GUEST EDITORIAL

The status quo is unacceptable!

By Ted Wirtz, INDA President

ven taking in to account the slow economic times in the nonwovens industry over the past few years, the long-term business performance of the industry was much better than the general economy. Since our industry came together four or five decades ago, we have lived through periods of economic expansion and recession, high and low inflation, high and low interest rates and the market incongruities of doing business in various places off shore. In addition, we have experienced the problems of fluctuating worldwide economies, reducing trade barriers and changing competitive boundaries. Throughout all of this commotion, new companies appeared, new technologies were constantly emerging and new markets budding. The particularly good news is that during these decades, a number of companies demonstrated their enduring ability to win on a national and global basis. What are some of the characteristics of these winning companies? For companies who have been successful over a period of time we find some common themes. For example, versus their competitors, they: a) have gained and hold high market share position,
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Chuck Allen Cosmo Camelio Roy Broughton Robin Dent Ed Engle Tushar Ghosh Bhuvenesh Goswami BBA Nonwovens INDA Auburn University Albany International Fibervisions NCSU Clemson

b) often are first entries in to markets, c) are market fragmenters, and, d) have high quality relative to their competitors. In short, they are leading product and market innovators. To achieve this position convincingly indicates these companies have resolutely supported the R&D department, no matter the business environment. As business annals have plainly verified, innovation creates market leverage and market leverage generates profit. When it comes to innovation, the Research and Development activity must be in a lead position. In its wide variety of responsibilities, R&Ds role should include the following: Successfully achieving these objectives pays off in higher return on sales and investment. Why? Because of stronger customer loyalty, which leads to more repeat purchases and less vulnerability to price wars. Further, this applies to all levels of the

industry value chain. The raw material and the equipment companies should be consistently providing new products and ideas to the roll goods manufacturer who then feed the final product converter. It works back down the value chain as well with the final product converter initiating new product activity. R & D people at all levels of the food chain are at the hub of this progression. . Another way to view value is to look at the negative. On the downside, minimizing investment in R&D exposes your company to: losing market leverage to your competitors, losing value to your customers, accepting commodity status. Some people have expressed the notion that the locus of innovation may have migrated in recent years to the end users and that this migration has caused the roll good producers to lose power. While this may, or may not be the case, we know for sure innovation creates market leverage and market leverage creates profit. So, the key strategic question for all of us is who wants the leverage? If all levels of the value chain are stimulating and challenging each other, the future prosperity of the industry is absolutely assured. INJ
PAY OFF High Quality High market share High quality High market share Fragmentation (niches) Fragmentation First entry

R & D ROLE 1. Improve quality of existing products 2. Develop new products for existing markets

3. Identify new products for new markets

Dale Grove Owens Corning Frank Harris HDK Industries Albert Hoyle Hoyle Associates Marshall Hutten Hollingsworth & Vose Hyun Lim E.I. duPont de Nemours Joe Malik AQF Technologies Alan Meierhoefer Ahlstrom Michele Mlynar Rohm and Haas Graham Moore PIRA

D.V. Parikh Behnam Pourdeyhimi Art Sampson Robert Shambaugh Ed Thomas Albin Turbak Larry Wadsworth J. Robert Wagner

U.S.D.A.S.R.R.C. NCSU Polymer Group Inc. Univ. of Oklahoma BBA Nonwovens Retired Univ. of Tennessee Consultant

2 INJ Fall 2003

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INJ DEPARTMENT

WORLDWIDE ABSTRACTS AND REVIEWS

A sampling of Nonwovens Abstracts from Pira International A unique intelligence service for the nonwovens industry
Transversely stretched nonwoven fabric with high tensile strength Nippon Petrochemicals Co Ltd has developed a transversely stretched nonwoven fabric. The first step is to heat an original web, comprising a plurality of unoriented filaments, to a temperature higher than its stretch temperature by approximately 5 deg C. The second step is to stretch the heated original web at a rate of 1.2 to 3 in its transverse direction. This method has the advantage of encouraging strength in the fabric since the fibres are orientated against one another in a regular fashion after the transverse stretching process. (Short article) Author: Anon Source: New Mater. Jpn Issue: Mar. 2003, p. 11 Superabsorbers from sustainable raw materials Superabsorbers are water insoluble crosslinked polymers that are able to absorb and retain 20-100 times their own weight of aqueous liquids by swelling and the formation of hydrogels. They are used in combination with nonwovens in nappies and hygiene products as well as for watertight cables, and more recently also in the plant, food, woundcare and electronics sectors. They are characterised by their absorption capacity under different conditions. Superabsorbent polymers (SAP) have so far been made from oil-derived polyacrylic acid. New types of SAP, based on cellulose, starch and pectins, 3 INJ Fall 2003 are being developed, with absorption capacities approximately 70% of those based on polyacrylic acid polymers. Researchers at Osnabruck University suggest that SAPs derived from sustainable resources could open new applications in the pharmaceutical and food sectors since they pose no dermatological or toxicological hazards. Author: Anon Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 1, 2003, p. 28 (In German) Flat synthetic fibre A flat synthetic fibre for use in the preparation of high strength nonwoven fabric has been developed by Oji Paper Co Ltd. The flat fibre is produced from mixture of polybenzazole polymers by spinning polymerised dope using the dry or wet spinning technique. The spun product is washed with water followed by being dried in a stream of hot air. Properties include high molecular orientation as well as strength and elastic modulus greater than that observed for carbon fibre. The new fibre, which also features the highest levels of thermal stability and flame retardant properties, is proposed as a super fibre for next generation. (Short article) Author: Anon Source: New Mater. Jpn Issue: Jan. 2003, p.11 Introduction of 13 new nonwoven products Thirteen new products using functional nonwovens are introduced:

Kendo (Japanese marshal art) kit using anti-odour fibre Shineup EX (Kuraray KK, Tokyo); Super fit disposal mask for pollen allergy sufferers (Uni-charm KK, Tokyo); Kirei Kirei Hand Wiper, antibacterial wet tissues (Lion KK, Tokyo); Acty Anshin Long Pad, a super adsorption (0.8l) pad for adult incontinent (Kureshia KK, Tokyo); Nepia Moppi Handy Cleaner, a high performance duster using miracle fibres (Nepia KK, Japan); Nuno Sheet Sugu Kirei, an antibacterial and anti-odour wipe (Soft 99 Corp, Osaka); Tatami A Kirei, a cleaning wiper with waxing effects for Tatami mats (Soft 99 Corp); Careleave Waterproof, a soft and flexible plaster with a water proof function (Nichiban KK, Tokyo); Ion Bodies, a ski ware from anionic ion generating fibres that release muscle stress and tiredness (Descente KK, Osaka); ProgreSL180, light weight football boots using synthetic leather (Descente KK); Liptouch, a pollen filtering mask for pollen allergy sufferers (Asahi Riken KK, Kanagawa); Rooflamitect, a high performance composite roofing material (Seren KK, Fukui); a pot-free green tea infusion system (Shizu Pack KK, Shizuoka). (10 fig) Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, pp 101-103 (In Japanese) Improving the mechanical properties of nonwovens by the use of metallocene polypropylene fibres Metallocene polypropylene (m-PP) is a new type of polypropylene (PP) providing higher strength fibres and improved organoleptic properties. A Saxony Textile Research Institute research project investigated the effect of different fibre properties on nonwoven fabric processing, and whether mPP fibres produce higher strength fabrics. Fibres produced by the extrusion of m-PP resins were shown to be 6%-50% stronger than conventional PP fibres, depending on fibre diameter, and to have approximately 40% greater elongation. There was no difference in the processability of the two fibre types,

PIRA ABSTRACTS
using needle or swirl bonding. Needled nonwoven fabrics based on m-PP were found to have up to 20% higher specific strength properties. Swirl nonwovens made from 0.9dtex m-PP fibre had up to 70% greater strength in the machine direction and 54% greater strength in the cross machine direction, offering up to 30% potential fibre material savings as well as lower energy and water requirements. Author: Brodtka M Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 2, 2003, p. 63 (In German) Unitika: new conductive polyester fiber Unitika Fibres, Osaka, Japan, has developed E5, a highly electroconductive polyester filament yarn. It is a bicomponent-filament yarn which contains carbon and has higher electroconductivity than other conductive yarns. It can be used in the protective clothing needed for those working in factories manufacturing semiconductors and antistatic materials. Sales started in January 2003 and are predicted to reach 500,000m by the end of that year. The fabric made from the yarn is finished with hydrophilic resins to reduce static electricity. Unitika altered the structure of the basic polymer so that it accepts electroconductive carbon. Using Megana E5 can result in antistatic effects even if the blending ratio is less than 1% of the fabric. (Short article) Author: Anon Source: Tech. Text. Issue: vol. 46, no. 1, Mar. 2003, p. E12 Market survey 2002: use of natural fibers in composites in the German and Austrian automotive industries 139 organisations involved in the German and Austrian natural fibres composites sector were surveyed between June-October 2002. The use of natural fibre composites in the automotive industry increased steadily from 1996 to a total of 15,100t in 2001. Natural fibres, in this context, exclude wood and cotton. Between 1996-2000 flax was the single fibre which contributed most to 4 INJ Fall 2003 the growth. Other fibres showing growth were hemp 2,200t in 2002 and in 2001-2002, exotic fibres such as jute, kenaf and sisal. The market for natural fibres was estimated at Euro10m in Germany and Austria in 2002. An annual increase in demand of 14% to 2005 is forecast, with growth in countries such as France and wider transport use such as trains, trucks and small cars. For processing, thermoplastic matrix systems such as polypropylene are favoured for ease of processing and lower fogging problems. Technology trends to 2005 include injection moulding and natural fibres with bioplastics and innovative techniques for modified fibres. Borgers, Draximaier and Faurecia Interior Systems are the top three producers in Germany and Austria. (3 fig, 4 ref) Author: Kaup M; Karus M; Ortmann S Source: Tech. Text. Issue: vol. 46, no. 2, Apr. 2003, pp E73E74, 116-118d Process and product optimization for natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite materials The use of natural fibres in composite materials is increasing, particularly in the European automobile industry and over 28,000t were used in 2000. Natural fibres have ecological benefits, good mechanical properties, low density and lack of allergic or skin reactions for industrial workers. The thermal compression moulding process is preferably carried out using polypropylene (PP) as binder. To ensure production of a homogenous composite that is easy to handle, the temperature selected must be adequate for melting and plasticising the PP without degrading the natural fibres. Further work is required to improve understanding of other process variables and their contribution to maximising the process. In addition to tensile strength, odour and emission of volatile compounds are characteristics of composites which are affected by the temperature. Composites of flax, hemp or kenaf with PP were studied. A temperature of 220 deg C-240 deg C produced optimum tensile strength, higher temperatures producing fibre fatigue and thermal decomposition. Emissions of odours and highly volatile compounds also increased significantly at processing temperatures above 220 deg C. (5 fig, 5 ref) Author: Muller D H; Krobjilowski A Source: Tech. Text. Issue: vol. 46, no. 2, Apr. 2003, pp E84E86, 148-150d Tasks in the Chinese nonwoven industry in the 21st century and its future, collaborations with Japanese companies are important The nonwoven industry in China is expected to expand along with the growing economy and improving quality of life. The market has a great potential since nonwoven consumption per person in China is 30% and 15% of that in Japan and the USA, respectively. Chinese nonwoven production in 2002 was 477,000t of which needlepunched nonwovens had the biggest share at 30.3%, followed by spunmelt at 28.8%, chemical bonded at 17.8% and thermally bonded at 13.7%. The three main application areas are in packaging which consumes 120,000tpy, medical/sanitary applications which consume 78,000tpy and geotextiles which consume 44,000tpy. The industry is composed of 1,000 companies, 20 of which have production capacities greater than 5,000tpy. It is still in the developing stage, and support from Japan is considered to be important in achieving international levels of technology. Japanese nonwoven companies which already have established local connections are: Japan Vilene KK, Tomen KK, Chisso KK and Sun Chemical KK. (3 fig, 1 tab) Author: Zhao Z Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 14, no. 1, 2003, pp 1-3 (In Japanese) Textiles with aromatherapeutic properties A new microencapsulation technology developed by Bayer Chemicals allows scents to be incorporated into

