Alexium rolls out fire retardant nylon treatments

20 Jan '12

3 min read

Alexium International Group Limited (Alexium) is pleased to announce that it is entering the commercial roll-out phase of flame retardant, oil/water repellent nylon. The eco-friendly flame retardant treatment is based on a new flame retardant mechanism that Alexium has discovered and developed for nylon fabrics. The treatment has met key technical milestones for flame retardancy, water repellency, and durability.

Alexium will now be entering larger demonstration runs for interested partners and enter into certification testing for military and commercial customers. In the coming months, Alexium will be negotiating license agreements with partners to deliver FR nylon treatment capabilities to fabric producing partners, addressing the demand from military and commercial customers in the United States and abroad.

While Alexium is negotiating licensing agreements and working on specific products with fabric producers, it anticipates a combined market demand of at least four million linear yards per year, with excellent profit margin potential.

The unique FR mechanism of Alexium's nylon treatment offers exceptional flame retardancy by the formation of a protective nanocomposite char layer. This char layer also prevents any dripping or melting, which is characteristic of many synthetic FR fabrics.

Notably, this performance is provided without using halogenated chemicals which are under increased scrutiny in the US and Europe because of their potential impact to the environment and public health. While heavy back coatings are currently available for rendering nylon FR, they have limited application due to their high weight and impermeability.

Due to the inherent advantages over other fibers, nylon remains the top choice for many outdoor apparel systems, including the cold weather clothing systems, which are issued to each core soldier in the US military. The US military currently has 1.4 million soldiers serving on active duty and 800,000 soldiers on reserve duty.

“We clearly see where our FR treatments can make an impact in the marketplace. We are excited about the potential and very pleased with the progress our technical team has made to date. It's a revolutionary approach and very different from any other FR treatment. After transitioning the technology to licensees for nylon, we will be exploring applications on other synthetic fabrics and blends,” stated Stefan Susta, Alexium's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director.

Alexium's RST technology, which combines innovative microwave curing with novel chemistry, is the basis for this new topical fabric treatment. In addition to the topical FR treatment, Alexium has applied a water/oil repellency treatment without impact on the FR properties and excellent durability.

Alexium International Group Limited holds proprietary patent applications for a process developed initially by the US Department of Defense, which allows for the surface modification and attachment of nano particles or multiple chemical functional groups to surfaces or substrates to provide functions such as water proofing, oil proofing, anti-microbial, non-stick and UV protection.

Alexium International Group Limited

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