Filament showcases new Micromattique

By Carole Sloan -- Home Textiles Today, 12/22/2003 12:00:00 AM

CHARLOTTE, NC —

A new supermicro version of Micromattique is being showcased at Showtime in High Point, NC next month by Invista-America's Filament.

Invista also will showcase Dacron Vibrance, a producer colored polyester filament.

The new version of the Micromattique fiber, first introduced in October 1990, is .37 denier per filament (dpf) compared with the original which was 0.7 dpf, or about twice as fine, according to Tonya Farrow-Chestnut, new product development and communications manager for the Dacron polyester filament business.

Quaker launched the supermicrodenier fiber in its Ultrasoft line in April "and it has become the No. 1 product in the mill," said Tom Muzekari, vp. With 60 colors in the $7 per yard item, "we sell it for color as well as hand, and blue is the top color," he added.

Quaker sees the new Micromattique "as a wonderful product, and we're expanding its use," Muzekari added.

Concerning Dacron Vibrance, Farrow-Chestnut said it is produced by Unifi as part of a manufacturing alliance. Invista schedules and manages the marketing of the POY construction; Unifi handles the manufacturing.

As part of the manufacturing alliance, Farrow-Chestnut explained, prior to 2000, the facility in Kinston, NC, was DuPont's, the facility in Yadkinville, NC, was Unifi's. They now are both Unifi's.