PIRA ABSTRACTS
textiles. The Bayscent product range includes fruit and flower fragrances as well as agents that neutralise perspiration and smoking odours. Droplets of the active agents are encapsulated in polyurethane by surface polymerisation. The capsules are formed into aqueous dispersions for textile treatment. Scents are released by rubbing the textile surface, analogous to the release of ink in carbonless copy paper systems. Release on demand technology ensures that the scent agents remain active over extended periods. The Bayscent body chemistry concept has been adopted by underwear and sports clothes manufacturers, and is also used in upholstery and wound care products. Author: Anon Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 1, 2003, pp 29-30 (In German) Tailormade absorbent viscose fibres for hygiene applications Lenzing AG has invested more than Euro20m in a new viscose fibre production plant to meet the growing demand for spunlace products. The new line commenced production in mid-2001 using chlorine free peroxide bleached beech sulphite pulp. Spunlace fibre is separated from fibre for other applications to avoid contact with surface active agents, and is treated with plantderived non-foaming avivage to enhance its carding properties without risk of flocking or deposit formation. The absorption of viscose fibres for tampon applications can be enhanced by incorporating cellulose derivatives or polysaccharides in the spinning process to increase their swelling properties. Absorption properties can also be improved by modifying the physical structure of fibres. Syngina absorbency tests show that tampons produced with the new star-shaped Viscostar fibre have a 40% greater absorbency than tampons made from cotton fibre. Author: Wallfisch B; Schmidtbauer J Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 1, 2003, pp 31-32 (In German) Replanting with the help of functional agrotextiles A joint research programme by the Thuringen and Vogtland Textile Research Institute (TITV), Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH, and Eswegee Vliestoff GmbH was formed to develop materials and processes to assist in replanting areas after major construction projects. The products are based on three-ply constructions comprising nonwoven, mineral and paper or nonwoven layers. The nonwoven top layer absorbs and stores rainwater and then passes it on to the functional mineral middle layer. This can consist of a fibrous mulch containing plant food, pesticides and neutralising agents, depending on specific requirements. The supporting paper or nonwoven bottom layer provides a light barrier to prevent the growth of weeds or other undesirable plants. The layers are stitched or needled together or can be adhesively bonded. Hemp based agrotextiles in the 350-500gsm substance range have been used to neutralise acid soils when replanting trees in mining areas. The structures' water storage capability enables them to act as buffers in both heavy rainfall and drought conditions. (1 fig) Author: Illing-Gunther H Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 3, 2003, pp 42-43 (In German) Current status and future of nonwovens for the car industry; 2002 statistics, record high overseas production by the three largest Japanese car companies Car production in 2002 in Japan was 10.258m cars, increased by 4.9% from 2001, reported by the Japan Automobile Industry Society. Domestic demand was, however, decreased by 1.9% from the previous year. Exports in 2002 totalled 4.699m cars, increased by 12.8% from 2001. Reflecting this trend, three leading car companies expanded their production overseas: 2,150,520 cars (a 20.8% increase) by Toyota; 1,514,408 cars (a 10.8% increase) by Honda; 1,297,856 cars (a 6.5% increase) by Nissan. Nonwoven companies that supply their products to the car industry also responded to those trends: Japan Vilene KK had started its car ceiling production in the USA in 1997, and interior material production is planned in China. Dynic KK also plans car interior production its plants in China, that are currently used for the textile and printer production. (1 fig, 1 tab) Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, p. 76 (In Japanese) Current status and future of nonwovens for the car industry; Japan Vilene KK, positive business growth based on the global approach Japan Vilene KK, the first company to produce nonwoven car ceiling products, is a leading nonwoven company in Japan. Its total sales is JPY50,000m, in which JPY15,000m is from car related nonwoven products. In addition to the ceiling materials, Vilene produces unique automotive products based on its research and developments. Vinylon Chopped Mat (VM Mat) is a new car-use material that shows superb mechanical strength, elasticity, chemical resistance and good convertibility. It can be used as an alternative to the glass fibre mat, and can be disposed of by incineration. Vilene's aramid nonwoven is also introduced to the Aircept (sudden puncture preventor) for Bridgestone's GREATEC tire. Vilene's positive business developments are based on its global approach: its overseas plants are in the USA, China and Korea. (3 fig) Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, pp 77-81 (In Japanese) Current status and future of nonwovens for the car industry; Dynic KK, providing various types of nonwoven products to the customers, challenge for the cost efficiency Dynic KK is a needlepunch nonwoven specialist, with business mainly in automotive products, housing and filter

5 INJ Fall 2003

PIRA ABSTRACTS
materials. The Saitama and Shiga plants are being expanded with completion due in 2004, to achieve respective production figures of 100,000sq m/y and 960sq m/y. The former is for car filters and the latter is for car interior production. Two plants are already operating in China, and a local company, wholly owned by Dynic, was set up in Shanghai in 2002 to achieve JPY7,000m sale in Asia by 2005. (5 fig) Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, pp 82-84 (In Japanese) Current status and future of nonwovens for the car industry; Takayasu KK, a leading material supplier based on its outstanding recycling and dyeing technology Takayasu KK, a raw tuft supplier, started its material production from dusts of plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) prior to the introduction of recycling regulations. Its long term ecological and environmental business developments was awarded by the Japan Recycling Promotion Committee in 1998. Introduction of the Japan Automobile Recycling Law will encourage car manufactures to use recycled materials and recyclable material: Takayasu will provide unique products for automotive applications based on its outstanding recycling and dyeing technology. (4 fig) Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, pp 86-87 (In Japanese) Fukusuke Kogyo KK accelerates functional packaging material developments Fukusuke Kogyo KK plans to evolve from a general packaging material company to be a manufacturer of added value packaging materials. The functional materials will be made from composites composed of synthetic films, sheets, nonwovens and papers. Cleaning bags, based on nonwovens, are coated with Bicyo-tan (Japanese carbon) powders. Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, p. 91 (In Japanese) Daiwabo KK developed a new leatherlike material from PET Kuraray KK developed a ultra-fine fibre from a water soluble polyester resin. The fabric made from this new fibre has leather-like texture, and furthermore, it can be dyed with dark colours. Author: Anon Source: Nonwovens Rev. Issue: vol. 13, no. 4, 2003, p. 93 (In Japanese) Euro15m for a new technology Vliesstoffwerk Sandler is to invest Euro15m in new processing technology at its Schwarzenbach nonwoven textiles plant in 2003. The new equipment will include spunlaced and waterjet needling units to produce new materials for wet and dry cleaning cloths as well as for technical applications. Exports accounted for 60% of Sandler AG's Euro126m turnover in 2002. Hygiene, filtration and automotive applications comprised the main end use sectors. Developments include new vacuum cleaner bags. A computer simulation programme developed jointly with the car industry is being used to investigate the acoustic properties of nonwovens. The Schwarzenbach plant's automotive business is to be expanded in 2005. (Short article) Author: Anon Source: Allg. Vliesstoff-Rep. Issue: no. 1, 2003, p. 11 (In German) Nonwoven fabric for pleated filters An improved nonwoven fabric for pleated filters has been developed by Toray Industries. The structure comprises of a sheath-core conjugate filament, with the core component being made of polymer higher in melting point whilst sheath component is made of a lower melting point polymer. The new nonwoven fabric solves the problem of fibre delamination, caused by incomplete heat treatment during compression, by having two polymers forming fibres with different melting points. The heat treatment process is therefore carried out more efficiently and at a lower temperature. The filter structure is more reproducible and relates to Good Manufacturing Practice applications. (Short article) Author: Anon Source: New Mater. Jpn Issue: Jan. 2003, p.10 Alternative production strategies: extrusion coating of breathable nonwoven laminates Raw materials account for 75%-80% of laminate production costs and represent the largest cost saving potential. This area is targetted by new production strategies developed by Reifenhauser. Market research shows a rising trend for cost effective breathable laminates that offer both water resistance and high water vapour transmission rates (WVTR). Polypropylene (PP) combines optimum raw material properties and low cost for nonwovens and films. Microporous structures can be produced by monoaxial or biaxial orientation of PP films containing up to 70% calcium carbonate filler. Laminates of such films with nonwovens offer high tensile and tear strength, with high water resistance and WVTRs greater than 1,000gsm/24h for technical products and greater than 3,000gsm/24h for hygiene products. Reifenhauser's Reitruder process enables breathable films to be oriented and extrusion laminated to nonwoven fabrics in a single machine pass. Direct extrusion allows up to 50% cost savings to be realised by eliminating adhesive, ultrasonic or calander bonding operations that involve additional machine passes. (3 fig) Author: Krumm K Source: Plastverarbeiter Issue: vol. 54, no. 4, Apr. 2003, pp 46-48 (In German) INJ

