Covestro offers a variety of polyurethane materials that provide comfort, sustainability and durability for medical textiles, apparel, footwear and more.

The company said it will showcase its materials portfolio for the fabric industry at the 2017 Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) Expo, Sept. 26-29, 2017, in New Orleans.

Here’s a preview of what visitors will see at Covestro’s booth (A318):

Sustainable polyurethane technology for apparel and footwear

Covestro supplies high-performance, solvent-free polyurethanes for a more sustainable coated textile. The company will highlight its INSQIN waterborne polyurethane technology, which enables a new level of material sustainability for polyurethane-coated fabrics in the apparel and footwear industry. A recent Life Cycle Assessment demonstrates that using a waterborne polyurethane, such as INSQIN, to manufacture polyurethane synthetic textile significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the material by 45 percent.

Using a more sustainable manufacturing process, INSQIN reduces pollution and uses 95 percent less water and 50 percent less energy. This technology also allows for enhancements in design, comfort and performance while offering durability and breathability. Visitors to Covestro’s booth can see INSQIN technology in action with PUMA’s evoPower Vigor 1 soccer shoe. Topaz-DOTS, a coating technology based on INSQIN, is applied to both sides of a spandex upper material, contributing to the shoe’s design and functionality.

Tailor-made films for textiles

Covestro will also showcase its diverse portfolio of Dureflex thermoplastic polyurethane films, which can be custom-engineered to achieve desired characteristics. When laminated to fabric, Dureflex films offer water resistance, low noise and breathability to sports and leisure apparel. These films can also be used as multi-layer tapes to seal textile seams, keeping jackets or trousers watertight. Additionally, Dureflex hot melt films are ideal for manufacturing multi-layer home textiles, such as textile wallpapers. Visitors to Covestro’s booth can see a variety of samples from the Dureflex portfolio.

Innovative raw materials for medical applications

Baymedix raw materials from Covestro are used to create sustainable, waterborne textile coatings. Often used in wound care and health care wearables, these breathable coatings are waterproof, resistant against disinfectants and bodily fluids, and feature chemical stability coupled with a soft, textile-like touch. Several examples of medical textiles and non-wovens utilizing Baymedix raw materials will be on display.

Covestro will also share its expertise as part of the Advanced Textiles Conference. Bentley Mah, senior technical sales specialist, Baymedix, Covestro LLC, will present “Sustainable Coatings for Medical Textiles” on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. Mah will discuss how raw materials from Covestro provide good haptics and enhanced stability toward disinfectants in applications such as surgical wear, hospital bed linen and medical bandages.




Photo courtesy Covestro