Resin for nonwovens, technical fabrics, fiber and monofilament

Who buys resin in technical textiles, and where we fit

Technical textiles cover a lot of very different plants. A large spunbond or meltblown line runs on hopper railcars of one grade under a contract with a producer. A rope, netting or monofilament plant may run five resins and buy each by the gaylord. We are most useful to the second kind of buyer, and to any plant that needs a second source, a trial lot or a grade that is hard to get in small volume.

Large lines on producer contracts often buy direct by railcar. We can still help them with trial quantities, second sources and specialty additives.

Resins by product, with the flow window to start from

Find the row for what you make, then compare the grade you run with the window. Every PP value is MFR at 230°C / 446°F and 2.16 kg (ASTM D1238 or ISO 1133). Every polyethylene value is melt index at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg. The two are not comparable. For more on flow tests, see melt flow index explained.

Windows are typical published ranges to start the conversation. Confirm against the data sheet for the grade you run, and let a chemist check any equivalent before you switch.

Flow specs: MFR, MI, IV and RV, and the conditions behind them

A fiber or monofilament line is tuned to one viscosity. A lot that drifts high raises pack pressure and motor load. A lot that drifts low spins weak, drips at the die or changes draw. That is why a textile spec needs both the number and the way it was measured.

• PP: MFR at 230°C / 446°F, 2.16 kg. ASTM D1238 or ISO 1133. Ask for the lot value on the COA and agree a range, not just a nominal. For meltblown grades, confirm the procedure, because the half-size die gives numbers that do not line up with the standard die.
• Polyethylene: MI at 190°C / 374°F, 2.16 kg. Used for LLDPE turf yarn and HDPE monofilament and tape. Density goes with it (ASTM D1505 or D792). Two grades at the same MI and density can draw differently if their molecular weight distribution differs, so ask for the flow rate ratio (I10/I2) when comparing producers.
• PET: intrinsic viscosity in dL/g. ASTM D4603 measures PET at 0.50% in 60/40 phenol/1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane at 30°C / 86°F, and IV is calculated from that. Some producers use a different solvent and temperature, which shifts the number slightly, so compare grades on the same method. See PET by IV.
• Nylon: relative viscosity. In North America often formic acid viscosity by ASTM D789. Many fiber and airbag specs use relative viscosity in 96% sulfuric acid, and ISO 307 reports a viscosity number in mL/g. These scales do not convert one to one, so give us the method with the number.
• TPU: melt flow at the producer’s condition. TPU is tested at different temperatures and loads depending on hardness, so a melt flow value is only comparable when the condition matches.
• Hot-melt EVA: melt index at 190°C / 374°F, 2.16 kg, plus VA content. Adhesive specs then add Brookfield viscosity (ASTM D3236) on the finished adhesive at the application temperature. See 28% VA EVA grades by melt index.

Ash, gels, filterability and spinnability

The finer the filament, the more a fiber line feels what is in the resin besides polymer. A data sheet rarely shows these numbers, so ask for them and agree how they will be checked.

• Ash. Catalyst residue and any mineral content. Low ash matters most for fine-denier and meltblown fiber and for electret-charged filter media. For filled tape grades, ash confirms the calcium carbonate level instead. Ask for ash on the COA (ASTM D5630 or ISO 3451-1).
• Gels and black specks. Unmelted or crosslinked particles break filaments and plug spin packs. Ask whether the producer tests gels on film or by another method, and keep retains from each lot so a problem can be traced.
• Filterability. For masterbatch, the filter pressure value test (ISO 23900-5, which replaced EN 13900-5) measures how fast pressure rises across a fine screen as pigment passes through. A lower value means better dispersion. Results depend on screen size and test conditions, so compare only values from the same setup.
• Spinnability. Plants track breaks per ton or per shift, pack life and pressure rise. A resin that matches on paper can still change these, so trial a gaylord on one position before you switch a line.
• Denier and dtex. Denier is grams per 9,000 m of yarn; dtex is grams per 10,000 m. Finer denier per filament needs a narrower molecular weight distribution, tighter MFR control and cleaner polymer.
• Moisture for PET and nylon. Both must be dried before spinning, and fiber lines often dry PET at least as hard as bottle resin. See the resin drying guide for reference values and your fiber producer’s sheet for the line target.
• Anti-gas-fading stabilizers. White fiber can yellow or pink in storage when nitrogen oxides react with phenolic antioxidants. Many fiber grades carry an anti-gas-fading package, and some customers ask for phenol-free stabilizers. Tell us if your customer has a rule on this.

UV stabilizers and color masterbatch for fiber, tape and turf

Turf yarn, geotextiles, outdoor rope, FIBC bags and shade fabric all need UV protection, and fine fibers lose strength faster in sunlight than thick parts because there is so little material to protect. Most plants add UV and color as masterbatch at the extruder.