6 INJ Fall 2003

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INJ DEPARTMENT

RESEARCHERS TOOLBOX
SEARCHING OUT THE EXPERT It is interesting how an R&D problem can be substantially reduced in size by having the right expert available for discussion. This is not to say that there is only THE expert to consider; often insights can be obtained and new avenues open up by simply talking to someone who have been there before. A number of laboratory people can relate instances where they obtained a real boost in their work by a chance encounter with a knowledgeable person at a meeting or a conference. However, such chance encounters are hard to schedule, and sometimes they are sorely needed. So, how does a person go about locating an expert, especially an expert on a very specialized subject? One Expert on Experts has offered the following suggestions for steps to take in the quest for that special person who can be of real help in finding the answer, in suggesting new approaches, or even in pointing the direction to another expert. (1) A search of Google Groups to find an Usenet discussion group on the topic or a related subject may be helpful (http://groups.google.com ). Although there is no single index of email discussion lists, it is sometimes possible to find useful discussions by searching the Yahoo! groups (http://groups.yahoo.com ). Other means to pinpoint related discussion groups may also reveal a new path to the right expert. (2) An individual who has spoken on a particular subject may be an extremely useful lead. A search of titles to papers that have been presented at research conferences can often identify a useful potential expert. Such an approach may be assisted by a web search limited by document type, such a PowerPoint items or Presentation docu7 INJ Fall 2003 ments. Some speakers often upload such presentations to various sites, as a convenience to their audience or to themselves. (3) The use of governmental web sites to identify the agency, bureau or department that regulates an industry can often be helpful. Such sites frequently have a listing of specialists, analysts or authors of white papers. These individuals are likely to be knowledgeable on trends, issues and challenges facing an industry. Oftentimes these are individuals who have been laboring in this specialized area in a small office and are delighted to be able to talk to someone who has an interest in this subject to which they have devoted months of their life. Such an individual can be a real find in the search. (4) Salespersons serving a specific industry or industry segment can sometimes be useful sources of specialized information. Such people generally travel throughout the industry and are continually talking to industry personnel. Also, they often know who has the expertise that may be helpful. This category should include the service personnel for the category, especially on specialized equipment and instruments, and software suppliers. (5) Trade associations and the trade press may provide good leads. Some publications have an Ask-an-Expert department, where very specific questions can be raised; in some cases the publication or association does some focused digging, whereas in other cases, the Q is raised and anyone in the audience can provide the A. There are also some web sites that offer such a service for answering questions ( http://www.vrd.org/locator/ ) or for searching out a suitable expert or for obtaining listings of such sites (http://dmoz.org/Reference/Ask_an_Expe rt/ ).

(6) Libraries, general and specialized, can also often provide help in the search for an expert. Some libraries associated with universities and research institutes specialize in this type of research. Also, governmental libraries serving cities, state and federal locations can be useful. This mode of search need not be limited to one area, as such resources in other parts of the world can be particularly helpful. Got a problem? Dont just sit there! Reach for the phone and start networking. EXAMINING MOLECULES USING CONVENTIONAL CDS AND COMPACT DISK PLAYERS Chemists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a novel method of detecting and examining molecules with a conventional compact disk player that provides scientists with an inexpensive way to screen for composition, molecular interactions and other structural details, and potentially cheaper alternative to medical diagnostic tests. A paper detailing their development has appeared in an advance on-line edition of the Journal of Organic and Bimolecular Chemistry and will be in the printed journals September 21st issue. A news release from the University has provided more information. The immediate goal is to use this new technology to solve basic scientific questions in the laboratory, said Michael Burkart, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCSD and a co-author of the paper. But our eventual hope is that there will be many other applications. Our intention is to make this new development as widely available as possible and to see where others take the technology. Burkart and James La Clair, a visiting scholar in Burkarts laboratory who initially developed and patented the technique, said that since scientific laboratories often rely on laser light to detect molecules, it made sense to them to design a way to detect molecules using the most ubiquitous laser on the planet-

RESEARCHERS TOOLBOX
-the CD player. The CD is by far the most common media format in our society on which to store and read information, said La Clair. It is portable, you can drop it on the floor and it doesnt break. It is easy to mass-produce. And it is inexpensive. Their technique takes advantage of the tendency for anything adhering to the CD surface to interfere with a lasers ability to read digital data burned onto the CD. We developed a method to identify biological interactions using traditional compact disk technology, explained La Clair, who provided the patent rights to the method to UCSD. Using inkjet printing to attach molecules to the surface of a CD, we identified proteins adhering to these molecules by their interaction with the laser light when read by a CD player. While usually anything, like a scratch on the CD surface, that would interfere with the detection of the bits of information encoded on a CD would be a drawback, the UCSD researchers actually exploited this error to detect molecules. The typical CD consists of a layer of metal sandwiched between a layer of plastic and a protective lacquer coating. When a CD is burned, a laser creates pits in the metal layer. A CD player uses a laser to translate the series of pits and intervening smooth surface into the corresponding zeros and ones that make up the bits of digital information. Although the original work at UCSD involved proteins and protein binding, the developers feel that a broad range of other analyses can be carried out using the technique. The used an inkjet printer to attach the samples to precise locations on the CD, and then used the laser to further examine the spot. They feel this basic method can be adapted to a wide variety of other analytical problems of interest. The technique that has been developed thus far is especially interesting, as the price tag for a fluorescent protein chip reader is about $100,000, while a CD player and a stack of discs can be acquired for less than $100. The researchers envision many other 8 INJ Fall 2003 potential applications for this technology, both inside and outside the laboratory. It may be particularly interesting in the development of inexpensive medical diagnostic tests, now beyond the means of many people around the world, particularly in developing countries. The researchers hope that by openly publishing their development in the scientific literature, others will customize the technology in a variety of ways, eventually leading to a wide range of inexpensive applications (http://discode.ucsd.edu/ ) SCIENCE AND JUNK SCIENCE Since the INJ is a Journal of Science and Technology, a strong effort is always made to ensure that the contents does indeed reflect science and technology. As a part of that mission, however, it sometimes is prudent to consider the opposite or reverse, in order to emphasize the contrast. The term junk science is often used to identify a body of information that does not meet the rigorous standards of orthodox science. Unfortunately, there are often situations when identifying orthodoxy in science is difficult, even extremely difficult. What may be one persons science may be anothers folly, and sometimes it is difficult to draw the line of demarcation. One doesnt have to look very far for examples of this dilemma in everyday affairs. Concern with global warming, the value of alternative medicines, genetically altered foodstuffs are only a few of such thorny issues. Even the existence of UFOs has its passionate supporters and detractors. One area of human activity that should be free of junk science, but rather has a full measure and then some, is the area of foods appropriate for human consumption and food labeling. Early in July 2003, the federal Food and Drug Administration announced a new program allowing food manufacturers to make health claims on food labels. The FDA says it wants to encourage science-based labeling and competition for healthier dietary choices. It may be appropriate that nut sellers are the first to be allowed to make health claims under the FDA program. Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease, is the FDAapproved wording for nut packaging. The use of the word may and the disclaimer doesnt give much comfort a conscientious person sincerely seeking to avoid one of the most common health problems in the country. Though the FDAs program is new, the labeling of foods as healthy isnt. Such labeling always has been, and will likely continue to be, dubious and sordid. The practice apparently arose out of the 1970's notion that dietary fiber reduces colon cancer risk. In 1984, cereal manufacturer Kellogg boldly made that claim on its All Bran cereal. The FDA inexplicably took no action against Kellogg, though the claim defied a longstanding prohibition on health-related food labeling. Industry lobbying produced a 1990 federal law compelling the FDA to permit health-claims labeling, provided there was some scientific support for the claims. Consumers have been bombarded ever since with claims that this or that food helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. The dietary fiber-colon cancer link, though, turned out to be a myth. Careful, scientific studies in the 1990s failed to find evidence that dietary fiber reduced colon cancer risk. The American Heart Association fueled more healthy food labeling in 1995 with its Food Certification Program featuring the heart-check mark that supposedly identifies heart-healthy foods. Foods qualify for the heartcheck mark if they are deemed low fat, low saturated fat, low cholesterol, low sodium, and have at least 10% of the daily value of one or more of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber. But foods that meet those requirements dont automatically get the heart-check

RESEARCHERS TOOLBOX
logo. Food companies must pay the AHA thousands of dollars per year per product for the privilege. Thus, a national brand with sizable financial backing may claim considerable health benefits and carry the AHA logo (pay the price); the same product type with a private label name, and selling at a considerably lower price, may have just as much nutritional benefits, but does not have the sanction of the prestigious organization. Unfortunately, junk science is not limited to the food industry. It even occurs in many segments of science and technology arena. The legal profession has been particularly accused of utilizing and exploiting this methodoly. In fact, the term junk science has arisen from abuse and competing concepts within the legal profession. In the 1923 Freye v. United States case, the Supreme Court ruled that in order for scientific expert testimony to be admissible, it must have general acceptance in the particular field of study (Freye principle). The standard that the testimony be accepted in the relevant scientific community was broad and subject to abuse. Many decisions on the validity of scientific analyses were left to the jury to decide. The jury, often unqualified to assess scientific evidence, would make decisions based on the expert's personality, fancy courtroom displays and simplistic experiments that may have been irrelevant. This opened the floodgates to self-proclaimed experts and the proliferation of junk science. The legal profession does not escape blame, as they are the ones who hire such "scientists" so that a case will make it to the jury where emotion may trump relevant fact and evidence. The courts, appearing to be fed up with junk science, attempted to correct the condition of unscientific scientific testimony through a U.S. Supreme Court decision in the 1993 Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals (509 U.S. 579, 1993) court action. In Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, the high court concluded that trial judges should act as gatekeepers and not let in testi9 INJ Fall 2003 mony based on junk science (Daubert principle). When admitting expert testimony under the Federal Rules of Evidence, the U.S. Supreme Court identified the following four standards for the admissibility of scientific evidence: Has the scientific theory or evidence been tested? Has the scientific theory or evidence been published or subjected to peer review? What is the error rate of the theory or technique and are there controlling standards? Has the scientific community generally accepted the theory or technique? The Supreme Court stressed that these four standards should be applied in a flexible manner and are non-exclusive. What has resulted from this ruling is a legal phenomenon known as a Daubert hearing, in which one side tries to knock out the expert testimony of the other side by applying one or more of the four gatekeeper guidelines. It has been argued that under Daubert, technical testimony based on deductive reasoning such as that used by fire investigators and accident reconstructionists was nonscientific and excluded under Daubert. This concept has been challenged by other segments of the legal and scientific professions. A website focused on many aspects of this issue is www.junkscience.com , managed by Steven Milloy, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. Many other sites exist on the internet, which can be accessed by using the keywords such as junk science or urban myth. This issue may be a little like pornography I cant define it, but I know it when I see it. And so the arguments go on! INJ

