Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls

5th July 2006

Nonwoven as the name indicates is a fabric that is not a traditional weave like cotton which is used for example in tea shirt. It is constructed from plastic like polymer such as, Polypropylene, Nylon, Polyester, etc normally in a single or multi filament which is laid down on a platform know as a web former and gently melted together. There are 10 or more types with an average constituent fibre diameter from 1um to 30um, so that grades with a wide range of fibre diameters can be chosen from. This melting together creates rolls of material suitable for cutting and sewing into garments like Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls.

This method of production is highly automated and guarantees a low cost base. The resulting Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls permit the outward movement of perspiration and body heat and the inward passage of air making them breathable. Because the pores are very small air molecules are permitted passage whereas larger molecules of liquids and some airborne bacteria are not, making the material Microporous. Unlike paper based products, these Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls do not "wet out" These Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls can be produced  with  ultraviolet  stabilising agent, antistatic and waterproofing agent and hydrophilic additives.

The main ISO standards relating to these materials are ISO 9073 1/2/3/4

Environmentally friendly
PP nonwoven interlining's main constituents are Polypropylene which can be recycle, naturally decomposed and completely incinerate without any production of poisonous gas and pollutants. The Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls are hygienic and non-irritating, non-allergenic.

These materials can be used in a single layer or in multiple layers to create a laminate suitable for Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls

Spunbond polypropylene
This material forms the basis of most of the Spunbond Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls. It can be characterised as follows;

1. Economic to produce.
2. Breathable with high air permeability.
3. Impenetrable to particulates
4. Resistant to mould and mildew
5. Strong and resistant to wear and abrasion
6. Washable
7. Recyclable
8. Suitable for thermal laminating

Meltblown multiple micro fibres
Meltblown fabrics are the result of extruding multiple fibres to create the web with the following characteristics.

1. Very absorbent
2. Do not wet out
3. Resistant to mould and mildew
4. Hypo-allergenic
5. Washable
6. Recyclable
7. Suitable for thermal laminating

The heart of the system is the Meltblown head, which delivers a very fine spray of adhesive to the nonwoven sheet of Spunbond polypropylene. The adhesive is literally exploded apart by the high pressure hot air to produce a sliver of adhesive less than 1/100th the thickness of a human hair and less than 1/16 of an inch long.

What this means is the fibres are small enough so that they do not block the pores which provide the breathability of the film but are large enough to glue the film to the nonwoven.

When the Nonwoven and film meet together at the compression rolls they are then pressed together and "shock cooled" to force the glue to harden. This is the advantage that our process has over the competitors.

In adhesives the common practice is to "spread a lot of glue around" and unfortunately this hurts the performance of the product. More GLUE means less breathability. Less GLUE means more separation or "delaminating" of the product. It is an art rather than a science and only the most experienced companies can survive the rigors put forth on performance.

Laminate materials
Spunbond/Meltblown/Spunbond

The laminating of these materials under heat creates a superior product that incorporates all the advantages of the individual layers, strength, breathability and provides a barrier and results in a superior Nonwoven Lab Coat, Howie coat and Coverall.

1. Resistant to mould and mildew
2. Breathable
3. Hypo-allergenic
4. Excellent filtration performance
5. Washable
6. Recyclable
7. Properties enhanced with additives
8. comfortable to wear.

ShieldOut Barrier products
ShieldOut is made from two materials "married" together. The first material is a specially designed polypropylene textile that makes the material strong and hard to "punch through". The second material is a film that has very small holes [pores] in it. (These holes will not permit chemicals to pass through but will permit oxygen to pass through and that is why it is "Breathable").

Also since the film is Polyethylene it means that the outside of the suit is resistant to most chemicals and will not "wet out". The interior material will transport "sweat" away from the wearer making it unique from the other products where moisture "pools" and drips.

What this means to the end user is a Nonwoven Lab Coat, Howie coat and Coverall that is reliable, breathable, aids the evaporation of trapped condensation, stops liquid penetration and is comfortable and functional with all of the cost benefits.

Chemicals resistant
Independent laboratory testing to prove that the chemical resistance was what the industry expected against the know standards.  The results as follows;

ShieldOut Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls can be used in;

1. Clean rooms since the linting level is 0%
2. Paint shops since penetration to the user is 0% and contamination from the user is 0%.
3. Asbestos/lead paint removal shows there is no penetration into the suit.
4. EMS services shows that the user will be protected against 100% blood borne pathogens.
5. Fibre-glass/epoxy environments are 100% protected from both the wearer and the environment

Face masks for surgical, SARS and Bird Flu protection
In addition to their applications with Nonwoven Lab Coats, Howie coats and Coveralls these materials are also married together to make surgical face masks suitable for providing protection from SARS and Bird Flu. These face masks, block air borne particles, bacteria filter efficient 99.8%, 3 ply, the composition being 25 gsm PP/20gsm Meltblown/14gsm PP. The result is a very effective filter medium with great absorbency. These masks protect your cleanroom, laboratory or controlled environment from human contamination providing easy breathing with superior comfort. They are also suitable for protection against airborne particles in the street, at work and at home. Use as part of general protection against bird flu.