NETInc Opens Door to Latest Innovations in Nonwovens
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The TAPPI NETInc Innovative Nonwovens Conference being held September 13 - 15 at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Ga., brings together the industry's top experts from its manufacturing and supplier sides as well as academia, R&D, and marketing to share breakthroughs in technology, emerging developments, and trends on the global horizon. This is the only event worldwide designed, developed, and conducted exclusively by movers and shakers in the fast-moving nonwovens arena. The program concept, session topics, and selection of speakers have been determined and hand-picked on a peer-reviewed basis by a special committee of worldwide nonwovens experts. NETInc is a one-of-a-kind, can't-miss exploration of the current and future direction of nonwovens and the complex dynamics shaping its unfolding destiny.
Organized into 13 sessions, NETInc begins with a special Filtration Tutorial (included in conference registration) on Tuesday afternoon, September 13, that examines methods and approaches to understanding and predicting air resistance and particle capture efficiency in fibrous webs. Following this tutorial, the event's opening keynote session includes presentation of the TAPPI NET Division's Innovation in Nonwovens Award to Dr. Anthony Atala from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for his work using nonwoven scaffolds for regenerative medicine. Dr. Atala will then discuss his work and provide his view of the future of nonwovens in the medical area.
The Markets Trends & Analysis session following the Innovation in Nonwovens award and keynote address takes an in-depth look into the raw materials world of nonwovens and developing trends in the global disposable diaper marketplace. Alex Lidback of HIS provides an up-to-the minute forecast and outlook for a broad range of raw materials, while Carlos Richer of Richer Investment reports on emerging diaper markets and how they compare with developed markets.
 Session 8 on Wednesday afternoon, September 14, focuses on evolving nonwovens developments and applications in the medical sector. Idris Cerkez and Royall Broughton of Auburn University will present a new, inexpensive, and practical way of creating multi-functional (antimicrobial and durable press) cotton fabrics. Wan-Ju Li, John Barber, and Andrew Handorf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison then discuss a new study on "Braiding Electrospun Nanofibers for Tendon/Ligament Tissue Engineering." This study centers on the successful fabrication of a new tissue engineered scaffold that has favorable biological and mechanical properties for tendon/ligament tissue engineering. These braided nanofibrous scaffolds are able to enhance cell activities and matrix production in bioreactor culture. Rounding out the medical session, Elizabeth Loboa of North Carolina State University looks at scaffold based strategies for functional bone tissue engineering that involve the use of three-dimensional, biocompatible, biodegradable structures to provide an adequate template for ex vivo cell expansion and maturation, native tissue ingrowth, and restoration of the original tissue qualities with respect to bone's biochemical constituents, morphology, form, and function. Her presentation focuses specifically on the creation and use of nanofibrous and nanocomposite nonwoven scaffolds.
Session 11 on Thursday afternoon, September 15, provides an up-close examination of two new emerging technologies now on the nonwovens applications stage. Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhim of North Carolina State University" describes "A New Generation of Splittable Fibers fro Technical Applications." According to Dr. Pourdeyhim, a new core modified trilobal fiber has been developed that allows the formation of unique micro-denier structures with enhanced tear, breathability, durability, and hand. These structures, he notes, open new possibilities for nonwovens in durable applications. Mohit Ajitkumar Raina of the Institut Fur Textiltechnik reports on new applications of nonwovens in the automotive sector, including a di-electric measuring system for determining the distribution of fiber in a multi-component nonwoven structure. With this system, he says, it is possible to judge the localized homogeneity of a nonwoven fabric. Another automotive application is an algorithm for image processing. Processed images of nonwoven structures allow determination of the percentage of thick and thin areas and the unevenness coefficient. The rising quality demands of the automotive industry necessitate online measuring systems, Raina notes.
More information on these and other sessions and activities at NetInc 2011, including online registration, is available on the event website.
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