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INJ DEPARTMENT

DIRECTORS CORNER
SAFETY TIPS FOR THE LABORATORY Here are a couple of safety tips that actually cover different potential safety situations, but are likely applicable to any R&D laboratory. Laboratory personnel and employees can be made much more aware of the significance of labels on containers of chemicals and other laboratory materials by assigning them the following task. Have them examine the contents of the medicine cabinets, kitchen cabinets, garage, home shop and similar storage areas in their own homes; ask them to bring in examples of items they found that pose hazards to the health and well being of their family. Examples will likely be outdated prescriptions, outdated over-the-counter drugs, and residual medications and prescriptions that remain from past illnesses, as well as those materials and household products that have normal health and safety hazards that should be kept out of the reach of children. Virtually every home has a collection of those almostempty cans and containers of paint, fertilizer, insecticides, cleansers and other materials that pose a potential hazard. It is often the case that employees react strongly and immediately to the things they find in their own homes, whereas the reaction at work may be one of indifference. And when they read the labels, it often convinces them that labels are made for reading, and not solely for product identification. The location of safety showers and exits from a work area can be problematic at times. One way to assess the accessibility and ease of finding these vital items can be important during an emergency. A useful way to evaluate the ease of finding safety shower (or other safety resource) is to blindfold a researcher, position him/her in a likely spot in the laboratory 10 INJ Fall 2003 and then direct them to immediately find the eye wash fountain or safety shower. Doing this exercise blindfolded may seem excessive, but in a real emergency, the victim is often limited or totally without eyesight. Another useful exercise in exit location is to bring a stranger into the workplace and give them an indication of what is to follow, without divulging everything. Then, tell them there is an emergency and they must leave the area and seek a safe haven immediately outside the laboratory, pilot plant or even the building. If there is adequate signage for exits, a stranger to the location should be able to depart safely and quickly. If there is obvious confusion, hesitation and delay, it is probably a sign that signs should be reconsidered. Again, a person fully familiar with the surroundings is not the person to test the facilities; rather, a stranger who may more closely mimic the typical behavior and hesitation during an emergency is a better subject to put the facilities and resources to a valid test. SECURITY, EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAMS. Since the 9/11 violence, Laboratory Safety tends to mean a lot more than it used to. Nowadays it also includes security, emergency preparedness programs and disaster recovery programs. This is a great deal for the Laboratory Director, the research manager and even all other levels of laboratory management to deal with. Fortunately, some help in this challenging assignment seems to be coming, albeit rather slowly. Some of the scientific and engineering societies are now beginning to assemble suggestions, recommendations and assistance in these areas. Governmental agencies are also organizing helps based on

9/11 and many other disasters and experiences. Security is the first layer of defense, and is the continual responsibility of research management. This is a complex matter, of course, and is very dependent upon the local environment. Experts agree, however, that it is essential to act upon five critical security priorities: Establish strong access control to visitors, vendors, contractors, and any others That frequent the area. Set up evacuation and emergency response plans, as detailed as necessary. Secure basements, underground parking, and vehicle access. Analyze and enhance HVAC systems and mail-handling procedures to mitigate the risk of bio-terrorism. Implement travel policies to reduce corporate liability and employee risk as employees conduct business travel. In addition, it is only prudent for some serious thought to be given to weak and vulnerable areas and issues. Some experts warn that especially sensitive or vulnerable areas not have posted signs labeling what it actually comprises. Also, how would you disrupt normal operations if you had a burning desire to do so? Even an implausible or cockeyed notion of how to disrupt should be considered in terms of the existing defenses. Emergency Programs have two major aspects; devising the emergency program and then practicing the program elements until they managed virtually automatically. The practicing should also involve testing, and where needed, revisions to expect the unexpected. Again, some suggestions from the voices of experience: Training and practice procedures for dealing with various medical emergencies that may be experienced by employees, visitors and others such as customers, etc. Safety Response guidelines for employees should the facility find itself under any form of attack or related emergency. Assessment and recovery of critical operations and systems, as rapidly as possible.

DIRECTORS CORNER
Establish timelines and procedures for training, upgrading, testing, and maintaining the emergency program. Development of a notification system for key personnel, families of employee, and key customers, clients and other stakeholders. The assignment and provision of alternate worksites to ensure the continuation of activities, as far as possible. Procedures for personnel, employees and others with disabilities, providing them with several trained coworkers to aid them in emergency training and evacuation efforts. By taking the time to research, plan and provide the appropriate training on an emergency program, laboratories, plants and businesses can provide their people with peace of mind and all them to fully participate in the protection and preparation of the laboratory or other workplace against disaster. Disaster Recovery Plans handle the aftermath of an attack or other emergency at your facility. This aspect of dealing with emergencies is generally not well recognized by most personnel. Some prior planning and briefing in this area will often pay dividends in terms of the speed and quality and effectiveness of a post-emergency recovery. The existence and availability of back-up data may be essential. Restoring and replacement of facilities and data may be vital. Two programs involving outside help may be worth pursuing. One is an outreach program of the FBI and the National Infrastructure Protection Center called Infragard. It is an information sharing and analysis effort, with sites in any city where the FBI has an office (www.infragard.net ; there are numerous other web sites for local cooperative groups under the Infragard name; www.infragard.com , etc.) The second potential help is a group of Information Sharing & Analysis Centers around the country. They are part of the governments Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (CIAO), under the Department of Homeland Security (www.ciao.gov ). Further insights into the many unex11 INJ Fall 2003 pected disasters that do occur in real life can be gained from the Internet site of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Included in this site (www.fema.gov ) is a map of the United States highlighting the states where major emergencies have occurred in the recent past. This site also have business recovery checklists and other helpful information in dealing with this issue. Also, the site managed by Disaster Recovery World (www.disasterrecoveryworld.com ) has many helps in planning and disaster recovery, including softwear and services. Again, advanced planning as to substitution approaches may save a lot of time, grief and precious research results. Certainly, no research and development organization can afford to spend an inordinate amount of time and effort on this activity, but a modest effort may have a big payoff! IP EQUALS INFORMATION PLEASE If IP stands for Information Please, then Science IP should stand for Scientific Information, Please. Indeed it does, at least to a new scientific search service inaugurated by CAS, the Division of the American Chemical Society based in Columbus, Ohio, that is responsible for Chemical Abstracts. CAS (Chemical Abstract Service) is the largest and most extensive abstracting service in the world. It has gained a reputation over many years as the premier abstracting organization in the science and technology area, covering even small and obscure publications in the most remote parts of the world. (Yes, it does cover International Nonwovens Journal). Its databases provide access to nearly 100 years of published research. CAS processes patents faster than any other organization; preliminary records are accessible within two days of a patents issuance by major officer; fully indexed records are completed within 27 days. This organization has just recently announced the launching of Science IP, a search service devoted to virtually all branches of science and technology. The service is staffed by experienced researchers from CAS, who can provide individuals and organizations with high quality information retrieval in many areas of science. These information researchers have many years of experience in searching the scientific, technical and patent literature of the world. CAS Division indicates this staff works daily with competitive intelligence professionals, licensing professionals, R & D Management, inventors, patent attorneys and others who need comprehensive searches of the scientific, technology and patent literature. They also assist information professionals and others who do not have the time, resources, or the needed scientific or technical knowledge to perform a comprehensive search of the patent and scientific literature. The Science IP Technical Advisory Team consists of many of CASs most knowledgeable and experienced scientists. The search service covers not only Chemical Abstracts, but searching is done with whatever databases or other sources necessary to deliver the most complete report, according to Science IP officials. Their Search Team has been called upon to do research on many scientific and technical topics. Key members of the Search Team have a minimum of 15 years experience in searching the scientific literature. This experience includes years of experience with STN International7 . The Science IP Search Team is backed up by the Technical Advisory Team, consisting of 25 Subject Matter Experts, comprised of experienced, PhD-level scientists representing a very broad range of disciplines. A rush service is available, with a 24hour turn-around time, for an additional charge. The financial charges for the services are based on time and materials. A price list is available at the web site (www.scienceip.org ). Also, more information is available via telephone (866/360-0814), Fax (614/447-5443) or via email (scienceip@cas.org ). A retainer is not necessary; a request can be submitted with their Request Form, after which they contact the requester to further discuss the research request. INJ

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INJ DEPARTMENT

PATENT REVIEW
IMPROVING THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE In the last issue of INJ (Summer 2003), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office=s strategic plan for the 21st Century was outlined and discussed. As indicated, the USPTO is attempting to transform itself and its entire operations into a quality-driven, cost-effective organization. This comes after 200 years of operation. Some suggestions are being made for the USPTO to further improve and modify their operations, to hasten the results desired by virtually all users of this institution. Some of these suggestions are simple, whereas others are indeed complex. A sampling follows: One suggestion is that the USPTO abandon issuing patents, in favor of the practice of simply issuing a document reminescent of a banks CD, a Certificate of Deposit with the Patent Office. In effect, the Patent Office would simply become a super notary public a clearinghouse for inventions that would officially establish when and by whom something was invented. If the inventor felt infringed upon, the he/she would go to federal court, which some feel has rules of evidence and judges who are more qualified to handle the controversy. Under this concept, the determination of the validity of a patent would be delayed until there is a dispute regarding its meeting the required standards. This procedure has already been adopted by some countries, although some critics feel this approach puts the burden on the judicial system, which may not be equal to the job. Some critics are concerned about the growing number of software patents issued by the USPTO. Since software code is kept secret, there is little published prior art, so too many bad patents 12 INJ Fall 2003 are issued, according to some interested parties. As one expert put it, Software programs often contain hundred or thousands of potentially patentable inventions; thus, some experts argue that software should be protected by trade secret and copyrights, not patents. Other vocal critics bemoan the present state of patenting within the software industry (www.bustpatents.com ). Many critics feel that patent holders inevitably try to capture more than their fair share of the disclosed concept, in order to capture more of the potential credit and revenue. More limitation on the rights granted should be the norm. Also, the practice of wildly patenting rather bizarre ideas in the hopes that they may become realities in the future through the efforts of others is strongly condemned in some quarters. As has been pointed out in INJ feature articles in the past, there are some classic examples of this practice of cowardly setting patent traps for true inventors of the future. The number of issued patents that are later declared invalid by infringement actions carried out through the courts is cited as strong evidence of the problems within the system. Certainly some of the steps included in the USPTOs Strategic Plan for the 21st Century do address and attempt to rectify some of these problems. Other interested parties suggest that rather than trying to fix the domestic process, support and funding should be given globalization and consolidation of the entire framework among industrialized nations respecting value for research and development. This argument suggests that the parts have been in place for year. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Paris Convention for the

Protection of Industrial Property, and agreements such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the World Trade Organizations agreement on intellectual property rights are cited as suitable instruments. Others suggest the creation of a World Patent Office that would provide standards of all types. Some critics of these approaches remind us of the difficulties that are being encountered by some of these organization at the present time. Perhaps the best approach ultimately is to encourage the USPTO in their current efforts, monitor the developments closely, stand ready to suggest and lobby for further changes and improvements, and also provide encouragement. A little praying may also help! BROAD CLAIMS OR NARROW CLAIMS No matter how lengthy a patent disclosure might be, in the final analysis it is the patent claims that define the inventors rights, and not the disclosure. The prime requirements of the disclosure are that they provide enough information so that the claimed results can be obtained. There must be sufficient details that a person with normal skill in the art can duplicate the results set forth. It is tempting, therefore, to put as much as possible into the claims, creating several so-called broad claim. The natural impulse is to have the claim as broad as possible, as such a position would seem to provide the inventor with as much as protection as can be obtained. However, it must be kept in mind that for an infringement of the patent to occur, the infringer must practice all of the items cited in a specific claim. Thus, there is an advantage to narrow claims, as then it would be easier to show that an infringer had indeed duplicated all of the few features of such a narrow claim. However, each claim must include sufficient features and patent terminology to define something that is operative and non-obvious under applicable standards. So, as with a lot of aspects of life, there

