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| Product Watch: Agion Active™ |
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| Written by Jackie Rosselli | |||
| Monday, 15 March 2010 10:45 | |||
 Of the many new products and concepts introduced at last week's NAUMD show, one of them caught our eye – Agion Active™, an anti-odor textile treatment developed by industry newcomer Agion Technologies.Agion Active is the first and only dual action treatment that effectively eliminates odor in and around garments. It works by combining naturally-occurring silver-ion based antimicrobial protection with a mineral-based technology that involves the use of silicate, a crystalline substance that has a high surface area able to pull in ambient odors, sucking stink out of the garment itself as well as the area surrounding it. Agion Active also enables treatment of white materials without causing discoloration, a common problem with other silver-based textile treatments, according to the company. Although no applications exist within the uniform industry yet, Agion Active could give manufacturers a new advantage with existing partnerships and also help capture new uniform accounts. Now, odor prevention can be positioned alongside style, design and functionality features that separate manufacturers, providing ideal brand experiences through uniforms and career apparel.  UniformMarket interviewed Jeff Trogolo, chief technology officer for Agion Technologies, Inc. to learn more. Here's what he had to say: How was the product received at the NAUMD convention? The response was overwhelming. For manufacturers, having the ability to have a new platform of differentiation and the ability to confidently stand behind the performance claims had many excited over the possibility. The innovators saw that their end customers' uniform is their brand, and having the ability to add another dimension in "sensory design" (look through the style and design, feel through the best materials, and now smell), adds value to the final product. Are there any design challenges associated with this technology? Agion Active is applied using the most common finishing method (padding) so there aren't any unique processing requirements. Factors to consider in design are: color, lifetime (number of washes) and whether softness and moisture management are design features to be pursued; for example, fabric for a backpack wouldn't need what a work out shirt would. What is the life expectancy for Agion Active garments? Agion Active is offered as a finish. Life expectancy is a function of the binder system that is used. It is also used in the same step as functional attributes such as wicking. In our testing with off-the-shelf binder systems, we have tested up to 80 washes. Can this be used on all fabric types? Agion Active can go onto any fabric; however most of our experience has been with binders for synthetic fibers. But we can use a binder for cotton or wool for use with those materials. Can garments be home laundered? Yes, home laundering is fine. In fact, in testing we have seen that the garments are so great performance-wise, testers have actually gone for days without washing and no stink! Is the treatment harmonious with other popular performance features, such as anti-moisture, anti-static, stain-repellency? Are there any circumstances when Agion Active should not be used? Because this is a finish technology, it is compatible with most standard functional finishes listed. Because the technology intelligently reacts when moisture is present, waterproofing over the finish would be one application that would not be compatible. We have successfully integrated Agion Active into garments with a DWR finish while maintaining both water repellency and antimicrobial efficacy. Your website indicates that Agion Active is a safer, eco-friendly antimicrobial technology. Can you elaborate? Agion Active is the next generation of odor control – going well beyond what antimicrobials alone and any existing technology today can achieve. Agion as a company is the leader in environmentally friendly materials. Our technologies are the only solution on the market to have achieved the prestigious Gold Cradle to CradleCM certification from MBDC (www.mbdc.com) and also has bluesign® certification as well – the latest textile specific supply chain certification endorsed by leading apparel brands like The North Face and Patagonia. Our technologies are approved for food, water, and medical applications and by the Personal Care Foundation – it's even used in cosmetics. All this supports the positioning that Agion is truly a green technology company. How much will this add, on average, to the cost of the garment? Cost varies by fabric weight and pick-up, but in general is equal to costs for existing technologies and gives much higher performance. Agion Technologies, located in Wakefield, MA, provides customized, natural, antimicrobial solutions based on ionized silver that continuously inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and fungus. For more information, visit www.agion-tech.com.
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| Last Updated on Monday, 15 March 2010 10:54 |
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