Delusterant for polyester and nylon fibres launched

ColorMatrix has entered the carpet, textile and nonwovens industry with a new liquid delusterant for use in polyester and nylon fibre production. Mattenex, a TiO2-based technology, reduces the reflective appearance of bright nylon and polyester fibre in a variety of applications from carpet and textile apparel to nonwoven and automotive products. It is suited to both staple and continuous filament production and engineered for heavy and fine deniers. A single Mattenex formulation is said to achieve many different matting levels and can be supplied to feed multiple extrusion lines. The dispersion characteristics of the liquid Mattenex concentrate require lower loading rates - as low as 0.03% - to deliver an equivalent visual matting effect to solid delusterants. Morag Girdwood, global brand development and communications manager, ColorMatrix Europe, said: Liquid dispersion technology offers significant processing benefits for manufacturers and major qualitative advantages for end users. During fibre production, dosing liquid polymers is much more accurate and achieves a far more consistent dispersion of the delusterant throughout the fibre. Liquid dispersion technology also enables considerable economic savings in terms of lower inventory costs; reduced energy use, maintenance and capital expenditure plus cuts in waste. Fibres treated with liquid delusterants have an outstanding matt appearance which is highly desirable from both an aesthetic and a practical point of view.