PATENT REVIEW
is need for a delicate compromise. Have the claim(s) broad enough to provide the necessary protection, but not so broad as to make it easy for an infringer to leave out one feature, and thus escape infringement. On approach to this strategy is to have numerous claims, but each claim being fairly narrow, Also, this approach often utilizes an element of building on previous claims. Such a move also increases the difficulty in reading and understanding the claims, but no one is interested in making it easier for the reader. Another strategy in accomplishing a maximum of protection with a patent is illustrated in one of the patents cited in this Department. This involves covering a material that has a certain performance in a product or process, without completely describing the material. Thus, the claims are based on a specific performance or analytical attribute rather that describing the material in exact detail. If someone then produces a material in the future that was not know at the time of granting of the patent claims, which does provide the described and comes within the claims outlined in the patent, such new material is covered by the patent. Consequently, important decisions must be made at the time a patent application is submitted. These decisions must be based on good patent law, but also need the imput of the scientists and technicians who conceived the concept. Within the nonwovens and allied industries, patents have be voided where decisions were made during subsequent prosecution of the application without the benefit of consultations with the inventors. If patents and patenting law seems a little convoluted, indeed they are! TECHNOLOGY STOCKS AND PATENTS Although the thought of technology stocks brings up too recent horror stories for many people, there is still an obvious interest in this market segment. After all, technology stocks do account for one in five U.S. stocks. 13 INJ Fall 2003 For such stocks, as well as for numerous segments involving technological products (electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, even consumer products), many investors have long felt there was some relationship between the patent portfolio of a company and its market value. This has often led to some haphazard guesses with variable results. One organization, however, has done some pioneering work on strictly quantitative methods that can seek for such relationships. The company is CHI Research of Haddon Heights, NJ. This group got started in this approach by patents for the National Science Foundation. They moved to commercial and investor clients sometime later. A stock evaluation service called Investor Tech-Line soon evolved, wherein each month they examine nearly 400 companies with strong patent activity, ranking them on investment potential. As can be anticipated, the sheer number of patents controlled by a company is only the beginning, as the basic value of a patent in terms of its commercial and profit impact can be vastly more important. CHI Reseach has used a measure of a patents value by assessing the how frequently it is cited in later patents, both within and without the company=s own patent activity. They term this factor the citation impact. Also, CHI Research notes how many references a patent makes to scientific and technical papers; this factor is used to judge how close the patented concept is to basic science flowing from academic work, which should make it more valuable. A measurement called Technology Cycle Time is used to assess the median age of patents and other references cited within the patent; more recent citations indicate that a company is dealing with fresher technology. Again, the more recent the developments, the greater the possibility of future profits. Some of these concepts may be almost intuitive for those dealing with science, technology and patents on a regular basis. It is interesting, however, to consider the potential means of quantifying some of these Afeelings@, and perhaps taking a more rational approach to assessing the technological strength of a research organization.

NONWOVENS PATENT S
METHOD
MATERIAL OF PRODUCING A NONWOVEN

U.S. Patent 6,592,713 (July 15, 2003); filed: December 18, 2001. Assignee: SCA Hygiene Products AB (Gothenburg, Sweden). Inventor: Hannu Ahoniemi. When laying continuous filaments, such as spunbond or meltblown fibrous webs, on a permeable forming or support member, it is necessary to quickly remove the air between the filaments. The wire of the forming member should thus have high air permeability and an open structure. If short fibers, e.g. synthetic staple fibers or pulp fibers, are then to be laid on top of the continuous filaments, it is very desirable to have a tighter wire structure; such a structure for the forming belt helps avoid the loss of a considerable amount of the short fibers during drainage involved in a wetform process, for instance. However the drainage capacity should be sufficient to provide an effective drainage of the fibrous web. The object of this invention is to provide a method of producing a nonwoven material comprising at least one layer of continuous filaments, such as spunbond or meltblown fibers (formed on a wire having a very open structure and a high air permeability), followed by the step of forming a wetform layer on top of the continuous filament layer using a forming wire having a tighter structure. As disclosed in this invention, this object can be achieved by using a forming member which is a permeable support having a resilient extensibility in the transverse direction and which substantially resumes its original dimension when the extension is discontinued. With this type of forming member, it can be stretched in the transverse direction to at least 120% (preferably 150%) of its original width when the continuous fila-

PATENT REVIEW
ments are laid on the wire; the stretching is then discontinued after the continuous filaments have been laid on the wire, and the forming member returns essentially to its original width, giving a forming member that is closed up and more ideal for the wetforming step. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention a second web of natural and/or synthetic staple fibers is laid on top of said first web of continuous filaments after the stretching has been discontinued. This second fibrous web may contain cellulose fibers, and may be formed by the dry, wet- or foam-forming method. According to this preferred embodiment, the different fibrous webs are hydroentangled together to form a composite material, in which the different fiber types are well integrated with each other. The resilient extensibility of the wire may also be achieved by using a weaving- or knitting or warp knitting technique providing the desired extensibility. Alternatively or additionally, elastic threads may be used for the forming belt. Instead of a wire, a permeable (perforated) band-shaped support member made of an elastic polymeric material may be used for providing the desired resilient extensibility. FIBER-FORMING PROCESS U.S. 6,607,624 (August 19, 2003); filed: April 16, 2001. Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN). Inventors: Michael R. Berrigan, William T. Fay. A new web-forming method and related apparatus are disclosed. In this method, continuous filaments of a fiberforming material are extruded directly into a drawing/processing chamber. The chamber is defined by two parallel walls, at least one of which is instantaneously movable toward and away from the other wall; preferably both walls are instantaneously movable toward and away from one another. In one embodiment, the movement means comprises biasing means for resiliently biasing the one wall toward the other wall. Movement of the wall 14 INJ Fall 2003 toward and away from the other wall is sufficiently easy and rapid that the wall will move away from the other wall in response to increases in pressure within the chamber, but will be quickly returned to its original position by the biasing means upon resumption of the original pressure within the chamber. In another embodiment, the movement means comprises oscillating means for oscillating the wall at a rapid rate. The movement of this chambers walls convey a simultaneous deflection and movement of the filaments just as they emerge from the spinnerette. Consequently, the invention provides new nonwoven webs, which comprise a collected mass of fibers that includes fibers randomly interrupted by isolated fiber segments that comprise oriented polymer chains but differ in morphology from the main portion of the fiber. A related patent application (U.S. 20030162457 A1) with the same assignee and inventors was published two weeks later than this patent. NONWOVEN
WITH NON-SYMMETRICAL

STABILIZED
HAVING

ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND

SYSTEMS FOR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS CONTROLLED PLACEMENT OF VISCO-ELASTIC FLUIDS

BONDING CONFIGURATION

U.S. 6,610,390 (August 26, 2003); filed: July 10, 2000. Assignee: First Quality Nonwovens, Inc. (State College, PA). Inventors: Michael Kauschke, Mordechai Turi. This patent discloses a spunbond nonwoven which has low tensile and high elongation in one direction (CD) and high tensile and low elongation in the other direction (MD). Such a non-symmetrical nonwoven is favored in many high-speed converting operations. The nonwoven has a plurality of bonding points defining a total bonding area along the MD which is greater than that in the CD. Accordingly, the nonwoven has unbonded fiber portions and bonded fiber portions, with a bonded portion/unbonded portion ratio greater along the MD than along the CD. The bonding points are preferably either circular or oval in plan; the oval bonding points provide for more pronounced non-symmetrical physical properties when the orientation is on the bias.

U.S. Patent 6,608,236 (August 19, 2003); filed: May 5, 1998. Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (Neenah, WI). Inventors: Andrew Scott Burnes, Rebecca Lyn Dilnik, Connie Lynn Hetzler, Thomas Patrick Jorgenson, Tamara Lee Mace, David Michael Matela, Jayne Bramstedt Nelson, Lawrence Howell Sawyer, Alexander Manfred Schmidt-Foerst, Heather Anne Sorebo, James Allyn Spiers, Laura Jane Walker, Rodney Lawrence Abba, Charles John Chappell. Valerie Victoria Finch, Ann Marie Giencke, Michael Brent Kottek, Allan James Krueger, Andrew Michael Lake, MeeWha Lee, Sarah Elizabeth LongRadloff, Janice Gail Nielsen, Ann Margaret Vanevenhoven. This is a very broad, generic patent. It has 23 inventors and was over 5 years in prosecution. This type of patent is referred to as a carpet bag or kitchen sink patent (has everything but ...). It discloses a liquid distribution material for personal care products (primarily sanitary napkins) in terms of the materials performance rather than its composition. This performance relates to a horizontal wicking test with artificial menses. To be acceptable and covered by the claims, the horizontal wicking distance of about 1 inch must be achieved in less than about 1.5 minutes. If the material meets this requirement, and other requirements including stain length ratio, saturation profile, a density range and an average pore size diameter, it is covered by the claims of the patent. The exact nature of the distribution material is not specified, but only its performance. The patent does disclose materials of various types that do meet these specifications, including nonwovens formed by airlaying, bonded carded web processing, wetform processing, and compositions comprising cellulosic fibers, foams, synthetic fibers and mixtures thereof.

