability, and soft hand. The excellent performance and cost competitiveness of these products have made them the binders of choice for many nonwoven applications.

In addition to VAEs, Air Products produces several Airflex ethylene-vinyl chloride (EVCL) emulsions. These products, which provide high dry and wet tensile strength and good abrasion resistance, benefit the nonwovens industry because of their fire-retarding characteristics. Heat-sealable at low temperatures when using dielectric or ultrasonic processes, EVCL films adhere to a broad range of synthetic fibers and are compatible with various cross-linking additives, significantly improving fabric moldability.

Flexbond acrylic polymers from Air Products are another choice for nonwovens manufacturers, especially when wash durability and/or low odor are desired characteristics.

Environmental Leadership

Ultralow Formaldehyde 

One of the biggest issues facing nonwovens manufacturers today is cost-effectively reducing formaldehyde levels in products and in the workplace. Air Products is still the only company that can provide a complete line of low-formaldehyde emulsion binders -- including VAEs, EVCLs, and acrylics.

New product developments at Air Products have resulted in the design of binders that offer such high-performance characteristics as high wet strength, excellent absorbency, and soft hand, while at the same time exhibiting formaldehyde levels 80-90 percent below other commercial binders. What's more, these emulsions run well on process equipment without fabric blocking, have FDA clearances, and are safe for skin contact.

Flushable, Compostable, Biodegradable

Another environmental first for Air Products was the development of the first truly water-disintegrable binder for the nonwovens industry. This product contains a polymer which is nontoxic, formaldehyde-free, and which can biodegrade into water and carbon dioxide under certain conditions.

New Products to Meet Emerging Needs

In keeping with the company's commitment to provide its customers with the best solutions to ever-changing performance and environmental challenges, Air Products is continuing to lead the industry in the development of new products. These include such breakthroughs as a cationic-compatible VAE and an ultralow-formaldehyde, low-odor acrylic emulsion.

Airlaid Pilot Line and Laboratory -- One-of-a-Kind Technical Service

Air Products' airlaid pilot facility is the first and only one of its kind. Designed specifically to provide unmatched technical service and support, this custom installation is a complete system capable of manufacturing finished emulsion-bound airlaid nonwovens. By testing emulsion binder performance on a customer's particular application, enhancing binder performance, or even conducting exploratory work on new binder chemistries, Air Products can help lessen risk and reduce start-up costs.

Centrally located in our corporate research facilities, the pilot lab is supported by Air Products' highly regarded technical capabilities, including emulsion synthesis, process research, analytical labs, and applications and technical service.

Nonwoven Binders: Applications Information

A broad portfolio of high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly emulsions -- combined with the company's customer service and wide-reaching research capabilities -- enables Air Products to lead the industry in new technology for nonwoven binders. When you want to get to market faster with a new product or stay one step ahead of emerging technology, you'll want to work with Air Products.

Visit our Polymer Emulsions website to view the full range of polymer products.