United States-based Invista, a global integrated fibers and polymers manufacturer, has signed an
agreement to license its 1,4 butanediol (BDO) and polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG)
technologies to China-based Chongqing Jian-Feng Industrial Group Co. Ltd. Jian-Feng is investing 2
billion renminbi (approximately US$300 million) to build a manufacturing complex that will produce
BDO and PTMEG at Chongqing Chemical Industry Park in the Fuling district of the Chongqing
Municipality.
“We are proud to support Chongqing’s continuing technological and industrial development
through our licensing of BDO and PTMEG technologies,” said Jeff Gentry, CEO and chairman of the
Board of Directors, Invista. “Our technology licensing organization, Invista Performance
Technologies, has over 40 years of technology transfer experience and has participated in over 40
projects in China. We are pleased to provide Jian-Feng with the design and know-how for its
manufacturing operation in Chongqing.”
The agreement includes the manufacturing processes, required technologies, product
formulations and the expert engineering services for the complex’s two plants, which are expected
to produce 60,000 tons of BDO and 46,000 tons of PTMEG annually. BDO is used to make polyester
resins and polyurethanes. PTMEG is a polyether glycol used as a building block in high-performance
polyurethanes, polyesters, copolymers and other polymers, with end-uses including spandex fibers,
thermal plastic elastomers and cast elastomers for apparel, automotive and industrial
applications.
In other news, the company has unveiled the Lycra® Sport performance standard for outdoor and
active apparel fabrics containing Lycra® fiber and is accompanying the launch with a new logo and
hangtag as well as an advertising program and a new website. The program emphasizes high technology
and performance standards associated with the Lycra brand, and its testing procedures and fabric
qualification standards are being shown to certain mill partners. Apparel fabric and sock
manufacturers and brands that participate in the Lycra Sport program must comply with the new
standard in terms of Lycra fiber content, fabric weight, recovery power, bi-directional elongation,
fabric set, fabric shrinkage and fit.
“Invista recognized that the message to consumers had become confusing, with stretch or
spandex appearing on many sport fabric hangtags as a proxy for fit, comfort or freedom of
movement,” said Julien Born, global director, Activewear & Outdoor Apparel, Invista. “While our
research confirms that these benefits are indeed of utmost importance to consumers when purchasing
a sport garment, we also know that stretch via the presence of spandex is only a small part of the
equation to allow consistent delivery of such fabric performance requirements. Our new Lycra Sport
fabric program, which combines stretch fiber technology and demanding fabric performance testing
standards on important parameters such as recovery power, addresses this issue and will help
consumers’ choice at the point of sales.”
July/August/September 2009