PATENT REVIEW
WET-FORMED
COMPOSITE DEFINING LATENT VOIDS AND MACRO-CAVITIES

U.S. Patent 6,572,735 (June 3, 2003); filed August 22, 2000. Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. (Neenah, WI). Inventors: Ppalani Raj Ramaswami Wallajapet, Ronald Lee Edens, Cheryl Ann Mocadlo, ShengHsin Hu, Dmitry Yavich, David Michael Kale. A wet-formed composite defining latent voids and macro-cavities is disclosed. The wet-formed composite has a basis weight greater than about 100 gsm, and a density of about 0.06 g/cc or more. The wet-formed composite comprises fibers (any fiber suitable for producing a wet-form nonwoven) and super absorbent polymer (SAP), present in an amount of about 10 dry weight percent or less, preferably 2 dry weight percent or less. By virtue of the SAP having been allowed to swell and then shrink during the making of the wetformed composite, macro-cavities are created. The resulting composite expands upon wetting and exhibits good absorbency properties. PROCESS OF FORMING A PERFORATED WEB U.S. Patent 6,599,612 (July 29, 2003 ); filed June 6, 2000. Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company (Cincinnati, OH). Inventor: Brian Francis Gray. A process of forming a soft and resilient plastic film web exhibiting a substantially continuous pattern of debossments or apertures is disclosed. The process comprises the following steps: (1) continuously bringing the film in contact with a forming structure which has a substantially continuous pattern of apertures corresponding to the debossments or apertures of the web; (2) locally heating the web at the surface to give the web temperature above its melting temperature; (3) applying a substantially uniform air or fluid pressure differential to the locally heated web in those areas to be debossed or apertured, whereby the web is apertured at the predetermined points. The land area between apertures includes a pattern of fine-scale, volcanolike micro-apertures, which also exists 15 INJ Fall 2003

in the walls of the macro-apertures. A soft and resilient apertured plastic web results. NONWOVEN FABRIC MAKING APPARATUS U.S. Patent 6,571,441 (June 3, 2003); filed April 4, 2000. Assignee: Uni-Charm Corporation (Ehime-ken, Japan). Inventors: Toshio Kobayashi, Hideyuki Ishikawa. A special apparatus for spunlace fabric production is disclosed. With the Yaxis extending in a direction along which the web travels, the X-axis extends to intersect the Y-axis at right angles. The high pressure waterjet nozzles are arranged at predetermined intervals to define a straightly extending first nozzle array R1 which is declined at a predetermined angle with respect to the Y-axis. As a result, the nonwoven fabric obtained has no impact traces by ejection of the streams of high pressure water, i.e., the fabric has no waterjet tracks. INJ

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INJ DEPARTMENT

TECHNOLOGY WATCH
TECHNOLOGY FOR SALE A well-known saying amongst oldtimers is: Everything is For Sale; its just a matter of Price. That probably is true with most things, even technology. As evidence of that proposition is the growing number of ways in which technology can be acquired, and disposed of. Licensing is an old and well established business practice. This is especially true in some segments of business and industry. The petrochemical industry is a prime example of this method for acquiring and exploiting technology. Many companies within this industry experience greater profitability from licensing of their technology than from practicing it themselves. Other industries are beginning to utilize licensing as a means of technology transfer. This activity is also well represented by a strong professional association, LES, the Licensing Executives Society, USA and Canada (http://www.usacanada.les.org ). The headquarters for the American arm is located in Connecticut ( LES, 71 East Avenue, Suite S, Norwalk, CT 06851; Tel. : 203/2324825; Fax: 203/838-5714. On the international scene, the organization is LESI which is an association of 30 national and regional societies. Most industrialized countries have a strong national organization. Other modes of acquiring technology are now focusing on the internet, as a means of a broad purview and rapid response. The Patent & License Exchange (pl-x) is such a marketplace for intellectual property (IP). This organization deals in IP, patents, trademarks, and know-how. This organization claims that a patent is a call option on technology, and so pl-x applies standard financial tools to create 16 INJ Fall 2003 value from such intangible assets. These tools include an online, interactive IP marketplace, the TRRU Metrics IP Valuation System, transaction assurance services through a title company, along with patent validity insurances (www.pl-x.com ). Another internet-based technology transfer organization is called PatentAuction.com. This organization claims they link IP resources on the internet, offering both selling and buying services, as well as providing assistance in financing such activities. The company (PatentAuction.com, RR1, Box 139A, Hunt, Texas 78024; Tel.: 830/2384908; Fax: 830/238-415; Internet: www.patentauction.com ), is headed by an individuals with broad experience in inventing, patenting and licensing. The novel feature of this site is that the technology is posted and then opened to bidding A rather well-known organization involved in IT transfer is yet2.com (www.yet2.com ). This group has a posting of TechPak, which offers technology packages at various levels of development. Also, TechNeeds provides a means for a company to list their technology needs. This is generally quite specific, with varying levels of information provided in the posting contact. Most of the well-known research institutes also have a division that is involved in technology transfer. Some of this technology is generated internally, but most such organizations handle technology generated outside, often by their clients. Some consultants also spend a considerable amount of time and resources in finding customers for client technology. Consequently, they can be a good source for making contact with technology buyers and sellers.

SUPER TREES VS. LESS LIGNIN Several years ago the timber management divisions of various forest products companies were very concerned with identifying and collecting super trees. These were selected trees growing in the timber lots that appeared to be notably superior to their neighbors. Seeds and graftings from such trees were assiduously collected and used in the seedling beds for subsequent outplanting in reforestation activities. Hopefully, this work would yield useable wood per acre. With the shortest harvesting cycles of about 15 years and the longest over 70 years, considerable patience is required in this effort. A more direct approach is now being taken within segments of this industry to enhance the yield of the pure, white, absorbent woodpulp fiber that is so important to some segments of the nonwovens and related absorbent products industries. This approach is focusing on the lignin content of the wood used as the raw material by the $6 billion woodpulp industry. Lignin is an amorphous, polymeric substance that cements the fibrous portions of wood together. It can constitute upwards of one-half the weight of a wood, and in recovering the valuable wood pulp fiber from wood, it has to be removed and often discarded. The removal process is done by pulping the wood, treating the chips at high pressure and temperature with various formulations that convert the insoluble lignin into smaller, soluble entities. This more recent approach being investigated to improving the fiber recovery process uses genetic engineering. The objective is to reduce the amount of lignin in the original wood and also to increase the solubility of the lignin still present. This research work is being conducted by Laigeng Li and colleagues at Michigan Technological University (www.mtu.edu ) and the University Of Wisconsin at Madison (www.visc.edu ). The researchers used bacteria genes in a cotransformation system to transfer

TECHNOLOGY WATCH
two genes into aspen trees. The one gene was employed to reduce the total amount of lignin, while the second gene was used to modify the composition of the lignin. The lignin modification was designed to change the ratio of two monomeric units in the lignin, to modify the woodpulping kinetics for lignin solubilization. Thus, there would be less lignin and the lignin that was present would be easier to remove. The initial research has been quite successful, in that one gene reduced the total amount of lignin (52% less), the other gene improved ease of pulping (64% change in monomer ratio), and the combination achieved both results, with 30% more cellulose. It would appear that the future for better woodpulp economics may not lie with super trees, but rather in the direction of genetic engineering. FINDING A HOME FOR CROSSOVER TECHNOLOGIES A crossover technology is the use of a technology in a totally new application, one which was never visualize when the original technology was developed. It would seem that every researcher has his/her favorite example of a crossover technology, often an example in which they were personally involved. DuPont was completely unprepared for the incursion of their TYVEK polyethylene spunbond sheet product as an air infiltration barrier into the building industry. Similarly, it took KEVLAR fiber 37 years to go from a bullet-proof, fire-resistant material first used for times to go into making home shelters strong enough to resist tornadoes. It as took decades before advances in reinforced reinforced fiberglass technology made for the Apollo space project were applied to the making of tennis rackets. In retrospect, these crossover applications of technology may seem inevitable B but they are not. According to Ian C. MacMillan, director of the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center, crossover applications depend largely 17 INJ Fall 2003 on serendipity. Information recently released by Wharton provides further insights. You have to hang around for 15 years for someone to make the connections, says MacMillan. In many cases, the serendipity never happens and technologies die on the vine before they achieve their full commercial potential. Again, most researchers are well acquainted with this situation. The saddest examples are when the crossover is initiated and exploited someone outside the industry, or worse, by a competitor. To overcome those problems, MacMillan, along with Wharton professor of operations and information management, Steven Kimbrough, and John Ranieri, vice president of the bio-based materials business at Du Pont, have developed a patented process that will help companies analyze databases of information about technologies and suggest new markets where they might be commercialized. We have a serendipity generator, notes MacMillan. Serendipity happens every now and then, but this process reiterates the connection. Why is serendipity such a rare commodity? The fundamental problem is that technologists know othing about markets, and markets know nothing about the technologies, says MacMillan. It is like a black hole. It is very hard to see behind your experience space. Even companies like Du Pont dont have the resources to probe into every possible application of their current roster of technologies. Exploration is very expensive, says Ranieri. Although an unprecedented amount of information about technology is now available online, Ranieri notes that everything is set up to look for exactly what you are looking for rather than to assist in the process of finding crossover, innovative applications. In addition, information is stored in silos that are hard for nonspecialists to penetrate. Until now, there has been no way to search for attributes like lighter, faster or quicker with technology categories, he says. The Wharton teams new process aims to meet this challenge by using a methodology that combines computer research techniques with human research techniques, says MacMillan Kimbrough likens the new process to the methodology used by Google, the popular search engine. Although Google is automated, it exploits information painstakingly collected by thousands of individuals (at no cost to Google) and loaded onto their web sites. Kimbrough explains that Googles page-ranking algorithm exploits tons of work [done by] people who put Java links on their web sites; it exploits their manual labor. Like Googles algorithm, this new process is not an intelligent parser and it is not artificial intelligence, Kimbrough says. Like Google, we exploit the public information that is available. Another key problem with Google, todays most powerful search engine, is that it can only identify characteristics that match up perfectly with key words that people use to search for information. It cant infer any attributes that arent precisely spelled out and loaded onto a web site. Moreover, it cant make subtle, creative connections between descriptions and attributes, and it cant find information that is hidden in the text. There is a lot of information in texts [on technology] about what stuff can be used for, notes Kimbrough. A document is like a bit of DNA. There are discernible patterns that can be very subtle. Unlike traditional products, the Wharton teams new process searches through documents and makes connections between highly technical descriptions of properties often familiar only to narrow silos of technologies and broader terms that could suggest market applications to those who work in other areas. As Ranieri describes it, We found a clever way to make a link between attributes and markets. Now that their patent has been accepted, the team is preparing to convert their prototype methodology into a full-fledged commercial process.

