INDA LOGO

Nick Newman

Lifetime Technical Achievement Award

2001

Consultant

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 Fiberweb).
1992- After retirement from Veratec, Dr. Newman formed N. Newman Associates, a
management consulting firm. Clients included: J.R. Starr, Veratec (now Fiberweb),
Freudenberg, Hoechst (now Johns Manville) and Clark Schwebel  Tech-Fab.

 

Employment Record – Corporate Responsibilities:

  • Director, Market Development Kendall-Veratec
  • Technical Director The  Lutravil Co., a j-v  Freudenberg-Kendall
  • Senior Research Associate Kendall  R&D
  • Manager, Product Development Kendall  R&D
  • Senior Group Leader Kendall  R&D

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 Polypropylene
and 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