One web, four requirements

Designing a hygiene nonwoven today does not mean solving one problem. It means solving four, usually at the same time.

The topsheet has to wet fast, repeatedly, and give nothing back. The back sheet and the barrier layers have to repel. On the card the web must not build up static, or fibre fly, web uniformity and line speed all suffer. And as soon as a nonwoven moves towards vehicle interiors, medical or construction, flame retardancy is added on top.

In many projects those four functions arrive from four different suppliers — four contacts, four document packages, four schedules. At AGATEX they come from one.

The four functional finishes

Hydrophilic finishes — LAMBAFIL®. Durable and temporary hydrophilic finishes for topsheet, ADL and corewrap, for hygiene, medical and agriculture. Designed for PP, PET, PLA, viscose, lyocell and bicomponent fibres, applied on the fibre as a spin finish or on the web — inline at the oven, by foulard, or through the bath.

Water repellent finishes — LAMBAPHOB®. PFAS-free, based on natural raw materials and readily biodegradable to OECD 301. In use for back sheet and barrier layers, agricultural fleeces, roofing membranes and outdoor applications.

Antistatic agents — LAMBAFELT®. For PP, PET and PA nonwovens in spunbond, meltblown and needlepunch. Antistatic is the finish that appears least often in the specification and costs the line most often — fibre fly at the card, wraps, stoppages.

Flame retardants — CABERTEX®. Halogen-free finishes tested to FMVSS 302 and ECE R118, complemented by barrier function and oil and chemical resistance. Main applications are vehicle interiors, headliners, filter media, protective textiles and construction.

The range is completed by wetting agents (LAMBATOL®) and defoamers for spunlace water circuits (LAMEX®).

www.agatex-nonwovens.com

Where the formulations are built

Behind the four product families sits our own application technology centre, the AGATEX Innovation Center. It runs what would otherwise have to be tried out on the customer’s production line:

– Fibre carding

– Nonwoven application on a laboratory foulard

– Fibre sink time measurement

– Hygiene nonwoven testing: lister, wetback and run-off tests to EDANA methods

– Analytics: HPLC, GC, Soxhlet extraction, tensile testing

This is why AGATEX formulations do not come out of a catalogue. A customer sends their substrate, we set the finish to it, measure in house and supply the figures with the product. The trial series on the production line therefore does not start from zero.

Why a European producer

AGATEX has been developing and producing chemical auxiliaries since 1921 — at its home site in Edt bei Lambach, Upper Austria, and now from a second production site in Prachinburi, Thailand. For European nonwoven producers that means production inside the EU, a REACH compliant way of working, certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, short routes and one contact instead of a supply chain running across several continents.

Let’s meet in Cascais

Thomas Maier, Head of Application Technology, will be at OUTLOOK™ 2026. Whether it is a specific finishing task, a substrate change, or the question of which function can realistically be applied on your line — we will take the time.

Book a meeting: office@agatex.at · +43 7245 32341-0 · www.agatex.at

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• LAMEX® deaerators release the air already entrained in the colour, so the applied film comes out homogeneous instead of pockmarked. Silicone-free options earn their keep especially in graphic and coated grades, where any silicone carry-over shows up as spots on a surface that’s meant to be flawless.
• LAMBATOL® wetting agents lower surface tension, improving how the colour wets the base paper and how the film levels out. Faster, more even flow-out — fewer streaks, fewer fish-eyes.

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AGATEX at Cinte Techtextil China 2026

From 1 to 3 September 2026 AGATEX will be at Cinte Techtextil China 2026 in the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Halls E1–E7. Three days on nonwovens – and on the chemistry that decides whether a web wets in half a second or sheds water for ten years.

AGATEX GmbH · Edt bei Lambach, Austria

Cinte Techtextil China 2026: why this show matters to us

Cinte Techtextil China is the Asian daughter show of Techtextil in Frankfurt and covers twelve application areas of modern textile technology. The 2025 edition brought together more than 300 exhibitors from twelve countries and regions across 32,000 m² of exhibition space, with close to 20,000 professional visits. The 2026 edition adds further emphasis on AI, sustainability – and on textile chemicals, including a dedicated Textile Chemicals and Dyes Zone.

