UTT News...

UTT continues on the cutting edge of green technology
February 2005

Two and a half years ago, Universal Textile Technologies (UTT) and Dow Chemical collaborated to create BioBalance™, a backing with cutting edge green technology. The technology allowed them to replace up to 20% of the polyurethane precoat on the Dow's Enhancer carpet backing with a soy based polyol. Last year, UTT went several steps further, putting soy based polyurethane in both the precoat and the foam an replacing calcium carbonate with Celeram®, a coal fly ash to create a backing system for carpet or artificial turf that's 55% to 63% recycled or bio-based content by weight. The very back of the carpet also has a fleece layer made of 100% post consumer PET (recycled plastic bottles).

The new product, BioCel™, was awarded the Grand Prize for Environmental Initiative by Buildings Magazine at NeoCon.

One of the most significant aspects of UTT's green initiative is that it's not only using recycled products and easing its dependence on crude oil byproducts, but it's making these new products perform better. The Celeram® used in BioCel™ binds more consistently than calcium carbonate and not only adds to the strength and the stability of the backing system, but also lengthens its useful life.

All of UTT's carpet backings -- both polyurethane cushioning and laminate -- are made with BioCel™. As a result, more than 55% of the firm's total output to the carpet industry is recycled or bio-based. That's more than any other player in the carpet industry.

Right now soy polyols account for 7% to 10% of the total backing weight, and this year UTT intends to double that number. By using soy products produced by U.S. farmers, UTT also stakes a claim to another core environmental principles: purchase raw materials for regional sources.

Products like BioCel™, which don't cost more and work better, are models for the green revolution. As technologies develop and reclamation infrastructures are created, we should see more and more green products that actually cost less.

Article courtesy of Floor Focus, Inc. Volume 14, No. 1