Process chemicals for the fibre industry — and an application lab to prove them. A look back at three days in Dornbirn, and at why close cooperation is the only way innovation happens in this industry.

Fibre chemistry, up close

The Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress is one of the few places where the entire fibre world sits in one room: producers, machine builders, research institutes and brand owners. That is exactly why we were there — to present our process chemicals for the fibre industry, and to talk to the people who actually run the lines.

Events like this matter more than their programme suggests. The fibre industry does not move forward in isolation. Everyone holds one piece of the puzzle, and progress only happens when those pieces get put on the table together.

What we brought with us

Our range covers the fibre process from spinning through to finishing:

Our own application lab

A product list on its own does not solve anyone’s problem. What makes the difference is being able to test, adjust and reformulate before anything goes onto a production line. We run our own application lab for exactly that purpose: we reproduce the relevant steps of the process, measure the values that matter to the customer, and iterate until the result fits.

For hygiene applications that means strike-through, rewet, run-off, repeated liquid strike and surface tension. For spinning it means running behaviour, deposit formation and downstream processability. The data comes before the trial, not after it.

An extended workbench, not a catalogue

Many of our customers work with us the way they would work with an in-house development team — as an extended workbench. They bring us the fibre, the line parameters and the target values; we bring the chemistry, the test capacity and the formulation experience. The product that comes out at the end is built around that specific process, not picked from a shelf.

That approach only works if we stay close to the industry. Congresses like Dornbirn are a large part of how we do that: the conversations at the booth tell us what producers are working on long before it appears in a specification.

Proud to be part of this chain

Many excellent conversations at our booth, strong presentations throughout the programme, and once again that reminder of just how versatile fibres can be. Our process chemicals sit at a small but critical point in the fibre process — and helping our customers get their product right is what we are here for.

Our thanks to the organisers for the work behind the scenes, and to everyone who took the time to talk with us.

CALL TO ACTION

Missed us in Dornbirn?

Tell us your fibre, your line and your target values — we will take it from there. Samples, trials and joint development are all on the table. Write to salesFC@agatex.at.

Der Beitrag AGATEX at the Dornbirn Global Fiber Congress erschien zuerst auf AGATEX.

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.

Der Beitrag AGATEX at the 65th Dornbirn GFC 2026 erschien zuerst auf AGATEX.