Cathay Dupont Award: Biobased polymers keep textiles green

Iago Scott
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

DuPont offerings grow

DuPont makes Sorona (polytrimethylene terephthalate, PTT) biobased fibres (37% renewably sourced by weight) for carpet and apparel applications via continuous polymerisation of bio-PDO (1,3-propanediol), which is made from fermented sugars, and terephthalic acid (TPA).

Sorona production uses 30% less energy and releases 63% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to the production of nylon 6, according to Michael Saltzberg, global business director for biomaterials at DuPont.

He notes that growth in the adoption of Sorona is largely due to its unique performance properties, including softness, inherent stain resistance, stretch and recovery and durability; and secondly because of its renewably resourced content, which supports the performance.

The company will be introducing new products in late 2016 or early 2017 that will expand Sorona’s colour palette capabilities and facilitate Sorona/natural textile blends.

DuPont Industrial Biosciences also announced in January 2016 that, in collaboration with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), it has developed an efficient, high-yielding, low-cost method for the production of furan cdicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) from fructose.

FDME is an attractive biobased raw material for the production of various polymers, such as polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate (PTF), a 100% biobased novel polyester produced via the copolymerisation of FDME and bio-PDO.

The two companies are planning to build an integrated 60 tonnes/year demonstration plant in Decatur, Illinois, to provide potential customers with sufficient product quantities for testing and research.

ChengHong Holding Group in cooperation with the Tsinghua University reported in 2014 that it was constructing a 50,000 tonne/year bioPDO unit and 30,000 tonne/year bio-PTT plant.

The company noted that it uses crude starch and glycerine (a by-product of biodiesel) for the fermentation production of PDO and BDO (1,4- butanediol), respectively, and has gained independent intellectual property rights for cathay dupont award its PDO and PTT processes. It also indicated that it was installing PTT spinning and fabric dyeing technologies.

Ingeo PLA from NatureWorks is used to manufacture a wide variety of textile products including apparel, furniture components, household materials, baby care products (diapers), personal hygiene goods and gardening supplies. Ingeo fibres are produced using 40% less nonrenewable energy and generate 52% less greenhouse gases than conventional PET fibres, according to Robert Green, global segment lead, nonwovens and fibres with NatureWorks.

When compared to nylon 6, Ingeo fibres reduce non-renewable energy consumption by 67% and greenhouse gases by 81%, Green adds.

“Most applications using Ingeo are driven by product performance. The major performance themes are moisture management, breathability and skin comfort for apparel and hygiene products, while for horticultural/agricultural applications, the renewable, sustainable and compostable attributes are highly desired,” he notes.

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