Hollingsworth & Vose Company (H&V), a leading supplier of engineered papers and nonwovens, announced today it has reduced formaldehyde to near zero levels across its entire StitchBackers  line of wet-laid nonwoven embroidery backings.

“The transition to low-formaldehyde backing responds to the demands of fabric converters, embroiderers, and customers seeking more environmentally friendly clothing components,” said Jim Vogt, Director of Marketing, Hollingsworth & Vose Industrial Specialties business unit. “We have reduced residual formaldehyde to very low levels while preserving the properties critical to efficient and high-quality embroidery processing.”

Vogt said low-formaldehyde production for the StitchBackers line will be implemented across its global manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Although formaldehyde is a naturally occurring compound in many materials, apparel and home furnishing textiles often include added formaldehyde to improve wrinkle resistance and durability.

Because these products will be sold in international markets, H&V has adopted the Japanese standard JIS L 1041:1983 as its benchmark for permissible amounts of formaldehyde. This standard sets a maximum formaldehyde limit of 75 parts-per-million (PPM) for most fabrics used in garments. “H&V’s embroidery backing products will contain formaldehyde levels significantly below this rigorous standard,” said Vogt.

The low-formaldehyde embroidery backings are available immediately on a global basis and can be ordered under the present StitchBackers grade numbers.

About H&V

Hollingsworth & Vose Company, established in 1843, is a global leader in the supply of technically advanced filtration media, battery separator materials and industrial nonwovens. The company operates manufacturing sites and research centres in the Americas, Europe and Asia.