Alexium Inc., Greer, S.C., and International Textile Group Inc. (ITG), Greensboro, N.C., have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the companies will collaborate on several product development initiatives, with ITG serving as Alexium's preferred fabric supplier for commercial and defense bids. The MoU is expected to speed up the textile market's adoption of Alexium's Reactive Surface Treatment (RST) technology — a protective treatment that can be applied to apparel and other textiles to provide waterproofing, oil repellency, flame retardation, chemical and biological protection, and other functions.

Alexium is working with ITG's Safety Components, Carlisle Finishing and Burlington Worldwide business units on existing projects — mainly to treat military combat and battle dress uniforms with a breathable, repellent finish — and plans to expand the applications on certain product lines across several ITG divisions. The companies also recently partnered to supply outer-shell fabrics for the U.S. Department of Defense's Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble comprising a lightweight chemical/ biological protection suit.

May/June 2011