Planet under Pressure

and usage, an extra component such
as latex is added. The felt is submerged
into a dispersion tank, after which the
remaining water is evaporated using
an energy-intensive thermal process.
UltraBond does not work this way and
only needs thermal treatment.
The UltraBond fibre is specifically
designed to have a lower melting temperature
than normal polypropylene
than normal polypropylene (PP) fibres:
140°C for UltraBond versus 160°C for
regular PP fibres. PP fibre can be blended
into an existing nonwoven composition,
and the bicomponent PP fibre guarantees
additional strength and stiffness without
requiring additional blends with other
raw materials.
Saving 20 million liters of water a year
A traditional fibre application such as
exhibition carpet uses 0.2 liters of water
per square meter to make bonding
agents such as latex work. By taking
latex out of the equation, UltraBond also
bypasses the need for water. Looking at
the event carpet market in Europe alone,
this could potentially save 20 million
liters of water per year.
UltraBond’s manufacturing process
saves a whopping 93 percent of energy
expenditure because no water needs to
be evaporated. This obviously reduces
energy costs and lowers the carbon footprint
(by 35 percent).
Flagship product on board
UltraBond is already being used in products.
One of them is the Rewind recyclable
event carpet, which was launched by
Beaulieu International Group at the end
of 2019. Crucial to Rewind’s success was
that the UltraBond-based carpet would
match – or even exceed – traditional
event carpet performance in terms of
sturdiness, anti-piling, and color evenness.
It passed its first test with flying
colors: It was used at the COP 25 Climate
Change Conference in Madrid from
December 2 to 13.
THE ALCHEMY OF
ULTRABOND
Blending of PP fibres + UltraBond
oven
PP Fibre
UltraBond
Bicomponent fibre UltraBond
Low melt
sheath
oven
High
strength core
Maria Teresa Tomaselli, General Manager
“
Beaulieu Fibres International, comments:
Filtering the future
We see textile flooring as just
the beginning. We look forward
to exploring the potential of this
unique thermal bonding fibre in
other nonwoven or textile
applications, such as laminated
nonwovens or as an alternative
to dry powders.
UltraBond-based fabrics have the potential
to branch out in other markets. On
top of the environmental benefits, the
thermally consolidated UltraBond fibres
in nonwovens are on a level with latexbonded
nonwovens in terms of stiffness,
without affecting porosity. UltraBond
fibres can become attractive alternatives
in technology sectors such as water and
air filtration industries, life sciences,
and geotextiles. All of them are looking
for sustainable alternatives to current
solutions.
In the flooring world, further applications
for contract flooring are also possible,
for example in showrooms, office
spaces, museums, and other areas that
experience high-frequency foot traffic.
The average person will not notice the
difference with traditional PP fabrics,
but the environment will.
ULTRABOND’S
SUSTAINABILITY
ADVANTAGES IN A
NUTSHELL
• Reduced energy consumption:
Curing latex is energy-intensive, but
because of the absence of latex,
less heat is needed.
• No water consumption: As a consequence
of not needing water (traditionally
one of the key agents in
the latex bonding process), Ultra-
Bond-based PP event carpets can
save as much as 20 million liters of
water a year.
• Lower CO 2
emissions: Using Ultra-
Bond in the manufacturing process
of nonwoven needlepunch fabrics
lowers CO 2
emissions by an average
of 35 percent, potentially cutting
back up to 10,000 tons of carbon
emissions for the European event
carpet market alone.
• Contribution to the circular economy:
Latex-bonded PP cannot be
recycled, but UltraBond-based products
can. Not only does this reintroduce
pellets into the economy after
recycling, it also removes waste
from landfills and lowers carbon
emissions from incinerators.
WHO IS BEAULIEU
INTERNATIONAL
GROUP?
Beaulieu International Group was
founded in 1959 in Belgium and is a
global producer of flooring solutions,
engineered fibres, yarns, and technical
textiles as well as polymers. It
employs nearly 5,000 people worldwide.
Beaulieu International Group
enjoyed a 2019 turnover of €2 billion.
Beaulieu Fibres International, the
brand that created the UltraBond
fibre, has production facilities in
Belgium and Italy.
Global Goals Yearbook 2020 87