Regenerated polyester staple fibers
Let us clarify why we insist on calling our fibers Regenerated, and not recycled.
Some fibers are obtained from used woven and nonwoven fabrics by carding the material back to the fibers. These are "recycled" fibers. These fibers will be used for felts or other low quality, non/quality specific applications.
Our fibers are RE-generated from recycled PET materials. It is a manufacturing process, very similar to the original virgin fiber manufacturing process.
These fibers are comparable in quality, color and end use to original virgin fibers.
Basic types of regenerated polyester staple fibers existing in the market place are:
Dope dyed color fibers
Also called solution dyed, this type of fibers are made with color masterbatches. The color is "melt" into the fibers, not dyed on afterwards. So the colors are locked-in permanently.
The color fastness of solution dyed fibers are much more superior than chemically dyed fibers, yarns or fabrics.
There is absolutely no required dyeing afterwards, no more usage of water, heat and energy.
Price savings with dope dyed fibers alone should be a strong incentive for buyers to consider.
Usually available from 1.4 to 15 deniers.
End applications include yarn spinning, nonwoven fabrics, carpets, felts, accoustic absorbing panels, etc.
High tenacity low elongation fibers (HTLE)
This type of regenerated fibers, predominantly white in color, exhibit the highest tenacity amongst all regenerated polyester fibers. Therefore tend to be the most expensive and exhibit the best overall quality.
It is almost identical to virgin polyester fibers in tenacity and elongation, and have slightly higher defect rates and off color.
Due to higher cost of equipment and quality material required for this type of fiber, only a few manufacturers make such a fiber.
HTLE fibers usually fluctuate with virgin fiber prices and are priced at a discount. In addition to the cost incentive for buyers to switch from virgin to HTLE fibers, buyers take advantage of the environmental benefits.
Usually available from 1.0 to 3 deniers.
End applications include yarn spinning, ring, airjet, rotor and vortex, needle puch, thermal bond, spunlace, nonwovens.
Low and mid tenacity fibers
This is the original type of regenerated polyester fibers. The tenacities are lower, and defect rates are higher. However since there is a vast number of manufacturers in the market place, qualities vary greatly.
Most of the dope dyed color fibers fall into this category.
These type of fibers have big cost advantages. Since their quality and defects are not as consistant as HTLE or virgin fibers, they tend to be used in industrial or other hidden applications.
Available from 1.4 to over 15 deniers.
End applications include low end yarn spinning, filtration, interlining fabrics, geotextiles, carpets, car truckliners, stuffing for furniture, textile nonwovens, etc.
Filling fibers
These fibers usually have a hollow core, like a straw, and are used premarily for stuffing toys and furniture.
Hollow fibers usually come in conjugated crimp form, a three dimentional spiral instead of a two dimentional wave in typical fibers. They can be treated with an exterior siliconized finish to give it bulky and slick feel.
Available from 3 to 15 deniers, and 0.9 solid siliconized.
End applications include toy and furniture stuffing.
0.9 Solid siliconized end applications include apparel and duvet down-like stuffing.