LivingTech—enjoy traveling

Textile Effects 

LivingTech—enjoy traveling 

Providing comfort, color and performance 

Textile Competence

LivingTech—enjoy traveling 

People on the move—travel has become an integral part of modern life. 

Whether it be commuting on a daily basis, transcontinental business travel or 

tourism, at any given point in time billions of people are on the move. 

Because travel represents for such a significant aspect of our daily lives, 

issues such as comfort and safety have taken on a high priority. 

Functional textiles fulfill exactly these needs and contribute on the one hand 

towards greater comfort through their handle and on the other through visual 

appeal. 

Over and above the comfort element, functional textiles also fulfill an extremely 

important role—that of safety both for public and private transportation. 

The main features and requirements of functional textiles are: 

• Light-weight (fuel saving >> reduction of CO2-emissions) • Fireproof (flame retardant >> safety) 

• Light-fastness (value stability) 

• Abrasion resistance 

• Anti pilling 

• Liquid repellency 

• Color fastness to perspiration, dry cleaning, rubbing, washing and water 

• Breaking strength and elongation

L i v i n g T e c h 

Enjoy car travel 

In modern society life without cars is virtually unthinkable 

and the automobile has moved from being just a means 

of transportation to becoming both an essential commodity 

as well as a status symbol. People spend so much 

time in their cars that the expectations are now similar to 

those of a home. Accordingly there is also an increasing 

trend to consume food and drink in cars. Regardless of 

these factors, consumers wish for the interiors to be visually 

and sensually aesthetic and remain that way. First 

class fabrics in car interiors can make all the difference! 

Ranking of key functions and effects— 

functional textiles for automotives: 

• Durability 

(high temperature light-fastness, abrasion resistance) 

• Function and performance 

(oil, water and stain repellency, antistatic) 

• Safety and protection 

(flame retardant properties) 

• Cost savings 

(enhanced productivity) 

Single effects and various effect combinations are possible. 

Typical functional textiles used in automotives: 

• Upholstery (seat covers) and carpets (tufted, needled) 

• Seatbelts and airbags 

• Filters (nonwovens such as cabin filters, engine 

filters, fuel filtration) 

• Head liners and hood liners 

• Trims (woven and knitted, for e.g. boot liners, head 

liners, door panels) 

• Luggage racks (nets) and luggage covers 

• Soft tops for convertibles 

Durability 

Car interiors are permanently exposed to severe conditions 

such as extreme temperatures, humidity, bright and 

low light, dust and dirt. Functional fabrics for automotive 

applications therefore need to achieve the highest degree 

of durability with respect to shade stability and abrasion 

resistance. 

Function and performance 

Reflecting today’s fast-moving lifestyle, food and drinks 

are regularly consumed in cars. With this trend the risk of 

spillage is very high and automotive fabrics have to be 

able to protect against staining from foodstuffs. A repellent 

function helps protect the material against stains, and 

a release function helps improve the cleanability of fabrics 

where stains are rubbed into the fabric structure. 

Another important performance feature for car textile interiors 

must be the ability to counteract against the build up 

of electrostatic charges (antistatic effect). This is a common 

problem familiar to everyone who has ever received 

an unpleasant “electric shock” caused by a combination 

of fiber selection, friction and humidity. 

Safety and protection 

Polyester and polyamide, synthetic fibers used for automotive 

interiors are extremely flammable. A glowing cigarette 

or a smoldering matchstick could easily ignite and 

start a fire. A flame retardant function is a must for functional 

textiles used in cars to prevent the fabric from 

catching fire. 

Cost saving 

Part of the optimized production processes which lead to 

increased output and cost reduction comes from minimizing 

second dyeing, spots and other reworking of fabrics 

for car interiors. 

Desired functions and effects for textiles used 

in private transportation vehicles: 

• Flame retardancy 

• Oil, water and stain repellency 

• Durability of oil, water and stain repellency effect after 

abrasion 

• Abrasion resistance of fabric 


• Antistatic 

• High temperature light-fastness 

• Shampoo fastness 

• Non fogging 

• Hydrolysis resistance 

• Molding resistance 

• Operating fluids resistance 

• High temperature resistance 

• Resistance to prolonged heat exposure


Enjoy flying 

With globalization, the air transport industry plays a crucial 

economic role with rapid intercontinental connections. 

Furthermore, increasing competition in the skies makes air 

travel much more affordable—a boost for the tourism 

industry. Statistics show that more than 2 billion passengers 

are annually transported by airlines which translates 

to 30% of the world’s population. These figures are on 

the rise at the rate of nearly 5% per annum. Judging by 

these numbers one can assume that passengers expect 

a high degree of comfort, even luxury on their flight. 

Functional textiles play a significant role in contributing to 

the in-flight well-being of passengers through design and 

aesthetics as well as handle and performance. 


functional textiles for planes: 



• Cost and resource saving 

(weight reduction = CO2 reduction) 




(abrasion resistance) 


Analog to the key requirements of functional textiles used 

in other means of transportation with different emphasis 

on each specific function and effect! 

Functional textile elements in planes: 

• Upholstery (seat covers) 

• Cushion covers 

• Curtains 

• Carpets 

• Headrests 

• Wall coverings 

• Filters 

• Blankets 

• Safety belts 

Even more stringent performance and safety standards 

apply to furnishing and other accessory textiles used in 

aviation. 

