Press Release

It Doesn't Just Hold Water; It Repels Alcohol As Well

Dr. Michael Kutsenko and Steve Fox

Goulston Technologies, Inc., Monroe, NC, USA

Our recent ad claims our products don’t just hold water, they repel alcohol. This is not just hyped up advertising, it is new technology. Goulston and Polyvel, Inc. have joined forces to develop melt additives that generate alcohol repellency ratings of 9.0-10.0 in polypropylene based nonwovens.

Because we understand the need for prevention of liquid transport through an SMS composite, we have engineered excellent cost effective performance in two new commercial products: HYDREPEL A- 104 and HYDREPEL A-201. These are formulated melt additives that incorporate fluorochemicals to provide excellent alcohol repellency (AR). Both additives are available as 20% active masterbatches, but each is designed for different processing conditions.

HYDREPEL A-201 is designed for roll good producers that do not have in-line heating capability. This melt additive does not require heat to activate the fluorochemical. Instead, excellent AR performance is developed by post conditioning the fabric at ambient temperature (65-75ºF). Figure 1 shows the kinetics to develop 9.5-10.0 ratings using a 20 gsm spunbond fabric.

HYDREPEL A-104 needs moderate heat to activate the fluorochemical and is designed for roll good producers or converters where in-line heating/drying is available. Figure 2 shows that AR ratings of 9.0 are readily achieved with this product.

Additional data and information is available on these two products as well as our hydrophilic melt additive HYDROSORB 1001. The latter is targeted at hygienic and antistatic applications. If you would like to receive more information, please contact Steve Fox at 704-296-6059 (sfox@goulston.com).