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

ARONTACK MPT-500 is a solvent-type acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive for fabric materials, developed as a seamless garment adhesive, textile bonding adhesive, and no-sew fabric adhesive for thermocompression bonding. It can be coated as a fabric pressure-sensitive adhesive or supplied as MF-500 fabric adhesive film; MF-500NTD offers reduced surface tack. Used between fabric layers and bonded by hot press at 130–150°C, the material supports fabric bonding tape, hem bonding, bonded seams, garment seam adhesive tape, and textile lamination for underwear and winter clothing. Seamless construction can reduce skin irritation from sewn seams and improve wind resistance and heat retention.

Unlike a chemically crosslinked acrylic PSA, MPT-500 uses physical crosslinking in an A-B-A triblock polymer. Hard segments provide cohesion at room temperature, while the soft segment and thermal flow allow the adhesive to conform to rough fibers during heat-press fabric bonding. Its 0.1 MPa storage modulus and elastic film provide soft hand feel, flexibility, and a less stiff seam. Peel strength was 14.8 N/10 mm on polyester knit for underwear and 11.1 N/10 mm on water-repellent nylon for winter clothing, comparable to or better than a urethane hot-melt adhesive. X-ray micro-CT also confirmed close contact with the uneven fabric surface.

MPT-500 addresses fabric adhesive stiffness, bonded-fabric yellowing, texture degradation, age deterioration, and bond failure associated with conventional urethane hot-melt systems. It showed no discoloration under light or nitrogen oxides. In an accelerated aging test using artificial sweat at 70°C and 90% RH, it maintained high bond-strength retention through 10 days, while the hot-melt comparison fell to around 10%. These results support its use as a durable fabric adhesive, flexible fabric adhesive, heat-aging-resistant acrylic PSA, and hot-melt alternative for seamless underwear, apparel, clothing textiles, and technical textiles. Potential applications also include nonwoven fabrics, artificial leather, glass fiber, and metal fiber.

NOVARON® IV is an inorganic antiviral processing agent and antiviral additive for textiles, fabrics, filters, and interior materials. The lineup includes NOVARON IV1000 for enveloped viruses, IV2000 for non-enveloped viruses, and IV3000 for both virus types, supporting evaluation as an antiviral textile treatment, antiviral fabric finish, antiviral coating for fabric, or antiviral agent for nonwoven fabric. IV1000 is a white, fine-particle inorganic powder with an average particle diameter of about 1 μm, heat resistance up to 600°C, moisture content below 1 wt%, and insolubility in water and solvents. These properties support heat-resistant, water-resistant, low-discoloration processing for varied materials and shapes.

A 0.1 wt% IV1000 water dispersion reduced influenza A virus by 99.99% under the test conditions. Polyester fabric treated with 1.0 g/m² of IV1000 also reduced the viral infection titer by 99.99% after two hours, and rapid antiviral activity was observed in three minutes. IV2000-treated fabric reduced feline calicivirus, used as a substitute for norovirus in JIS L 1922 testing, by at least 99.99%. IV3000-treated fabric reduced influenza virus by at least 99.99% and feline calicivirus by 99.97%, supporting antiviral treatment for both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.

IV1000-treated fabric retained an antiviral activity value of 3.4 after ten wash cycles, corresponding to a 99.96% reduction and meeting the SEK criterion of 3.0 or higher. This antiviral activity after washing and wash durability support a long-lasting antiviral effect in products exposed to water or laundering. Applications include antiviral treatment for masks and clothing, bedding, carpets and mats, car seats and car mats, air-purifier filters, wall and floor coverings, plastic bags and gloves, LCD protective films, and remote-control covers. Safety testing of IV1000 reported an acute oral LD50 above 2,000 mg/kg, no primary skin irritation, negative skin sensitization, and a negative Ames test. Performance should be confirmed in the final product under its intended conditions.