Life-Changing Innovation
Unlike many traditional textile companies, PFG's products are not just about fashion, style and color. Our products have great purpose; some improve processes, some protect investment. Other products go well beyond industrial use as they literally enhance and safeguard human life. Our fabrics are used in protective apparel, surgical garments, therapeutic bedding and even aerospace safety equipment.
Of the many diverse markets we serve and products we developed, below are some of those life-impacting solutions we are very proud to have introduced to the world.
Eradication of Guinea Worm Disease
In the late 80's, rural areas of Asia and Africa were widely inflicted with the Guinea worm disease. The disease was contracted by drinking water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae. Over time the larvae would grow exponentially and would break through the skin, creating painful blisters and infections. Starting in 1989, the Jimmy Carter Center launched a project to help eradicate the Guinea Worm disease. With the support of the Carter Center, generous donations of yarn from Dupont, PFG produced thousands of yards of fabric that would be used to filter the contaminated water. Since this project began, incidents of the disease have dropped 99 percent; the number of cases has fallen from 3.5 million to less than 35,000. Read more at: www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/
Therapeutic Bedding
Through the years, bedding materials have mostly been made of cotton. While we all think of cotton as being soft, the fact is it can be very abrasive particularly to irritated skin and wounds. PFG developed the DermaTherapy bedding fabric to address these challenges. DermaTherapy fabrics provide a cleaner, hypoallergenic, drier and smoother lint-free sleep surface, allowing the optimal environment for skin nourishment. At home, the DermaTherapy product line provides great relief for those who suffer from night sweats, Eczema and Psoriasis, and even acne. In a medical environment, DermaTherapy provides great relief to patients, helps reduce the occurrence of pressure ulcers, and assists care staff in moving patients more easily. Hospitals and long-term care facilities across the nation are converting their bed linens to DermaTherapy and seeing substantial results. Learn more | Shop
Emergency Escape Chute Components
PFG manufactures a woven release fabric used in the construction of emergency escape chutes and life vests. While those are devices you hope you never have to use, they save lives in the event of airline accidents. The 2009 landing on the Hudson involved emergency chutes manufactured with PFG Industrial fabrics.
Fire Retardant Protection for Mattress Materials
For many years, mattress fires were frequent sources of home fires and related deaths. Common causes included smoking in bed or nearby heating sources. In 2007, the federal government passed regulation CFR 1633, requiring all mattresses in the US to meet or exceed specific safety standards during open-flame tests. PFG developed fire-resistant barrier fabrics that are used successfully today in the construction of mattresses. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that mattresses meeting these new standards can stop as many as 75 percent of the injuries and deaths that result from mattress fires. More on our mattress products.