EDANA Announces Nominees for INDEX 26 Awards Recognising Nonwoven Innovation

EDANA has announced the nominees for the INDEX™26 Awards, which recognize innovation and technical development in the nonwovens industry. Selected from a record number of submissions, the finalists represent developments in materials, finished products, raw materials, and machinery relevant to the sector. The winners will be announced during the INDEX™26 exhibition on Tuesday, 19 May at 10:30 CET on the EDANA stand.

Nonwoven Roll Goods

Lenzing – LENZING™ Dualwipe
LENZING™ Dualwipe is a cleaning wipe produced from regenerated cellulose using LENZING™ Nonwovens Technology. The material features a dual-surface design combining an abrasive surface for removing dirt, grease, and residues with a soft absorbent layer for liquid uptake and surface finishing. The wipe contains no fossil-based synthetic materials, binders, or chemical additives and is compatible with existing converting and processing infrastructure.

Magnera Corporation – Next-Gen Fluid Barrier Technology
Magnera has developed a fluid barrier technology for protective medical textiles used in surgical and clinical environments. The technology provides liquid repellency against water, oil, and other fluids without intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The system aims to maintain barrier performance while aligning with evolving regulatory requirements related to PFAS materials.

Woolchemy – neweFlex™ ADL
Woolchemy introduced neweFlex™ ADL, a plastic-free acquisition distribution layer made with neweFibre™, a hygiene-grade wool fibre designed to meet regulatory standards for non-sterile hygiene products. The material combines wool and plant-based fibres and is designed for disposable hygiene products such as diapers and sanitary pads. It can be processed on standard carded spunlace nonwoven equipment.

Finished Products Incorporating Nonwovens – Single-Use Applications

Corman – Organyc “Personalized Protection” Light Incontinence Pads
Corman’s light incontinence pads incorporate a Smart-Cotton™ cover with a citric acid buffer designed to maintain a skin pH of 5.5. The pads include a Cotton-Balanced Absorbent Core that directs liquid toward superabsorbent polymers and an odor-control system using an organic ingredient to bind ammonia.

Teknomelt Teknik Mensucat – Fibrasiv®
Fibrasiv® Abrasive Spunlace combines a spunlace nonwoven base with an integrated abrasive structure designed for cleaning applications. The material enables mechanical cleaning while minimizing surface damage and may be used in various professional and consumer cleaning environments.

Finished Products Incorporating Nonwovens – Durable Applications

Confitex Technology – Reusable Nonwoven Bed Pads
Confitex has developed reusable nonwoven bed pads designed to withstand more than 30 machine wash and tumble-dry cycles. The pads feature a fast-wicking top sheet, an absorbent core capable of holding over two litres of liquid, and a bonded frame structure designed to reduce leakage across the entire surface.

DuPont Personal Protection – DuPont™ Tychem® 6000 SFR
DuPont™ Tychem® 6000 SFR garments are protective coveralls designed to provide barrier protection against more than 250 chemicals while also offering secondary flame resistance. The garments are intended to be worn over primary flame-resistant clothing in sectors such as oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, and emergency response.

Pelsan Tekstil – Metabreathe™
Metabreathe™ is a nonwoven-based thermal insulation composite designed for cold chain logistics. The material combines reflective particles printed onto a breathable film integrated with a nonwoven structure, allowing air and moisture vapor transmission while reflecting more than 90% of solar radiation. The product has been shown to keep cargo 12–15°C cooler during ramp exposure.

Raw Materials or Components

Bostik – Kizen™ Miles 9.0
Kizen™ Miles 9.0 is an adhesive for disposable hygiene products designed to enable separation of plastic components during recycling when exposed to specific chemical and mechanical conditions. The adhesive contains up to 75% renewable materials and is designed for bonding substrates such as PP, PE, and PLA.

Fiberpartner – PolyPlant®
PolyPlant® is a PLA-based fibre designed to improve crystallization behaviour, molecular stability, and fibre morphology. The fibre is compatible with existing production equipment and maintains biogenic carbon content while addressing performance limitations associated with conventional PLA materials.

The Lycra Company – LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber
LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber is designed to provide elasticity that adjusts to body movement and shape. The material is used in hygiene garments to support fit, comfort, and flexibility across multiple size ranges.

Machinery Innovations

Kansan – KM Hydroentanglement Filtration System
Kansan’s KM Hydroentanglement Filtration System is a mechanical filtration solution developed for wetlaid and spunlace production lines. The system enables recovery and reuse of water and fibres during production without chemical filtration units. It is designed to deliver approximately 200 kWh energy savings per hour, 20 cubic meters of water savings per hour, and up to 2 tons of fibre recovery per day.

Teknoweb Converting – OCEAN System
IMA Teknoweb’s OCEAN converting system is designed for absorbent underpads. The system features drumless core formation that distributes fluff and SAP on a carrier web and supports multilayer product structures. According to the developers, the system can reduce raw material use by up to 30%.

ZUIKO – Converting Machine for Recloseable Baby Diapers
ZUIKO developed a converting line designed for adjustable pull-on pant diapers. The machine incorporates the patented “Stretch Re-pitch Drum™,” which regulates elastic tension and spacing, enabling production of more than 700 diapers per minute while managing asymmetric product design and folding processes.

The winners in each category will be announced during a ceremony at the INDEX™26 exhibition on Tuesday, 19 May at 10:30 CET at the EDANA stand.