Archroma launches Appretan® NTR, a water-based textile coating binder based on renewable natural ingredients

After the well reported EarthColors^®, a range of dyes synthesized from materials such as almond husks or saw palmetto leaves - bio-waste from the agriculture and herbal industries -, Archroma is launching another new innovation based on natural ingredients. The new product, Appretan^® NTR, a water-based textile coating binder developed for applications such as tea bags, coffee filters or capsules, uses a natural, renewable raw material that is widely available near the production site of Lamotte, France, where Appretan^® NTR is produced.

The company is committed to developing products in compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable.

The new binder, introduced for the very first time at the Techtextil exhibition on 15 May 2019, was developed following these principles. About one third of Appretan^® NTR’s active content is based on a polysaccharide from renewable raw materials, allowing a reduction in the use of fossil fuel based resources without compromising performance.

Appretan^® NTR does not contain biocides or alkylphenolethoxylates (APEO) and does not release formaldehyde. It has been designed so that the optimum properties can be achieved without additional curing step at high temperature compared to the industry standard process, thus helping to save significant energy for textile producers and the planet.

Initially developed for the chemical bonding of non-wovens for technical textiles and coating, Appretan^® NTR displays excellent film forming properties and very hydrophobic behavior. In addition, the unique chemistry of this binder makes it resistant to water, mild solvents, oil and fat, and it also provides an increase in dry and wet tensile strength. Appretan^® NTR can also be applied in combination with other crosslinkers.

Using Archroma’s best-in-class knowledge of food contact regulations, Appretan^® NTR has also been tailored for customers who operate in the highly regulated, growing market of hot liquid filtration. Appretan^® NTR complies with global food contact standards, such as FDA 176 -170, BfR XXXVI and BfR XXXVI/1, which certifies the suitability of the end-product even in conditions such as immersion in boiling water.

“Appretan^® NTR represents a break-through in the area of coating binders, demonstrating again that it is possible to challenge the status quo and to create chemistry that is gentler on the environment,” Damien Corpet, Global Head of Product and Technology Innovation, Binders and Reactive Resins, at Archroma, comments. “We are proud to bring to the industry a new generation of binders that relies more on the natural and safe materials that surround us and less on classical petroleum based raw materials, helping to minimize our dependence on fossil fuel resources.”