Pfas-free fiber finish for film-free hygiene outercovers
Scalable, waterborne PFAS-free fiber finish that delivers liquid barrier performance on nonwoven outercovers without forming a continuous film. Applied via spray, foam, or kiss-roll, it preserves breathability, softness, and drape while supporting recyclable hygiene product design.
Overview
This technology is a scalable, waterborne, PFAS-free fiber finish engineered for film-free hygiene outercovers. Rather than relying on a continuous film layer to block liquid, the finish modifies individual fiber surfaces to improve liquid holdout and reduce stain visibility while preserving the open pore structure that controls breathability and water vapor transmission.
The approach is designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable, skin-safe, and recyclable hygiene products. By eliminating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and avoiding multilayer film constructions, the finish supports simpler product designs that are easier to recycle and more cost-effective to manufacture. The chemistry is tunable, allowing manufacturers to balance barrier performance, tactile softness, drape, low noise, and durability based on end-use requirements.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Waterborne formulation using low-add-on hydrophobic polymers, bio-derived waxes, or polyolefin-compatible soft binders
- Applied directly to nonwoven fibers via spray, foam, or kiss-roll processing compatible with high-speed nonwoven manufacturing
- Fiber-conformal treatment that modifies surface wetting behavior without forming a continuous film
- Preserves open porosity for air permeability and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)
- Tunable add-on levels, binder softness, and surface energy to balance liquid holdout, stain masking, softness, drape, and low noise
- PFAS-free chemistry designed for skin-contact safety and recycling compatibility
- Low-cost, bio-derived, or recyclable raw materials
Technology readiness level
This solution is at an early-to-mid stage of development. Future validation will proceed in four phases: initial screening of candidate finishes on representative nonwoven substrates, formulation optimization to balance barrier and comfort properties, benchmarking against film-based controls using standardized tests (hydrohead, strikethrough, WVTR, air permeability, cup crush, tensile strength, stain visibility, and durability), and pilot-scale coating trials to confirm process compatibility, cost, safety, and recycling impact.
About University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a comprehensive public land‑grant research university—the flagship of the UT System—classified as R1 and serving more than 40,000 students. Industry engagement is anchored by the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm, where corporate R&D and joint university–national lab facilities sit just across the river from campus, including assets such as the Volkswagen Innovation Hub and an AT&T 5G testbed. UT’s long‑standing partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory—via UT‑Battelle and the UT–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute—gives companies streamlined access to national lab capabilities, talent, and joint programs. A statewide Extension network and established co‑op programs connect companies to faculty expertise and student talent across Tennessee and into federal labs. Research is supported by competitive federal sponsors such as the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Commercialization is managed by the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, which handles IP, licensing, and startup formation.
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