Toagosei Annual R&D Report “TREND” – Issue No. 24

In recent years, there has been a trend in the apparel industry toward seamless construction, where fabric pieces are joined and hems are folded using adhesives rather than sewing1),2). In addition to enhancing design appeal, seamless construction offers benefits such as reduced skin irritation in underwear and improved wind resistance and heat retention in winter clothing. Fabrics are typically bonded together by melting a urethane-based hot-melt adhesive in tape or film form using a hot press or similar equipment. However, urethane-based hot-melt adhesives have durability issues such as texture degradation, yellowing, and age-related deterioration in the bonded area.

In response to the global spread of COVID-19, awareness of the need for safe and secure environments has increased, leading to growing interest in antiviral-treated products. Against this background, we have developed a novel, high-performance antiviral processing agent, “NOVARON® IV,” unlike any conventional product.
In this product introduction, we present the performance and features of several grades: “NOVARON® IV 1000,” which exhibits excellent colorability, heat resistance, processability, and safety, and also provides rapid antiviral activity and water resistance, demonstrating high antiviral efficacy against enveloped viruses; “NOVARON® IV 2000,” which shows high antiviral efficacy against non-enveloped viruses; and “NOVARON® IV 3000,” which offers high antiviral efficacy against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.