Halospin™ ultralight nanofiber nonwoven for film-free breathable outercovers
Gelatex Technologies' HaloSpin™ platform produces ultralight nanofiber nonwovens that replace continuous film barriers in breathable outercovers. The tunable nanofiber architecture delivers liquid barrier and stain-masking performance while preserving breathability, softness, drape, and low noise—enabling more comfortable, lower-material hygiene products through scalable roll-to-roll manufacturing.
Overview
HaloSpin™ is an ultralight nanofiber nonwoven technology for film-free breathable outercovers. The solution replaces conventional continuous film barriers with a highly porous nanofiber functional layer integrated onto a soft nonwoven substrate. This construction provides liquid barrier and stain-masking performance while preserving breathability, softness, drape, and low noise—properties difficult to achieve with traditional film-based designs. The technology targets hygiene and personal care applications, offering improved consumer comfort and reduced material usage through a thin, porous architecture engineered at the fiber level.
Technical specifications
HaloSpin™ is a patented high-capacity solution-spinning platform enabling continuous roll-to-roll production of nanofiber webs at up to ~5 kg/h. Key capabilities include:
- Tunable fiber architecture: fiber diameter, pore size, alignment, and density can be adjusted to engineer barrier performance through fiber and pore geometry rather than a continuous film
- Broad polymer compatibility: supports multiple synthetic and bio-based polymer systems, including hydrophobic chemistries and surface modifications
- Multilayer constructions: nanofiber layers integrate with soft nonwoven substrates via thermal or adhesive lamination
- Ultralight design: targets total basis weight below 60 g/m²; material supplied as sheets or continuous roll goods for converting trials
- Manufacturing economics: modeling toward cost targets under $0.07/m² and below $80 per thousand square yards
A four-phase co-development program screens 2–3 architectures varying polymer chemistry, hydrophobicity, fiber diameter, pore structure, and basis weight; evaluates laminated constructions for hydrohead, stain masking, water vapor transmission rate, air permeability, cup crush, drape, noise, and tensile performance; and optimizes the best construction against barrier-breathability-softness balance targets.
Technology readiness level
The HaloSpin platform is commercially established for other applications, including cellular agriculture scaffolds and biomedical materials. For the breathable outercover application specifically, the technology is at an early validation stage. A gated co-development program progresses from architecture screening to pilot-scale roll goods production for converting and product-level trials. Barrier performance, stain masking, and manufacturing cost targets remain to be demonstrated for this application.
About Gelatex Technologies
Gelatex Technologies is a materials technology company based in Estonia that specializes in the production of high-performance nanofibers. The company has developed and patented a novel, high-capacity solution-spinning technology called HaloSpin, which is designed to be faster and more cost-effective than traditional electrospinning methods. This proprietary manufacturing process allows for the continuous production of customizable, high-porosity nanofibrous materials in roll form, which are compatible with a wide range of synthetic and bio-based polymers. The company’s expertise encompasses contract research, development, and manufacturing services, enabling the creation of bespoke solutions for industries including food technology, medical applications, and advanced materials.
The company is widely recognized for its contributions to cellular agriculture, specifically by providing food-grade, animal-free scaffolds and microcarriers that support scalable cultured meat production. By mimicking the natural extracellular matrix, Gelatex’s products assist in cell differentiation and tissue formation, addressing a major barrier in the commercial scaling of lab-grown meat. Beyond the food sector, Gelatex serves the biomedical field through its Gelacell product line, which provides pharma-grade scaffolds for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering, including applications in wound care and drug delivery. Through its R&D services, the company works with various global partners to innovate applications ranging from filtration and energy storage to advanced textiles, leveraging its technology to reduce production costs and improve material efficiency.
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