That is exactly where we live. We are not coming with a standard range, but with one question: how does your line actually run? Which substrate, which process, which requirement at the end of the chain.

What we want to talk about

LAMBAFIL® – fibre preparation and hydrophilic finishes

Spin finishes and durable or temporary hydrophilic finishes for all common processes: spunbond, meltblown, SMS/SMMS, spunlace, needlepunch, airlaid, thermobonding and carding. Whether topsheet, ADL or wipe – sink time and wetback behaviour do not happen by accident, they come from a formulation matched to the substrate.

LAMBAPHOB® – water repellency without PFAS

Completely PFAS-free, based on natural raw materials and readily biodegradable per OECD 301. In use on crop covers, roofing membranes, geotextiles and outdoor applications. The regulatory pressure is coming – we already have the answer at production scale.

LAMBAFELT® and LAMEX® – antistatics and defoamers

Antistatics for PP, PET and PA nonwovens, plus defoamers developed specifically for the water circuits of spunlace lines. Two unremarkable product groups – until the day they are missing.

CABERTEX® – functional finishes

Halogen-free flame retardancy to FMVSS 302 and ECE R118 for vehicle interiors, antimicrobial finishes, barrier function and oil and chemical resistance – for automotive, medical, filtration and construction.

From sample to line: the AGATEX Innovation Center

Before a formulation goes into production, it runs through our own application technology centre: fibre carding, laboratory foulard, fibre sink time measurement, hygiene nonwoven testing to EDANA (lister, wetback and run-off tests) plus analytics with HPLC, GC, Soxhlet extraction and tensile testing. Bring a sample or a specification – we will turn it into a trial plan that holds up.

Austrian formulation, production in Asia too

AGATEX has been developing and producing chemical auxiliaries for the nonwovens and fibre industry since 1921 – for 105 years from Edt bei Lambach in Upper Austria, certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, REACH compliant, and a member of EDANA and CIRFS. Our second production site in Prachinburi, Thailand, significantly shortens lead times and supply routes for customers across Asia.

Who you will meet

Xu Wang Nigl supports our customers from the first enquiry through to the running line, and will be in Shanghai for the full duration of the fair. Bring a specification, a problem line or a sample – that is what the three days are for.

Topics: Cinte Techtextil China 2026 · Shanghai · nonwovens · spunlace · spunbond · LAMBAFIL® · LAMBAPHOB® · PFAS-free · CABERTEX® · flame retardancy

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AGATEX will be present at the 65th Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress (Dornbirn GFC) 2026 with a table top exhibit.

Our focus will be on our full portfolio of spin finishes and process auxiliaries for the fiber and nonwovens industry — from classic textile applications to technical and hygiene nonwovens.

Our solutions support:

• optimal fiber processing through controlled friction, antistatic performance, and cohesion
• textile applications in yarn and filament production
• technical nonwovens for automotive, filtration, geotextiles, industry & construction
• hygiene nonwovens with the highest requirements for skin compatibility and fluid management

At our booth, we will be showcasing:

• LAMBAFIL® – spin finishes & fiber preparations
• LAMBAFIL® – hydrophilic finishing agents
• LAMBAPHOB® – PFAS-free hydrophobic finishing agents
• LAMBAFELT® – antistatics
• LAMBATOL® – wetting agents
• LAMEX® – defoamers
• CABERTEX® – flame retardants & functional finishes

Visit us at table and discuss your specific applications with our team — from fiber to textile, technical, and hygiene nonwovens.

More about the congress: dornbirn-gfc.com

1. LAMBAFIL® spin finishes for man-made fibers (PET, PP, PA and others)

Spin finishes for filament and staple fiber processes, tailored to polyester, polypropylene, polyamide and further polymers. Development follows process reality: filament cohesion and friction behaviour, antistatic performance, thermal stability on godets and heated elements, drawing behaviour, and clean processability in texturing, carding and downstream operations. The standard range is complemented by customer-specific formulation development.

2. LAMBAFIL® hydrophilic finishes for man-made fibers and nonwovens

Durable and temporary hydrophilic finishes for applications where liquid uptake and distribution determine product performance – hygiene and medical nonwovens, filtration, technical nonwovens. The focus is on reproducible wettability across multiple insults, low yellowing tendency, and stable performance in spunbond, meltblown and carding/thermobonding processes.

