Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group's fiber-product converting company, announced today that it has developed a new polyester curtain fabric that traps double the amount of pollen as conventional polyester curtain fabric, helping to minimize pollen levels indoors. Teijin Frontier will sell the new fabric for use in lace curtains from March.
Teijin Frontier targets annual sales of 50 tons in its fiscal year from April 2013 and 100 tons in the following fiscal year.
Teijin Frontier developed the pollen-trapping function by modifying the polyester fiber structure with crimps, rather than conventional adhering agents. As a result, functionality does not deteriorate after repeated washing and the fabric retains its characteristic polyester-fiber properties, such as quick drying. Trapped pollen can be removed easily with washing. The fabric also boasts a stylish cotton-like texture to match various interiors.
For sports outerwear, Teijin already markets a pollen-shedding polyester fabric made with durable polyester thread that is resistant to static electricity, thereby helping to prevent pollen from sticking to clothing.
In Japan, pollen levels have been rising in recent years and increasingly more people are suffering from hay fever. This year, the cedar and cypress pollen counts are projected to be significantly higher than last year in the eastern and northern parts of the country.