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Activat Fiber Technologies for sustainable woven, nonwoven textiles

18 May '12

3 min read

Kenactiv Innovations Inc, a leading innovator and manufacturer of sustainable biobased performance fibers and products, announced the launch of its Activat Fiber Technologies platform to meet rapidly increasing demand for sustainable fiber products by the textile, automotive, healthcare, plastics, packaging and consumer products industries.

Activat Fiber Technologies applies Kenactiv's innovative and customizable processing and treatments to kenaf, jute and flax fibers to create sustainable solutions for manufacturers seeking high performance yet sustainable alternatives to synthetic and other natural fibers.

The AFT platform includes Activat1 bast-fiber products and feedstocks from kenaf, flax and/or jute, which are suited to all nonwoven manufacturing processes. ActivatBL, bast fiber and core blend products offer excellent performance and value for paper and pulp applications. Kenactiv Innovations, Inc. is the premier US manufacturer offering kenaf, jute and flax which each have unique performance profiles and suitability for different applications.

As demand for woven and nonwoven textiles increases, so does demand for sustainability in these applications. A large margin of the nonwovens market is for single use items such as home maintenance and beauty product wipes and healthcare products. With an eye toward controlling landfills, recyclable and biodegradable or compostable materials are increasingly called for by manufacturers and consumers. Biobased fibers such as kenaf, flax and jute offer the sustainability profile manufacturers and consumers demand with no sacrifice in performance.

"While manufacturers have for some time recognized the sustainability and performance benefits of biobased fibers for these industrial and consumer applications, supply chain stability and quality control have been obstacles to their use," said Richard W. Elsey, President and COO of Kenactiv Innovations, Inc. "With large scale agricultural capacity right here in the US and the largest bast fiber processing operation in North America--plus additional capacity abroad--Kenactiv Innovations is uniquely able to meet both the volume and quality demands of large scale manufacturers."

Kenactiv Innovations is a specialist in the natural and enzymatic technologies required to process bast fibers to achieve the fiber length, consistency and tensile strength these demanding applications require while also maximizing their sustainability and cost benefits.

Choosing Activat fiber products over petroleum-based or other synthetic and natural fibers offers manufacturers proven operational cost savings, improved risk mitigation, environmental hazard and toxicity reduction, reduced water consumption and decreased emissions. Kenaf composite and nonwoven automotive products, for example, reduce automobile weight increasing fuel efficiency. And by replacing conventional plastics and fiberglass with biobased alternatives, the vehicle's overall carbon footprint is further reduced.

The Company offers highly customizable treatments and processes including enhanced or selective absorption, antimicrobial, fire retardance, high flash, water resistance, woolenization and dye compatibility to satisfy customers' unique design specifications. "Coupled with our diverse raw fiber offerings and processing capacity, we can provide sustainable solutions across a broad spectrum of woven and nonwoven textile applications," according to Elsey.

Kenactiv Innovations, Inc. was founded in 2008, as BioTech Mills, Inc., to innovate and bring to market sustainably sourced and manufactured kenaf and natural fiber products. Kenaf is a fast growing, annually renewable plant that, when combined with the Company's innovative technologies, has myriad environmentally beneficial applications.

Kenactiv Innovations Inc