Beaulieu Fibres International UltraBond finalist for prestigious essenscia Innovation Award 2019

• essenscia Innovation Award is Belgium’s most prestigious prize for industrial innovation
• UltraBond is a cost-effective solution for fully recyclable, latex-free, sustainable carpets
• Significant reductions in ecological footprint and cost for carpet manufacturers

Wielsbeke, Belgium – April 3, 2019 – Beaulieu Fibres International, Europe’s largest producer of polyolefin fibres, was nominated for the 2019 essenscia Innovation Award for its recently introduced UltraBond fibre.

The Award

The biannual award is the most prestigious prize for industrial innovation in Belgium. Created by essenscia, the Belgian Federation for Chemistry and Life Sciences industries, it aims to promote innovations in the Belgian industry and encourages companies to invest even more in innovative and sustainable products and applications. During the evaluation of the nominated innovation projects, the jury assesses their link with chemistry, life sciences and materials, their contribution to sustainable development, their intellectual property management strategy as well as their added value for the economy.

The Product

Formally introduced in early 2019, UltraBond is a patented polyolefin bonding staple fibre that eliminates the need for latex or other chemical binders to bond nonwovens. It enables carpet manufacturers to create 100% PP needlepunch carpets that meet the same performance requirements as traditional constructions, while also reducing end-of-life environmental impact.

UltraBond helps manufacturers make a significant contribution to the circular economy through the production of 100% recyclable carpets. In addition to making recycled PP available for the plastics production chain and reduced waste generation, their total lack of water use and reduced energy use result in significant environmental advantages and financial savings. There is also a reduction in the VOC level of the carpet. This all leads to a significant reduction in a needlepunch carpet’s ecological footprint to the tune of a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions during the full production process.

Karena Cancilleri, Vice President Engineered Products for Beaulieu International Group, commented: “We are extremely proud to be nominated for this award, and I would like to thank essenscia for formally recognizing our efforts to introduce this significant change for our industry. Innovation is a key focus for our business to differentiate and to remain competitive on a global scale. This is also why we have invested €10 million in new production capacity and employment opportunities in Belgium.”

Ms Cancilleri added: “Today’s carpet industry is looking for a greener, more cost-effective production process, without reducing performance levels. We see textile flooring as just the beginning. Together with our customers, we look forward to exploring the potential of this unique thermal bonding fibre in other applications such as laminated nonwovens or as an alternative to dry powders.”

Beaulieu Fibres International

As largest European producer of polyolefin fibres, our company is part of the Engineered Products Business Unit of Beaulieu International Group, with headquarters in Belgium.

With three production sites in Europe – two in Belgium and one in Italy, we supply Mono/BICO fibres with round and trilobal cross section with linear densities of 1.0 to 500 dtex to customers in industries such as Automotive, Hygiene, Geotextiles, Flooring, Filtration and Upholstery. Our broad portfolio includes colored fibres, high elongation fibres, high tenacity fibres, ultrasoft fibres with different cross-sections, including trilobal, suitable for a wide range of processing technologies.

Member of Beaulieu International Group

Beaulieu International Group is a well-respected industrial group with headquarters in Belgium. It holds an important market position both in the production of raw materials and intermediate goods, and the supply of perfectly finished floorcoverings.

Beaulieu International Group is composed of three business units. ‘Flooring Solutions’, is a worldwide leader in wall-to-wall floorcoverings (carpet, needle felt, artificial grass, cushion vinyl, vinyl planks, laminate, parquet, wall panels and mats). A second business Unit, 'Polymers', produces polypropylene granules for numerous applications. The third business unit ‘Engineered Products’, houses the activities related to ‘Fibres’, ‘Yarns’, ‘Technical Textiles’ and ‘Technical Sheets’.

Another division of Beaulieu International Group is specialized in the development and production of quality upholstery fabrics for the sofa industry.

Beaulieu International Group has more than 5,000 employees in 27 plants, 16 representative offices and distribution centres spread across 16 countries. In 2017, the combined turnover was close to €2 billion.

The Beaulieu International Group's entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ambitions make it the model of diversity and evolution within the sector. They allow it to create added value sustainably for customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and for the society in which it operates.