Austria-based Starlinger & Co. GmbH — a manufacturer of machinery and complete lines for
producing woven plastic bags — recently delivered its 600th KON series sack conversion line. The
KON series of sack conversion lines, which Starlinger has been supplying globally since the 1960s,
converts tubular fabric woven from plastic tapes into sacks. In an automatic, continuous process, a
woven tube is cut to the desired length and sewn, and then a closure is added according to the type
of application and customer specifications.

Starlinger reports the latest version of its KON 2002 line, used to make polypropylene (PP)
sacks, is suitable for leno, coated and uncoated fabric, as well as oriented PP-laminated material
and material tubed from flat fabric. The KON 2002 offers cost-savings for customers through
material-savings processes; and also consumes less energy than comparable machines and 50-percent
less energy than the first KON lines consumed, according to the company.

May 4, 2010

Pittsburgh, May 4, 2010 — Bayer MaterialScience LLC, a leader in polyurethane chemistry, recently
announced the availability in the North American market of new high-solids, fine-particle
polyurethane dispersions for the formulation of textile coatings.

These high-solids products, which offer environmental and economic advantages for
applicators, were developed for various textile applications and markets, which include automotive
interior and contract upholstery.

The new products are:

•    Impranil® LP RSC 1554 polyurethane dispersion – gives textiles more
volume and body; is well suited to sporting goods and interior furnishings.

•    Impranil® LP RSC 1380 polyurethane dispersion – improves the haptic
properties of synthetic leathers in sporting goods and interior furnishings.

•    Impranil® LP RSC 1537 polyurethane dispersion – characterized by its
softness and flexibility, this specialty product is well suited to the creation of an adhesion
layer that is subsequently transferred to the textile together with the top layer.

“From an economic and logistical perspective, these new aqueous dispersions help make the
textile coating process more efficient,” said Scott Grace, technical director, Waterborne Business
Development, Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties, Bayer MaterialScience LLC.

Because these dispersions feature solids content of up to 60 percent, the inventory amount of
raw materials that is needed can be reduced. Furthermore, applicators can achieve higher film
builds in one coat, reducing the number of overall coats that are necessary. Also, processing is
more efficient because less water needs to be evaporated, and fewer stabilizing additives are
required.

There are several environmental advantages, as well. “Utilizing polyurethane dispersions as a
replacement for PVC coatings allows for a coating with ultra-low volatile organic compounds
(VOCs),” said William Corso, technical manager, Textile and Specialty Laboratories, Coatings,
Adhesives and Specialties, Bayer MaterialScience LLC. “For this reason these Impranil® dispersions
are a more eco-friendly and applicator-friendly option for synthetic leather formulations.”

 

Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of polymers and high-performance
plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with
approximately 14,300 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2009 sales of 7.5
billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative
solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the
automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries.
Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas
of innovation, product stewardship, excellence in corporate management, social responsibility and
respect for the environment.

Press release courtesy of Bayer MaterialScience

 

Posted on May 4, 2010

Spartanburg, S.C.-based textile and chemical manufacturer Milliken & Company has announced it
will move part of its Global Floor Covering Division from LaGrange, Ga., to Spartanburg, adding
approximately 40 positions in Spartanburg. According to Milliken Director of Public Affairs Richard
Dillard, the relocation will not involve any job cuts, and additional design, administrative and
support positions may be added as needed.

The move, expected to be completed by early August, will enable the company to improve its
customer service in the Floor Covering Division and will bring all business leadership of its major
divisions at one location.

“The positions we are bringing to the Upstate are high-level leadership jobs along with many
creative and design jobs, some of which could be filled from the local job market,” Dillard said.
“This move reflects our commitment to make our Spartanburg headquarters a showplace like no other
for our customers, a great place to work for our associates, and a facility in which the
Spartanburg community can take great pride. It will assure we are well positioned for the future as
we use the Spartanburg headquarters to create the total customer experience for our business
partners.”

May 4, 2010

DSM Dyneema — manufacturer of Dyneema® high-performance polyethylene fiber and a division of the
Netherlands-based life and materials sciences company Royal DSM NV — has introduced Dyneema XBO, a
high-strength, low-weight, long-life fiber developed to replace steel in rope lines used in
deep-sea installations.

According to DSM, ropes made with Dyneema XBO offer the same load-bearing capacity as steel
wire ropes, but weigh seven times less and are more flexible and easier to install. Ropes made with
XBO also allow systems to carry higher loads or be downsized while keeping their deepwater
installation capacity.

DSM also reports ropes made with XBO offer saltwater-, ultraviolet radiation- and
abrasion-resistance; are highly resistant to dynamic as well as static loads; and match or exceed
steel wire ropes in bending cycles to failure.

“Synthetic fiber ropes with Dyneema have a great potential with respect to deep water lifting
operations, because of their submerged weight,” said Eric Romeijn, technical manager, Huisman
Equipment BV. At 3,000 [meters] of water depth the effective pay load of a deep water crane using
Dyneema rope may be doubled compared to a steel wire rope.”

May 4, 2010

Laurens, S.C.-based US Fibers — a recycler of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) post-industrial and
post-consumer material and a division of Pac Tell Group Inc. — will invest $10.1 million to expand
its Trenton, S.C., manufacturing facility, with the expectation of adding 85 new employees. The
expansion will increase the plant’s polyester recycling capacity and help position US Fibers to
enter new markets. The company plans to start hiring for the new positions and begin work in the
third quarter of this year.