High on the priority list of regulations are the flame 

retardant (FR) properties of fabrics used in planes. The 

decisive criterion takes the worst case scenario: fire in a 

closed cabin during the flight and the time for an emergency 

landing including evacuation of the passengers. 

Given this criterion, FR-standards not only include the 

flammability and burning behavior of the fabric but also 

the measurement of the heat release, smoke density and 

development of toxic gases like carbon monoxide, hydrogen 

cyanide, nitrous gases and hydrogen fluoride. 

Textiles in planes have to perform at a very high level with 

regard to durability, cleanability and fastness. The following 

examples demonstrate the expectations on functional 

textiles. 

Seat covers are demounted 3–5 times a year and externally 

dry cleaned. They have a life expectancy of 2.5 

years. 

Carpets in the aisle are subject to constant stress 

caused by the catering trolleys. These carpets have to be 

replaced every three months. 

Just these two examples and the fact that it is estimated 

that China alone will need around 2000 wide-bodied 

aircraft by the year 2020 highlights the potential for functional 

textiles in this segment. 

Desired and statutory effects for textiles used 

in planes: 

• Flame retardancy including low development of toxic 

fumes in case of a fire and heat release (passenger 

safety has top priority) 


• Durability of oil, water and stain repellency effect after 

abrasion 




• Colorfastness to artificial light 


• Dry cleaning fastness 

• Washing fastness 

• Rubbing fastness


Enjoy train travel 

With growing congestion in major cities around the world 

and increasing fuel costs, public transportation is fast 

becoming the transportation means of choice. 

To meet this demand and to make public transport more 

attractive, the industry needs to meet consumer expectations 

of comfort, cleanliness and safety. 

This is where performance furnishing materials play a key 

role by providing aesthetic appeal whilst at the same time 

demonstrating durability and safety—especially with flame 

retardancy. 


functional textiles for trains and coaches: 




(abrasion resistance, antivandalism) 







Typical functional textiles in public 

transportation vehicles: 

• Upholstery (seat covers, e.g. velvet pile, flat woven) 

• Curtains 

• Carpets for trains 

• Filters 

• Headrests 

• Roller blinds and sunshades 

• Safety belts (mainly coaches) 

• Luggage racks 

Safety considerations in more advanced markets are 

already leading to many public service vehicles being 

equipped with seat belts. Some observers see this area 

as eventually being an important new extension to the 

market for air bag technology. 


in public transportation vehicles: 


fumes in case of a fire (passenger safety has top priority) 


• Durability of oil, water and stain repellency effect 

after abrasion 




• Combination of antimicrobial finish with oil and water 

repellency 

• Light-fastness 

• Antivandalism effect (destruction of fabric by sharp 

objects such as knives or pens) >> selection of special 

fibers and fiber construction


Enjoy cruising 

The cruise industry is one of the fastest growing segments 

in tourism—growing by more than 2,100 % since 

1970, when an estimated 500,000 people took a cruise. 

More than 12 million people took a cruise in 2006. 

Industry estimates are that 500,000 more will cruise in 

2007. 

The cruise industry’s growth is also reflected in its 

expanding guest capacity. Nearly 40 new ships were built 

in the 1980s and in the 1990s nearly 80 new ships were 

launched. By the end of 2007, 88 new ships will have 

been introduced since 2000. 

Modern cruise ships are “swimming luxury hotels”, which 

by their very nature require, especially in the cabins, 

enormous quantities of textiles. Cruise ships therefore 

represent an expanding segment for the implementation 

of functional textiles. 


functional textiles for cruise ships: 






(abrasion resistance) 





The list of functional textiles used on board 

cruise ships demonstrates the potential for this 

segment: 

• Upholstery (seat covers) 

• Cushion covers 

• Curtains 

• Roller blinds, vertical blinds 

• Carpets 

• Wall coverings 

• Tablecloths 

• Fabric for chairs, sofas and beds 

• Lamp shades 

• Fabric for deck chairs 

• Awnings and sun shades 

• Umbrellas 

Although most of the above belong to the home textile 

family with similar requirements, these functional textiles 

must provide enhanced performance at all levels for 

thousands of people. 


in cruise ships: 


fumes in case of a fire (passenger safety has top priority) 


• Durability of oil, water and stain repellency effect 

after abrasion 


• Hydrolysis resistance 



• Colorfastness to artificial light 

• Light-fastness 


• Dry cleaning fastness 

• Perspiration, water and washing fastness 

• Sea water fastness 

• Rubbing fastness

www.huntsman.com/textile_effects 

Region Europe 

Huntsman Textile Effects (Germany) GmbH 

Rehlinger Straße 1 

86462 Langweid a. Lech, Germany 

Telephone +49 8230 41-0 

Fax +49 8230 41-370 

infotexeurope@huntsman.com 

Region Americas 

Huntsman International LLC 


4050 Premier Drive 

High Point, NC 27265, USA 

Telephone +1 800 822 1736 

Fax +1 336 801 2808 

infotexamericas@huntsman.com 

Region Asia 

Huntsman (Guangdong) Ltd. 


Flying Geese Mountain Industrial Park 

Shilou Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou 

511447, PR China 

Telephone +86 20 8484 5100 

Fax +86 20 8484 5222 

infotexasia@huntsman.com 

Edition 2007 

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0600046e—May 2007, Printed in Germany.

LivingTech—enjoy traveling

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