Kenactiv Innovations Launches Kenaf Nonwoven Products Designed for Compatibility and Performance With Acrodur® Resins in Nat...
May 02 2013 - 11:00AM
Marketwired
Kenactiv Innovations Inc, the
Leading Developer and Manufacturer of Renewable Natural Fiber
Products in North America, Has Launched a Line of Natural Fiber
Nonwovens From Kenaf Designed for Compatibility With Acrodur®
Resins From BASF, and Optimized for Performance Using Existing and
Emerging Composite Technologies
SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwired -
May 02, 2013) - Kenactiv Innovations Inc (OTCQB: OPHI)
("Kenactiv") today announced the launch of a line of nonwoven mats
("felts") designed in consultation with BASF Corporation, makers of
Acrodur® resins, for compatibility and performance in natural fiber
composites using the VOC-free, water-based acrylics. These products
can replace injection-molded plastics and other materials at
significantly reduced weights and no reduction in strength, and
with a significantly improved environmental profile.
Kenactiv, a leading manufacturer of natural fiber and nonwoven
products for composites and other applications, and BASF began
collaborating in early 2012. The companies agreed to work together
to develop a custom natural fiber substrate product specifically
matched to Acrodur® resins and optimized for existing and emerging
manufacturing technologies. Importantly, the Acrodur® and Kenactiv
solutions can present a drop-in solution without the need for high
new capital investment and can be processed using most conventional
machinery.
"Increasingly, manufacturers are realizing not just the
sustainability benefits of these state-of -the-art composite
solutions, but also the performance value and process cost
reductions they can achieve," said Christopher E. Galvin, Chairman,
President and CEO of Kenactiv. "These products yield composites
that have a significantly higher strength-to-weight ratio than
fiberglass, are less abrasive to machinery, and provide excellent
acoustic insulation."
In addition to an extremely favorable environmental profile,
kenaf has particular suitability to these types of applications due
to its higher inherent thermal tolerance, low specific gravity, and
unparalleled absorptive capacity among natural materials.
Kenactiv's proprietary treatment for water resistance enhances the
fiber's resin interface, and innovative processing methodologies
yield higher structural integrity and add tensile strength to the
mats.
"While Acrodur® can be used with a variety of natural and
synthetic substrates, we found our manufacturing customers were
most eager to maximize Acrodur®'s performance and sustainability
value by pairing it with natural fiber substrates, but wanted a
drop-in solution," said Henning Karbstein, in charge of New
Business Development for Acrodur® in North America. "While BASF
works with all partners for this technology, we like to see that
Kenactiv's solutions provide both the compatibility with Acrodur®
and supply chain solutions manufacturers in North America require -
including the plan to use soon natural fibers grown and processed
in the region."
Acrodur® is an eco-friendly water-based acrylic resin with
excellent bonding performance, completely formaldehyde-free, and
free of potentially hazardous cross linker chemistry. It produces
highly durable results with excellent chemical resistance and
bio-stability. For additional information on natural fiber
composite solutions, visit the websites of Kenactiv and BASF.
ABOUT KENACTIV INNOVATIONS Kenactiv Innovations Inc.
("Kenactiv") is a manufacturer of products made from kenaf
supplying rapidly expanding U.S. industrial and consumer demand for
natural fiber solutions. Kenaf is a rapidly renewable crop with an
extremely favorable environmental footprint and applications in a
broad range of industries. Kenactiv's innovative processes and
technologies activate the tremendous power of kenaf to make many of
the products the world relies on better while also reducing the
environmental impact of manufacturing, distributing and disposing
of them. The Company, headquartered in Scottsdale (AZ), was founded
in 2008 in Snow Hill (NC) where it owns and operates a 160,000
square foot manufacturing facility. For more information, visit
www.kenactiv.com, and follow @kenactiv on Twitter.
Image Available:
http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2013/5/2/11G004899/Images/MultimediaAsset1-401857929.jpg
CONTACT: MARGARET SKRILOFF KENACTIV INNOVATIONS, INC. 7077 EAST
MARILYN ROAD, STE 140 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85254 Office: (480) 779-0046
EXT. 507 Toll free: (888) 999-6772 EXT. 507 Fax: (480) 779-0177
email: margaretsk@kenactiv.com website: www.kenactiv.comInvestor
Relations Contact: Valter PintoAlliance Advisors, LLC Main: (914)
669-0222 x201 valter@allianceadvisors.net
www.AllianceAdvisors.net