TECHNOLOGY WATCH
MacMillan describes the approach this way: Companies bring us their patent, and we take it and tell them 50 places where the technology underpinning the patent might use it. If all goes well, companies could eventually be licensing the use of this commercial process and be running it on their own. Or the new process could be made available online to those willing to pay for it. The hope is that even companies with significant in-house resources will use this tool as a short-cut for stimulating creative new ideas without spending a lot of money. The Wharton team acknowledges that this process is not a magic bullet nor is it intended to be a foolproof generator of sure-fire hits. We are not saying that all of these ideas will work, says Kimbrough. We are saying that we will get a lot of good contenders that a human being could go through. Moreover, there is no guarantee that the product [that results from the best ideas] will be a success. Even the most creative, innovative product ideas still must be manufactured at a competitive price, be marketed effectively, meet necessary regulatory requirements and so forth. No magic bullet, but perhaps a real help to bridge the crossover gap. INJ

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18 INJ Fall 2003

INJ DEPARTMENT

The NONWOVEN NET

GETTING RID OF SPAM It is just a little irritating to be work over your mailbox on the internet, eliminating unwanted, unsolicited E-mail, and while so engage to hear the click indicating another piece of electric junk mail has been inserted. Youve been spammed again. Over the past several weeks it seems that every print newspaper or magazine has had a feature article on the problems of spam on the internet. Very shortly, you get the feeling that it has become like the weather Everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it. That is not quite the case, however, as numerous state governments and industry groups are wrestling with the problem; the federal government is involved at several different agencies as well. Industry initiative, filtering software tools, and spam-blocking companies are also struggling to improve the situation. It has been estimated that junk E-mail now accounts for an estimated 49% of network traffic; many users would place that level at an even higher figure. The open architecture that made the Internet a transformative technology also has spawned the rapidly growing junk email menace. On the other hand, there are those that point out that there may be some benefits to unsolicited E-mail. According to the Direct Marketing Association., legitimate outfits have received orders in the past year worth at least $2 billion through marketing emails that werent asked for, and a further $5.7 billion from requested e-mail. In the meantime, there are some steps you can take on your own. None of this will eliminate the problem, but maybe it will help alleviate your volume some19 INJ Fall 2003 what. 1. Use Multiple E-mail Boxes Most ISP and other services permit the use of multiple E-mail boxes. By restricting the distribution of your address on one box, it is possible to slow the flow of spam. Of course the other boxes may be loaded, but that is another problem. 2. Build a Wall by Using Software That Blocks While not a completely satisfactory solution, some of the software packages designed to block spam do an effective job. It will take some effort to fine-tune most of these programs for your own personal needs, but it may be worth the time. The best professional filters, such as Brightmail, can block 95% of spam. At FrontBridge Technologies Inc., a San Francisco-area Internet-security company, computers check incoming e-mail against 10,000 criteria used to define spam; 500 of those rules are rejiggered every day, depending on what spammers are up to at the moment. Because teams of human "spam analysts" keep tabs on the trash bin, big filtering systems rarely lose a real message amid the junk. When the San Diego law firm of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich installed a FrontBridge filter in December, My greatest fear was that some critical client would get their e-mail rejected, says Chief Technology Officer Don P. Jaycox. But after six months, The false-positive rate is almost immeasurable. 3. Surf In A Smarter Manner By now, most computer users know that replying to most spam only generates more spam. Such knowledge can go a ways toward eliminating junk e-mail.

People who dont take action will suffer. Indeed, the recent flooding of many inboxes is a sign that spammers are having to work harder. As E-mail filters get smarter, and as laws and lawsuits multiply, junk mail is harder to deliver. To maintain their already thin margins, spammers are upping their output, jamming more junk mail into the fewer inboxes that remain vulnerable. 4. Join The Effort To Change The Law A move is underway in the U.S. Congress to raise the standards for spammers by requiring them to describe their messages accurately in their subject headers, use real return addresses, and include working opt-out links in their message. This more slow the tide a little, but it will likely not address all of the problem. Japan and the European Union have both passed tough opt-in laws that require commercial bulk E-mailers to receive permission from consumers before sending them unsolicited messages. This may be hard to do under U.S. law, but a DoNot-Spam registry, modeled after the one that was recently created to block telemarketers, would run into fewer such problems. It would enable consumers to opt out of receiving unsolicited e-mail simply by logging on to a centralized Web site. 5. Enforce Existing Laws Encourage more strident enforcement of existing laws. Internet service providers and the Federal Trade Commission have hauled dozens of spammers into court since the late 1990s. Every big case so far has brought a penalty. On July 21, the FTC settled with a California teen who faked return addresses on e-mails that he dangled as bait to lure consumers to legitimatelooking business Web sites. There, they were duped into giving up credit-card numbers. Such policing is important and will have to be stepped up. But it is inherently limited. Prosecuting the small-time operators in the U.S. isn't likely to rise to the top of the docket for

NONWOVEN NET
state and federal law enforcers with limited budgets. Another step would be to allow users the right to sue spammers directly and set minimum statutory damages of, say, $100 per offending message just as was successfully done in the 1991 law against junk faxers. This right of private action, proposed by Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and others, would torment spammers with a hailstorm of private claims. Of course, Third World violators would be tough to reach. But litigators say many bulk emailers are domestically based, and advocacy groups such as the Spamhaus Project already do a good job of tracking down the biggest offenders. 6. Act Globally To discourage spammers from moving offshore, the White House needs to take the lead in harmonizing international law and beefing up global enforcement. The 30-nation Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development is working on the problem, but the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is a vital player and needs to be at the table. The good news is that other countries are also working on this issue. EU commissioners will visit Washington in August to lobby Congress to strengthen our laws. State regulation, on the other hand, isnt working. While well-intentioned, these measures create a patchwork legal regime that increases corporate compliance costs. In the meantime, simply get fast and efficient at throwing spam out of your in-box. MORE INTERESTING WEB SITES A new and exiting web site is a thing of beauty. At least that is what a lot of surfers feel. An interesting and USEFUL site is likely to please the nonwovens researcher a great deal more. The following may be candidates for such appeal. Exploring The Nanoworld - This site is a joint project of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National 20 INJ Fall 2003 Science Foundation. Nanotechnology thinks big about small things, really small things. This site has a Nanoworld Cineplex, an interesting collection of movie clips on the subject. It also has an entertaining PDF file called Exploring The Nanoworld With Lego Bricks. A video lab manual also gives some interesting insights into the small world (www.mrsec.wisc.edu/edetc/index.ht ml ). All About Materials - The name of this site, AZOM stands for A to Z of Materials. It is subtitled Metals, Ceramics, Polymers, Composites, An Engineers Resource. The stated object of the site is increasing the use of advanced materials by the engineering and design community worldwide. The listing of materials can be search by keywords based on properties. The site comes out of Sydney, Australia, and is partnered with numerous professional associations (www.azom.com ). MIT Distant Teaching Pilot Program This a pilot program coming out of MIT. Started last year, the objective is to put materials from almost all of MITs approximately 2,000 lecture courses on the web. A typical course will include the syllabus, class schedule/calendar, required and recommended readings, and assignments. MIT is seeking feedback on this major initiative (http://ocw.mit.edu ). Online Calculation How many programs are on the internet that allow you to calculate something. This site claims to have links to more than16,600 such sites. The science-related links are grouped into math and statistics, chemistry, physics and astrophysics, and engineering. The site, Martindales Calculators Online Center: Science A-Z, also has links to dictionaries, scientific calculators, unit conversions and the Periodic Table of the Elements in various languages. Unfortunately, the address is a little long, but its worth it (www.sci.lib.uci.edu/HSG/RefCalculat ors3.html ). Commercial Spunbond Sites Interesting information on specific commercial nonwoven products can often be obtained from sites established by businesses. Johns Manvilles site claims that the company is the largest spunbond polyester producer worldwide with production facilities is several locations (http://www.jm.com/EngineeredProdu cts/filtration/airspun.asp ). The Nordson Fiber Systems site highlights their mon- and bi-component spunbond systems (http://www.nordson.com/fibersystems/stanspun.htm )

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INJ DEPARTMENT

ASSOCIATION BULLETIN BOARD

NEW INDA PRESIDENT - RORY HOLMES A new president of INDA has been named by the Board of Directors to take responsibility for the top position of the association. Rory Holmes, currently serving as the Associate Director for Technology Transfer of the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center in Raleigh, NC, will assume this position on October 1, 2003. Holmes, 56, will replace Ted Wirtz, who has been serving as the interim President since his announced retirement in 2002. Holmes has had more than 30 years experience in the nonwovens industry, a considerable amount of it within the former Chicopee Division of Johnson & Johnson. He began his career within the industry in a research and product/process development assignment at Chicopee. Rory was awarded the prestigious Hoffmann Award for Excellence in Research in 1982, and The Johnson Medal for Research in 1984. Upon the sale of the Chicopee operation to Polymer Group Incorporated (PGI), Holmes continued in research and marketing assignments with PGI. In 1995, he became PGIs vice president of sales, marketing and technology for the medical and industrial business units. During this time, He was intimately associated with the APEX TM Technology and Miratec7 brand of nonwoven fabrics for PGI. In 2000, Holmes joined NCRC in Raleigh, where he was concerned with developing and exploiting new nonwoven technologies via the NCRC Technology Transfer Program, as well as working in employee training and consulting activities. In a recent visit with Rory, he stated that he felt INDA has a lot of good activities underway at the present time, and his efforts at INDA will focus on build21 INJ Fall 2003

ing on that base. He expressed appreciation for the confidence in him that this appointment by the Board of Directors represents. The staff of the International Nonwovens Journal certainly wants to add its congratulations and best wishes to Rory in this new assignment. THE 2003 ITMA TEXTILE MACHINERY EXHIBITION Two major Swiss textile machinery firms, Saurer and Rieter, announced earlier this summer that they were pulling out of ITMA 2003. This show, scheduled for October 22-29 in Birmingham, England, is considered to be the most important European textile machinery show this year, especially as it is scheduled on a four-year cycle.. These two companies tried unsuccessfully to have the event postponed. Both companies said that the reluctance of customers to attend large exhibitions in the current international climate was the reason - a position that is increasingly contested. Despite the fact that ITMA is an international exhibition, a majority of attendees travel from inside Europe an area that has suffered virtually no adverse

effects from SARS (Severe A Respiratory Syndrome), which has hit Asia especially hard. Both CEMATEX, the umbrella organization for Europe's textile machinery builders, and SwissMem, the Swiss national textile machinery association, have rejected the idea that SARS poses a threat to the event. The critical question now is whether the withdrawal of these two companies, both world leaders in spinning and synthetic fibre processing machinery, will affect the show. Naturally, there is also a concern that other companies in the same sector may follow their example and withdraw from this years exhibition. ITMA's organizers have rejected claims by Rieter and Saurer that SARS would make customers reluctant to travel. There have been no visitors or visitors groups that have indicated any reluctance to travel to ITMA as a result of SARS, said Andy Bird, operations director for ITMA 2003. He went on to say that the idea that there was a risk or threat to the successful running of ITMA 2003, its visitors or exhibitors was wholly unrealistic and factually incorrect. While we are sorry to lose these companies, plans for ITMA 2003 continue to progress well with the latest figures demonstrating a marked increase in both visitor pre-registration figures and countries represented by exhibitors, said Bird. ITMA 2003 has been promoted to the broadest and most diverse visitor base in its history. Pre-registration bookings are up almost 300% compared with the same point for the 1999 Paris ITMA show and over 1,350 exhibitors have confirmed, according to the organizers. NONWOVEN ENHANCEMENTS CONFERENCE CD Earlier this year a successful conference called Nonwoven Enhancements Coloring & Finishing Conference was organized by INDA. This conference, among other things, provided details

