The spun-bonding process was firstly attempted to be commercialized through 1940’s and 1950’s. It was patented by Slather and Thomas of Corning Company for the production of glass wool (US Patent 2206058). In 1945, Callender patented similar spunbond processes for the production of mineral wool (US Patent 2382290). Spunbonded nonwovens made of synthetic polymers were commercialized by the technology of Freudenberg (Germany) and Du Pont (USA) in the 1950’s and 1960’s (Hill, 1990). Afterwards, various spun-bond processing technologies such as Lutravil® (1965, Freudenberg Company), Dacron® (1971, Lurgi Kohle & Mineral öltechnik GmbH), Reicofil® (1984, Reifenhäuser), REX® (Amoco Fibers and Textiles), and S-TEX® (Sodoca) have been introduced. But all of them share similar technology. They integrate filament extrusion (spinning), drawing, deposition (lay-down), and bonding and winding into roll goods (McCulloch, Pourdeyhimi, & Zamfir, 2003). In 1990’s equipment suppliers including Nordson, Kobelco, Hills, and others offered complete spunbond lines.
In 2000’s Reifenhauser, the main turnkey supplier of PP spunbond, offered bico-spunbond and meltblown using Hills technology. Spunbonded production was originally limited to Western Europe, the US, and Japan, but has since spread to virtually all over the world. Production lines, mainly nonproprietary, have been installed throughout Asia, South America, and the Middle East, areas and countries that previously did not participate in the technology (INDA, 2004).