3. LAMBAPHOB® hydrophobic finishes – PFAS-free

Water- and oil-repellent finishes without per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. With European PFAS restrictions advancing, substitution is no longer a future question for many producers but a live project on a deadline. LAMBAPHOB® is our answer: fluorine-free hydrophobic finishing with a robust property profile for technical textiles and nonwovens – including hands-on support during the changeover phase in the plant.

4. LAMBAFIL® R – finishes for mechanically recycled fibers

The product line currently occupying us most. Mechanically recycled fibers are shorter, more heterogeneous and mechanically more sensitive than virgin fibers – which shows up in tearing, carding and web formation as fiber breakage, short fiber content, dust and unstable slivers.

Less fiber damage means higher yield, better yarn and web quality, and calmer machinery. At the Table Top we are happy to walk you through how the series is structured and which grade suits which input stream.

5. LAMEX® defoamers for fiber production, spunlace and rPET washing

Foam is rarely a headline item in plant engineering – and frequently the reason a line does not run at rated capacity. LAMEX® defoamers are formulated for the aqueous circuits of fiber and nonwoven production: spunlace water circuits including filtration, finish baths in fiber manufacturing, and the washing stages of rPET processing. The criteria are fast knockdown, sustained foam control at low dosage, and compatibility with the remaining process chemistry.

6. LAMBATOL® washing agents for rPET flake and chip washing

The quality of rPET is decided in the wash. LAMBATOL® washing agents are designed to remove label adhesives, oils, greases and residues from the post-consumer stream – with controlled foaming and good rinsability. The objective is a flake or chip that delivers no surprises in extrusion and re-spinning.

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Lambach, [October 10, 2025] – AGATEX Feinchemie GmbH is the winner of the prestigious Hermes Business Award 2025 in the International category. The award recognizes the outstanding performance of the family-owned company, which has stood for innovation, sustainability, and reliability since 1921.

AGATEX is now managed by the fourth generation, Georg Bauer, and the fifth generation, Nikolaus Bauer-Harnoncourt. With its business areas of refrigerants and specialty chemicals, as well as its sister company Pernauer Chemiewerke in the detergent sector, AGATEX is one of the internationally successful medium-sized companies based in Upper Austria.

“This award is a great recognition of what our employees achieve every day – together with our customers, who have placed their trust in us for decades. We are proud that our value orientation, innovative strength, and sustainable development are being highlighted in this way,” says Georg Bauer.

In recent years, AGATEX has invested heavily to further expand its position: With the new innovation center in Lambach, which will open in 2025, research and customer development will be more closely linked. At the same time, construction is starting on a state-of-the-art production facility in Thailand, which is scheduled to go into operation in 2026 and will serve the Asian market more efficiently.

The Hermes Business Award confirms AGATEX’s approach: preserving tradition, but consistently investing in the future and pursuing the goal of creating added value for customers, employees, and society. Prize confirms AGATEX’s approach: preserving tradition while consistently investing in the future and pursuing the goal of creating added value for customers, employees, and society.

About AGATEX
AGATEX Feinchemie GmbH is a family-owned company based in Lambach, Upper Austria. The company has been developing, producing, and distributing specialty chemicals and refrigerants since 1921.

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On October 10th, 2025, at exactly 11:11 a.m., AGATEX celebrated a historic milestone: the Groundbreaking Ceremony for its first international production site in Prachinburi, Thailand.

More than a century after Hanns Bauer laid the foundation of AGATEX in Lambach, Austria, another foundation was set — this time in Southeast Asia. The event marks the next chapter in our company’s journey of innovation, quality, and partnership.

The ceremony combined traditional Thai spirituality with Austrian family heritage, symbolizing both gratitude and forward-looking optimism. With blessings, incense, and the first pile driven into the ground, the ceremony embodied AGATEX’s philosophy: Building the future with respect for our roots.

Among the guests were Georg Bauer and Nikolaus Bauer-Harnoncourt (Owners of AGATEX Group), Andreas Köck (Managing Director AGATEX APAC), H.E. Dr. Wilhelm Donko (Austrian Ambassador to Thailand), Michael Friedl (Austrian Commercial Counsellor), and many of our valued partners and friends.

