Omniflex Adds Natural Elements™ Antibacterial Technology To Transport® Bedding Films

Omniflex LLC, a Greenfield, Mass.-based manufacturer of flexible films and composites, has added Natural Elements™ odor- and infection-control technology to its Transport® line of waterproof, breathable films for bedding applications.

The combination enables a single film-to-fabric lamination to provide all of the benefits of each technology to such products as the top fabric layers of mattresses for consumer as well as institutional markets. The single lamination provides the advantage of reduced weight and mass in the finished textile composite.

When specified, fire resistance properties also can be incorporated into the Transport film, which is made from copolyester, ether-amide and polyurethane polymers, and can be laminated to fabrics using any available commercial lamination technique for two- to three-layer fabrics. The copolyester versions of the film are recyclable.

The patent-pending Natural Elements technology — developed by joint-venture partner Etcetera LLC, Northampton, Mass., and available exclusively on Omniflex products — uses various antimicrobial additives including silver, copper, blends of each or proprietary non-metallic additives according to the requirements of the targeted application. The formulation of the film, available in thicknesses ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 mils, can be customized to provide a range of activation and duration rates within the same layer.

February 12, 2008