INDA Lifetime Achievement Award

Nicholas S. Newman

Inducted 2001

Education Record:

1945-1949 University of Zagreb, Croatia, Technical Faculty, graduating 1949 with an MS in Chemical Engineering
1949-1952 Prior to arrival in North America, employed as a textile chemist.
1952-1962 Plant Superintendent in dyeing and finishing and fiberglass processing plants in Canada and U.S.
1962-1992 Leading positions in R&D and marketing with Kendall, Lutravil (aj-v of Kendall and Freudenberg) and again Kendall-Veratec/IP) now BBA).
1992- After retirement from Veratec, Dr. Newman formed N. Newman Associates, a management consulting firm, Clients included: J.R. Starr, Veratec (now BBA Nonwovens), Freudenberg, Hoechst (now Johns Manville) and Clark Schwebel Tech-Fab.

 

Employment Record – Corporate Responsibilities:

List of Lectures and Publications:

METAWEB – a new nonwoven process INDATEC 1973, Washington, DC
Nonwoven Fabrics in Roofing Roofing, Siding, Insulation,February 1986
Wet-Laid Composite Fabrics for Protective Garments INDEX, 90, Geneva with Z. Mate and L. Kinn
Opportunities in Spunbond Polyester in North America and Western Europe Multiclient study with J.R. Starr, 1994
Outlook for Spunbound Polypropyleneand Polyester in Global Markets INSIGHT 94, Charleston, SC with J.R. Starr

Nicholas S. Newman graduated from the University of Zagreb in his native Croatia with an MS in Chemical Engineering in 1949. Until his arrival in Canada in 1952, he worked as a textile chemist. In Canada, while working for St. Luke Industries/Bay Mills, he developed a new process for the thermal cleaning of woven fiberglass. This development brought him to the attention of the Exeter Manufacturing Co., Exeter, NH (now defunct), which sponsored Dr. Newman on a first preference visa quota reserved for top specialists essential to the national economy. He worked there as plant superintendent for several years.

In 1962, he joined the Kendall Nonwoven Basic R&D department in Walpole, MA, as a Senior Group Leader, What proceeded was an astonishing number of inventions, captured in his 20 patients, all in the nonwoven field. Perhaps the two most ingenious developments were: USP 3,622,422, describing a composite product where a fibrous web is bonded with a plastic film by heat and pressure. The trade name was WEBLOY (as in an “alloy” of fiber and polymer), commercialized as an electric tape backing.

USP 3,816,159 and 3,973,067 describe a novel nonwoven process, respectively products, by combining pulp (treated) with binder into a nonwoven web, forming composite products used for medical drapes and gowns. The trade name of this invention was METAWEB and was described in the paper Dr. Newman gave at INDATEC-1973. METAWEB was a precursor of the medical SPUNLACE products of DuPont and PGI.

Fluent in 5 languages, Dr. Newman was often required to travel overseas to help promote Kendall products. During his long and dedicated service to Kendall, Dr. Newman found the time to pursue the advanced degree of Doctor of Science at the University of Graz, Austria, achieved in 1974. His doctoral dissertation was based on the METAWEB invention and was published by the university.

Patents

(Issued to the Kendall Co.)

Number Description Year Comments
729,848 Canada Needled Textile Laminates, Method 1966 With J. Ryan
766,849 Canada Needled Textile Laminates, Product 1966 With J. Ryan
3,356,878 Autogenous Bonded (solvent), Needled Fabrics 1967  
3,377,878 Needled Stretch Fabrics 1968  
3,459,579 Flocked Nonwoven Fabrics 1969  
3,523,861 Needled Liner Materials & Method 1970  
3,526,526 Nonwoven Fabrics with Improved Capacity 1971  
3,532,588 Needled Nonwoven Textile Laminates 1971  
3,562,088 DUOFILM, Pressure Sensitive Tape 1971 With D. Satas
3,616,180 Short Fibered Nonwoven Fabrics 1971  
3,622,422 WEBLOY, Fiber/Film Composite Product 1972  
3,723,236 WEBLOY/OROFORM 1973  
891,222 Canada METAWEB precursor (no binder Precipitation) 1973  
3,770,562 Composite Nonwoven Fabrics 1973  
3,816,159 METAWEB, long/short fibered process 1974  
3,831,766 BREAKPROOF MILKFILTER Sock 1974 With Alexander and Sheldon
3,973,067 METAWEB, long/short fibered product 1976  
4,355,066 Composite Nonwoven Multipurpose Wipe 1982  
6,054,205 Glass Fiber Facing Sheet and Method or Manufacture 2000  

 

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