Conference Speakers

John Rose

Director of Product Development, Technical Absorbents Ltd.

BIOGRAPHY

A results-orientated Product Development Director with extensive experience working for global companies in the printing inks, pipe coatings, silicone, woodcare and super absorbent fibre sectors. Highly experienced in leading diverse, multi-disciplined teams, scrutinising complex problems and cascading their root cause in ways which staff of all levels of technical proficiency can understand. Proven to deliver new products to the market, overseeing the entire process from conceptualisation at the initial stage to manufacturing.

---

Opportunities for Large Scale Water Blocking with Super Absorbent Fibre (SAF) Technology

SAF technology is already proven as a water-blocker within applications such as the cable industry. Yarns and tapes containing these unique fibres are present in some fibre optical and power cables and swell to prevent further water ingress/damage should the outer sheath be breached, and moisture enter the cable. Technical Absorbents is now actively looking at how this capability to absorb, block and prevent further damage can be applied within large scale geo and construction applications.

Its needlefelt fabric technology provides rapid absorption and extremely high levels of retention. This, coupled with the fact its fabrics are lightweight, clean, and easy to handle, means that the technology offers a wide range of benefits to end users. Its fabric technology is currently undergoing rigorous testing with a view to commercially launching its technology into this sector during the next twelve months. This paper will take a closer look at the benefits of a SAF needlefelt fabric in such applications and will also share validated performance test data.