ASSOCIATION BULLETIN BOARD

discussions on a number of important topics to this market: Nonwoven Markets Methods of Coloration of Nonwovens Finishing Methods and Surface Enhancers Chemical Post Treatments of Nonwovens New Things to Come in Coloring & Finishing A compact disc covering all presentations of this conference is now available from INDA. Cost of the CD to INDA members is $50 and to nonmembers is $75. The CDs can be ordered from INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC 27512, USA; Tel.: 919/233-1210, ext. 120; Fax: 919/233-1282. ASTM STANDARDS ON TEXTILES In November 2003, the most recent editions of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards for textiles and textile products will become available from ASTM International (American Society of Testing and Materials) This edition will be in two volumes, identified as Volume 07.01, Textiles (I): D 76-D 3218, and as Volume 07.02, Textiles (II): D 3330Latest. Section 7 (or 07 as indicated in the title) identifies that Section of ASTM that is concerned with textiles. The D 76 and D 3218, along with the D 3330 identifies a committee with a assignment for a specific area of standards and testing. Amongst the various assignments are the following: Apparel and Fabric Chemical Conditioning and Performance Flammability and Flame Resistance Home Furnishings Nonwoven Fabric Sub-assemblies, such as Zippers, Hook & Loops Volume 07.02 also contains standard body measurement charts used for the 22 INJ Fall 2003 sizing of apparel for men, women , children and infants; standard guidelines for care labeling of apparel and other textile products; standards for UV protective fabrics and clothing; and a practice for stitches and seams, which has replaced the Federal Standard for apparel and item stich and seam structures us worldwide by government and industry textile organizations. The cost for Volume 07.01 will be $176 in North America; $194 elsewhere. The cost of Volume 07.02 will be $228 in North America; $251 elsewhere. When both volumes are purchased together, the price is $303 in North America; $334 elsewhere. Both volumes are available in CD-ROM disc format as well as bound print volumes. A new service that is being offered by ASTM is the Historical and Withdrawn feature. This provides an easily way to compare an older replaced standard with the new, current standard lineby-line, figure-by-figure, equation-byequation. This is called their Redline Standards, where the changes are indicated by the redline. Search results on their web site cover the Active, Historical and Withdrawn Standards, as well as work items. Once at the Document Summary Page of an Active Standard, the option to purchase a Redline appears (www.astm.org/redlines ). RENEWED FUNDING FOR NTC The National Textile Center (NTC), a consortium of eight universities involved in textile education and research has received a renewed funding from the U.S. Commerce Department totaling $9.7 million. The universities comprising NTC include Clemson University, Auburn University, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Philadelphia University, Cornell University and University of California-Davis. This funding will allow a continuation of the programs that have been carried out for the past several years by NTC. These programs include research on improving the long-term global competitiveness of the domestic textile and apparel industries. According to Richard Gregory, Director of Clemsons School of Materials Science and Engineering, This funding has produced an enormous amount of technical research expertise and enhance the knowledge base of the textile and fiber industry. Were providing a highly trained technical work force, and were moving to very high technology materials, and the National Textile Center has been the driving force for that. Some of the research projects that NTC has undertaken include: Smart fibers, such as electronic and photonic fibers for technology, sensors and biosensors. Biomimetic research with spider= silk to produce very strong fibers. Ink and substrate interaction in inkjet printing on textiles. Protective clothing performance requirements. Material development for human tissue engineering. Additional information on NTC and its activities is available on their Internet site (www.ntcresearch.org ). INJ

Care Labeling Cotton, Yarn, Fibers, Wool and Felt Glass Fiber Inflatable Restraints Pile Floor Coverings Tire Cord and Fabrics

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INJ DEPARTMENT

NONWOVENS CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 2003 Sep. 16-18, 2003. INTC 2003 International Nonwovens Technical Conference. Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, MD. For more information, contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC 27512. Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282. Internet: www.inda.org. Also, TAPPI, P.O. Box 105113, Atlanta, GA 30348. Tel.: 770/446-1400; Fax: 770/446-6947. Internet: www.tappi.org. Sept. 22-24, 2003. International Textile Design and Engineering Conference. Edinburgh and Galashiels,, Scotland. For more information, contact: Sharon Lam, Galashiels; Tel. 44+1896/89-2133; www.intedec.com . Sep. 23-25, 2003. INDA Nonwovens Training Course. Cary, NC. For more information contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC; Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282; Internet: www.inda.org . Sep. 23-25, 2003. Lab Design 2003. Hyatt Penns Landing Hotel, 201 South Columbus Road, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA. For more information, contact: Tim Studt, Reed Business Information, Newton, MA 02458; Tel.: 630/288-8700; Fax: 630/288-8394. Sep 23-25, 2003. Advanced Fiber Science Course. TRI/Princeton, 601 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540. For more information, contact: Course Registrar, TRI/Princeton; Tel: 609/7200200; Fax:609/683-7149; Internet: www.triprinceton.org . OCTOBER 2003 Oct. 1-3, 2003. IFAI Expo 2003. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. For more information, contact: IFAI, Roseville, MN; Tel.: 651/225-6942: Fax: 23 INJ Fall 2003 651/631-9334. confmgmt@ifai.com ; www.ifaiexpo.info . Oct. 6-10, 2003. Nonwovens Product Development Workshop. Cary, NC. Joint with INDA and North Carolina State University, School of Textiles. For more information, contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC; Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282; Internet: www.inda.org ; or Mr. Rory Holmes, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Tel.: 919/515-4550; Fax: 919/515-7614. www.tx.ncsu.edu . Oct. 14-16, 2003. Porous Materials Characterization. Professional Training at TRI/Princeton, 601 Prospect Avenue, P.O. Box 625, Princeton, NJ 08540. For more information, contact: Course Registrar, TRI/Princeton; Tel: 609/4304828; Fax:609/683-7149; www.triprinceton.org/pmc2003 . Oct. 14-16, 2003. Fiber Society 2003 Fall Conference. Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center, Raleigh, NC. For more information, contact: Prof. Subhash Batra, Secretary, The Fiber Society, North Carolina State University, Box 8301, Raleigh, NC 27695; Tel.: 919/515-6555; Fax: 919/575-4556; Email: subhash_batra@ncsu.edu . Oct. 20-24, 2003. INSIGHT 2003. Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, contact: D. McCormick, Marketing/Technology Service, 4100 South 7th Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49009; Tel.: 616/375-1237; Fax: 616/375-6710. Oct. 20-24, 2003. INDA Nonwoven Process Fundamentals Training Course. Sponsored by INDA and Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at NCSU. For more information,

contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC; Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282; inda.org/events/traincs/productworkshop/pdf ; or Director For Technology Transfer, School of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Tel.: 919/515-4550; Fax: 919/515-7614. Internet: www.tx.ncsu.edu. Oct. 22-29, 2003. ITMA 2003. Birmingham, U.K. Conference of International Textile Machinery Association. For more information, contact: ITMA Organising Committee; Tel.: 44+121/780-2003; Fax: 44+121/7822003; www.itma.com . NOVEMBER 2003 Nov. 11-13, 2003. Techtextil South America. Sao Paulo, Brazil. For more information, contact: Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Frankfurt a. M. Germany; Tel.: 49+69/7575-0; Fax: 49+69/7575-6433; www.messefrankfurt.com . Nov. 18-20, 2003. Filtration 2003. Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois. Major conference and exposition covering all aspects of the filtration business. For more information contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC; Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282. www.inda.org . Nov. 18-20, 2003. Chem Show 2003. Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY. The major North American exhibition of chemical equipment and related items. Internet: www.chemshow.com . Nov. 18-20, 2003. Guanzhou International Nonwovens Exhibition 2003. Chinese Export Commodities Fairground, Guanzhou, PR China. For more information, contact: Top Repute Co. Ltd or Guanzhou Nonwovens Association; Room 2405, Fu Fai Commercial Center, 27 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; Tel.: 852/2851-8603; Fax: 852/2851-8637. www.toprepute.com.hk . Nov.18-20, 2003. 13th Annual TANDEC Nonwovens Conference. University of

NONWOVENS CALENDAR
Tennessee Conference Center, Knoxville, TN. For more information, contact: Dr. Dong Zhang, TANDEC, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Tel.: 865/974-3573; Fax: 865/974-3580. tancon@utk.edu . http://web.utk.edu/~tancon . Nov. 19, 2003. Annual Conference of TTNA. Victoria, Australia. The AAdvanced Materials for a Secure World@ annual conference of the Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Association (TTNA), of Melbourne, Australia. Venue - Aitken Hill Conference Centre, Yuroke, Australia. For more information, contact: Lorraine Gierck, TTNA Secretariat, Melbourne, Australia. Tel.: 61+3/9866-6643; Fax: 61+3/9866-6434. www.ttna.com.au . DECEMBER 2003 Dec. 8-12, 2003. INDA Characterization Methods Course. Sponsored by INDA and Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center at NCSU. For more information, contact: INDA, P.O. Box 1288, Cary, NC; Tel.: 919/233-1210; Fax: 919/233-1282; www.inda.org/events/traincs/CharMe thods.pdf ; or Director For Technology Transfer, School of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC; Tel.: 919/515-4550; Fax: 919/515-7614. www.tx.ncsu.edu Dec. 15-17, 2003. Asia Nonwovens Exhibition and Conference (ANEX2003). INTEX, Shanghai, P.R. China for Exhibition; Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel for the Conference. . (Originally scheduled for May 23-23, 2003, it was postponed due to the SARS problem in Asia). For more information, contact: Noemi Belamide, Paperloop Inc., 2018 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30339; Tel.: 678/589-8829; Fax: 678/589-8885; www.anex2003.com JANUARY 2004 Jan. 13-14, 2004. ASTM Eighth Symposium on Performance of Protective Clothing: Global Needs and Emerging Markets. Tampa, Florida, USA. Sponsored by ASTM Committee F23 on Protective Clothing. For more 24 INJ Fall 2003 information, contact: Dorothy Fitzpatrick, Symposia Operations, ASTM International, W. Conshohocken, PA. Tel.: 610/832-9677; www.astm.org . MARCH 2004 Mar. 30-Apr.2. Techtextil North America; Hightex Its Our Future (TTNA). International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens. Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, GA, USA. For more information, contact: Messe Frankfurt Inc., Atlanta, GA; Tel.: 770/984-8016; Fax: 770/984-8023; Web site: www.usa.messefrankfurt.com . APRIL 2004 April 19-23, 2004. World Filtration Congress 9 and 17th Annual American Filtration & Separations Society Conference and Exposition. Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Orleans, LA, USA. For more information, contact: AFS, Falls Church, VA; Tel.: 703/538-1000; Fax: 703/538-6305; Web site: www.afssociety.org . APRIL 27-29, 2004. IDEA 2004 INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERED FABRICS CONFERENCE & EXPO. MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, MIAMI BEACH, FL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: INDA, P.O. BOX 1288, CARY, NC; TEL.: 919/233-1210; FAX: 919/233-1282; WWW .INDA.ORG . MAY 2004 May 23-27, 2004. 83rd World Conference - The Textile Institute. Donghua University, Shanghai, P. R. China. For further information, contact 83rd TIWC Secretariat at the College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 200051, P. R. China; Fax: 86-21/62193061; Email: ti04shanghai@dhu.edu.cn . http://www.dhu.edu.cn/83tiwc.htm . OCTOBER 2004 Oct. 27-29, 2004. IFAI Expo 2004. David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, contact: IFAI, Roseville, MN; Tel.: 651/225-6942: Fax: 651/631-9334. confmgmt@ifai.com. www.ifaiexpo.info INJ

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