The new AGATEX Thailand production site will serve as a hub for specialty chemicals for the fiber, nonwovens, and paper industries in Asia. With its strategic location, the site will enable faster service, closer customer collaboration, and sustainable growth throughout the region.

“This step is both a symbol of our heritage and a commitment to the future,” said Nikolaus Bauer-Harnoncourt. “We are proud to continue what began over 100 years ago — now with an even broader horizon.”

“AGATEX has always stood for long-term relationships built on trust and reliability,” added Georg Bauer. “Our expansion to Thailand follows the same philosophy — growing together with our customers and partners.”

We sincerely thank everyone who has supported us on this journey so far.
This is only the beginning — but a beginning built on strong foundations.

Video of the Groundbreaking

#AGATEX #Groundbreaking #Thailand #Prachinburi #SpecialtyChemicals #FamilyBusiness #Innovation #Growth #AsiaPacific

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Zum Presse Artikel

We are proud and grateful:
AGATEX Feinchemie GmbH has been honored with the prestigious Austria’s Leading Companies (ALC) Award as the best medium-sized company in Upper Austria.
This award is a great honor for us – and it confirms that we are on the right track: sustainable innovation, long-term thinking, and genuine teamwork make all the difference.

Success built on two strong pillars

Today, AGATEX has two successful business areas:
fine chemicals, where we develop and produce specialty chemicals for fiber, nonwoven, paper, and wood-based material applications,
and refrigerants, where we operate as a full-service provider for the refrigeration industry—with a focus on quality, safety, and responsibility.

This combination of chemical expertise and technical application is what makes us special:
we combine tradition and innovation, industrial know-how and sustainability, regional roots and an international perspective.

A prize that belongs to many

This success is the result of the work of many people.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our employees, who work passionately, courageously, and responsibly every day to develop new solutions—whether in the laboratory, in production, in sales, or in engineering.

They ensure that our customers in Europe and Asia can count on products and services that combine quality, safety, and sustainability.

Partnerships as a foundation

We would also like to thank our partners and customers who have accompanied, challenged, and inspired us for many years.
Together, we create innovations that solve real challenges—in refrigeration technology as well as in specialty chemicals.
This cooperation between equals is the foundation of our success.

Values that guide us

As a fifth-generation family-run business, we know that true strength is based on consistency.
Our values—responsibility, integrity, quality, and entrepreneurial courage—guide us in everything we do.

We invest in people, research, and sustainable technologies to remain a leader and a reliable partner in the future.

Looking ahead

For us, the ALC Award is not a goal, but an incentive.
With the establishment of our new production site in Thailand, the further development of our refrigerant services,
and new sustainable solutions in fine chemicals, we are continuing on our growth path.

Our goal remains clear:
to shape chemistry and refrigeration technology responsibly – for industry, the environment, and society.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey—our team, our partners, our customers, and friends of the company.
This success belongs to all of you.

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Our focus at the event:
🔁 LAMBAFIL® R series – For the mechanical recycling of textiles
The textile circular economy is one of the major challenges of the coming years. With our LAMBAFIL® R series, we offer innovative chemical additives that have been specially developed for the requirements of mechanically recycled fibers. Among other things, the products improve:

• the fiber length after processing,
• reduce dust during processing,
• and optimize further processing in carding, combing, or spinning.

In this way, we are making an active contribution to the better integration of recycled materials into existing processes.

🧪 LAMBAFIL® Nonwoven Solutions – Tailor-made chemistry for nonwovens
Whether antistatic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic finishes or defoamers – with our LAMBAFIL® product range, we offer tailor-made solutions for the specific requirements of nonwoven production. Our focus is on process reliability, product performance, and sustainability.

🧬 New AGATEX Innovation Center – Development under real conditions
In order to provide our customers with even better support, we opened our new Innovation Center in 2025. There we can:

• conduct fiber-specific tests directly in-house,
• simulate application-specific tests on nonwovens,
• and develop new formulations much faster and in a more targeted manner.

This means shorter development times, better results, and even closer cooperation with our customers.

Visit us at the AGATEX tabletop at the Hofer Vliesstofftage 2025 in Hof.
We look forward to talking to all players along the nonwovens value chain – from manufacturers and machine builders to brands and converters.

📩 For further information, please contact us at: office@agatex.at

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