“We continue to see demand grow for our recycled materials, and this expansion will help us
better serve our customers,” said Steve Zagorski, vice president, new business development, US
Fibers. “South Carolina continues to offer our company an excellent business environment and we are
pleased to continue making the Palmetto State our home.”

According to US Fibers, it is the only U.S. company to recycle all forms of PET material and
convert it into high-quality, regenerated staple fiber, preventing more than 250 million pounds of
waste from being sent to landfills. The company supplies the recycled material to the nonwovens,
automotive, filtration, construction and home furnishings industries, among other markets.

May 4, 2010

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., April 30, 2010 — A proposed new standard from ASTM International Committee
D13 on Textiles will be useful to those involved in the design and evaluation of garments that are
meant to fit tight on the body.

The proposed new standard, ASTM WK27572, Test Method for Elastic/Stretch Properties of
Textile Materials, is being developed by Subcommittee D13.59 on Fabric Test Methods, General.

“Elongation using a specified load only tells us a part of what we’d like to know,” says Kham
Viengkham, materials test engineer, Nike Inc., and a member of D13. “We want to be able to identify
the yield point where the material begins to experience permanent deformation or is no longer
elastic. This point is useful to designers, product developers and pattern makers for properly
sizing garments by utilizing an amount of stretch below a materials yield point. This area can be
called the elastic region, where we can better predict the behavior of a material.”

Viengkham says that knowing the yield point of a material will enable designers to avoid
garment failures such as sagging, bagging and other fabric deformations. The proposed test method
will also allow designers to determine how tight or compressive a garment will feel.

The subcommittee welcomes participation in the ongoing development of ASTM WK27572,
particularly from designers who would be using the standard. ASTM International welcomes and
encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an
ASTM member, visit
http://www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery
systems in the world.  ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles
for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension,
effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency.  ASTM standards are
accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial
transactions.

Press release courtesy of ASTM International

Posted on May 4, 2010

Toledo, Ohio-based glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials producer Owens Corning has
set up a 5,500-square-meter center of excellence for technical fabrics at its manufacturing plant
in Zele, Belgium. The center will have pilot- and full-scale advanced production equipment capable
of weaving, stitching and assembling multi-axial fabrics and a laboratory to test and evaluate new
infusion molding and other closed-mold fabric technologies prior to production or use in customer
processes.

“By centralizing our fabric development activities in Zele, we will have more flexibility in
scheduling and can continue the work 24/7 if necessary,” said Mark Neville, vice president and
managing director, OCV™ Technical Fabrics. “The expertise at this center will also further drive
standardization and quality in our manufacturing facilities to better serve our customers.”

According to Dr. Chris Skinner, director of global technical marketing for OCV Technical
Fabrics, having a focused fabrics excellence center is the next step in the evolution of composite
materials and will provide flexibility to make multiple changes on a project as it develops.

The center also expands the company’s global science and technology network, according to
Ashish Diwanji, vice president for innovations, Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business. “The
excellence center for technical fabrics has robust links to the company’s major innovation centers
in Chambery (France) and Granville (Ohio), enabling rapid introduction of fundamental innovations
by the fabrics business,” Diwanji said. “The center is a major tool for supporting our customers in
developing new applications and markets for composites, and for continuing our more than 70 years
of leading glass fiber materials innovation.”

April 27, 2010

Spectrum Mills LLC has announced it will invest $2.7 million over the next three years to open a
specialty yarn manufacturing plant in Marion, N.C., creating 49 jobs in the process. A private
investor purchased the company, formerly Spectrum Dyeing and Finishing, out of bankruptcy and plans
to consolidate two shuttered facilities into one operation. Spectrum Mills will manufacture
textured and colored polyester yarns for use in wholesale and retail applications including sewing,
needlework and piece goods. The investment was funded in part by the One North Carolina Fund.

“Spectrum Mills is excited about the opportunity to locate our manufacturing operation in
North Carolina,” said Chongchul Kim, president, Spectrum Mills. “North Carolina’s solid history of
being a textile state, with higher education and research devoted to the textile industry,
validated our decision to locate here. A high-quality workforce, competitive utility rates and
friendly state and local governments were also critical factors that attracted us to the state of
North Carolina.”

The company reports salaries will differ depending on job function, but the average annual
wage for new employees will be $33,286, not including benefits.

April 27, 2010

Morrisville, N.C. based Elmarco Inc. — the U.S. division of Czech Republic-based Elmarco S.r.o., a
supplier of industrial-scale nanofiber production equipment — and The Nonwovens Institute at North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, have issued a call for papers for the Nanofibers for the 3rd
Millenium 2010 conference, to be held Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2010, in Raleigh.

The conference’s goal is to promote the adoption of nanofibers in a wide range of innovative
functional products. Academic, research and industry experts in the field will gather for two
concurrent sessions, Nanofiber Technology and Trends and Nanofibers in Products. This is the third
year the event has been held, and the first time North America has hosted it.

Papers/abstracts must be submitted by May 17, 2010, and will go through a review process. For
more information, contact
www.nano3millennium.com/call_for_papers.cfm.



April 27, 2010