Huntsman Textile Effects and TJ Beall Company have announced a joint effort to create a new generation of sustainable diaper composite layers produced from un-bleached (greige) cotton.

ULTRAPHIL CO is a novel development that combines Huntsman’s ULTRAPHIL CO technology and TJ Beall’s super-cleaned greige natural cotton fiber, sold as “True Cotton, for a functional diaper fluid management system.

Current third party testing has shown that True Cotton nonwoven fabrics treated with ULTRAPHIL CO outperform industry standard diaper topsheets in several major diaper performance metrics.

Used for a variety of hydrophilic finishes for nonwoven materials, ULTRAPHIL CO offers distinct fluid management, particularly on cellulosic and blends with synthetics. With exceptional functional and hydrophilic performance including immediate moisture management qualities, Ultraphil CO continually provides a gentle and soft feel against the skin. Highly durable, Ultraphil CO’s attributes remain long-lasting even after multiple insults on cotton subtrates and blended nonwovens.

“Through harnessing our collaborative strengths with TJ Beall’s natural cotton fiber and Huntsman’s ULTRAPHIL CO technology, we have created a remarkable product that can readily replace adult incontinence and diaper topsheets that are currently made from man-made synthetic polymers.

"As a global leader known for developing innovative and sustainable solutions, Huntsman Textile Effects believe that the personal care market will welcome this product which will enhance users’ quality of life while contributing to environmental sustainability.” commented Pat Eberlein, Business Development at Huntsman Textile Effects.  

True Cotton represents a novel use for greige cotton, as raw cotton has conventionally always undergone traditional bleaching or textile finishing processes before being utilized in any type of fabric. This new fiber is well-suited for personal care companies looking to differentiate their products with natural, consumer-preferred fibers which boast an unprecedented sustainability profile.

The significant hydrophobicity in True Cotton makes it an excellent candidate for any disposable consumer product that requires efficient fluid management. Combined with the high performing ULTRAPHIL CO technology, this allows the cotton to efficiently wick moisture away from the user’s body while maintaining a high-level of dryness for superior comfort.

Mr. Lawson Gary, Chief Operating Officer of TJ Beall Company added, “We are proud to partner with a like-minded partner in Huntsman Textile Effects to develop innovative new products for the personal care industry. The initial results from product testing have been groundbreaking and we look forward to conveying this message widely to the industry.”

Huntsman Textile Effects is a global leader in developing total textile solutions across all aspects of the textile chain and is committed as the global leader in developing sustainable, high performing processing and effects chemicals that have low environmental impact with significant reductions in energy and time.

TJ Beall is a long-standing supplier of an array of cotton products to the traditional textile industry and has recently begun its foray into the personal care sector of the nonwovens industry.