• Size the UV package to the outdoor life. Hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) are the usual choice in polyolefin fiber and tape. Give us the hours or seasons of exposure your customer expects and the test that proves it.
• Geotextiles. Many U.S. highway specifications build on AASHTO M 288, which rates UV stability by ASTM D4355 (xenon arc): at least 50% of strength retained after 500 hours for most geotextile uses and 70% for silt fence. Some state DOTs ask for 70% or more across the board. That is a test on the finished fabric, so the resin and masterbatch must be chosen with it in mind.
• Carrier resin. The masterbatch carrier should suit your base resin and flow. A low-flow carrier in a high-flow fiber grade can leave streaks or plug packs.
• Pigment dispersion. Ask for the filter pressure value at a stated screen size for fine-denier work. Black, white (TiO2) and organic pigments behave differently in fine filaments.
• Color across lots. Turf, carpet and apparel-adjacent buyers hold tight color windows. See custom color concentrate and color varies from lot to lot.
• PFAS-free processing aids. Fluoropolymer processing aids are common in polyethylene tape and turf yarn. If your customer requires PFAS-free materials, say so up front. See PFAS-free alternatives.

Laminating and coating: hot-melt EVA, polyolefin hot melts and TPU

Fabric-to-fabric, fabric-to-foam and nonwoven laminates are bonded with hot melts applied by spray, scatter, slot die or as a preformed web or film. Coated fabrics for inflatables, covers, conveyor belting and protective gear are often extrusion-coated or laminated with TPU film.

• Hot-melt EVA. Used as powder, web, film and spray adhesive. It bonds at low temperature with a soft hand, and wash resistance is moderate. Typical range is about 18–33% VA; high-MI grades suit spray and scatter, lower-MI grades give webs and films their strength. See hot-melt EVA and 28% VA EVA.
• Polyolefin hot-melt bases. Metallocene polyolefins, plastomers and amorphous poly-alpha-olefins are used where low odor, color and pot stability matter, including nonwoven hygiene construction. See metallocene PE and plastomers.
• Copolyamide and copolyester adhesives. Laminators often switch to these, or to TPU, when the fabric must survive hot washing or dry cleaning. They are specialty products, so ask and we will tell you plainly whether we can source the grade.
• TPU for coating and film. Polyether TPU for hydrolysis resistance in wet, warm service; polyester TPU for oil, abrasion and strength. Match hardness, melt flow at the stated condition and the coating or film grade family. TPU must be dried before extrusion. See TPU.
• PVC plastisol. Many coated fabrics and tarps use PVC plastisol, a liquid of PVC resin in plasticizer. It is a different supply chain from the pellets on this page. See PVC for what we cover.
• Latex binders. Many nonwovens are bonded with acrylic or styrene-butadiene emulsions. Those are water-based binders, not resin pellets, and we do not source them.

Testing and approvals: what your customers check

In textiles, most approvals belong to the finished fabric, not the resin. The resin still has to come with the paperwork that lets you keep those approvals when you change a grade.

Standards and limits change. Check the current version your customer names.

Volumes, packaging and releases

• Gaylords. About 1,000–1,600 lb, common for monofilament, rope, narrow fabric and pilot lines. PP is light, so a PP gaylord often nets in the lower to middle part of that range.
• Bags. 55 lb (25 kg) bags, often about 40–55 per pallet. Common for nylon, TPU, EVA and masterbatch, and for imported grades.
• Bulk truck. About 40,000–50,000 lb for plants with silos. Common for PP and PE fiber and tape lines.
• Hopper railcar. About 180,000–210,000 lb for large spunbond, tape and PET fiber plants with a siding or transload. Most of this volume is on producer contracts.
• Releases. Many textile buyers run a blanket order with monthly or weekly releases. Tell us your release size, how many days of inventory you keep and your lead time to customers, and we will tell you what is realistic.
• Second sources. When a producer declares force majeure or puts a fiber grade on allocation, a grade you have already trialed is the fastest fix. See how to qualify a second source and force majeure or allocation.

What to send for a textile resin quote

• Grade you run now. Producer and grade name, or the data sheet and two or three recent COAs with actual lot values.
• Flow number and method. MFR at 230°C / 446°F and 2.16 kg for PP, MI at 190°C / 374°F and 2.16 kg for PE, IV and method for PET, RV and solvent for nylon, VA and MI for EVA, hardness and melt flow condition for TPU.
• Process and product. Spunbond, meltblown, BCF, staple, tape, monofilament, coating or lamination, plus denier or tape width.
• Clean-polymer limits. Ash, gels, filter pressure value for masterbatch, and moisture as shipped for PET, nylon and TPU.
• Additives. UV package and target hours, color, slip or processing aid, and any PFAS-free or phenol-free requirement.
• Documents. FDA statement, medical-use policy, RSL declarations, and the approvals tied to your current grade.
• Quantity. This order, yearly use, release size, package and ship-to city. Every prime lot from our suppliers ships with a COA.

Common questions

If your grade is not listed, tell us what you run. We source commodity, engineering and specialty resins.