Chemical industry swift to follow eco-fashions

You are what you wear

25 August 2008 18:11  [Source: ICB]

Fiber makers worldwide are looking again to nature for inspiration in the manufacture of high-tech, energy-saving, eco-conscious materials

Lucia Carpio/London

AT A recent textile trade fair in Paris, Austrian cellulose fiber producer Lenzing gave away packs of eucalyptus seeds to encourage visitors to "plant" their own T-shirts. The purpose was to allow people to "experience the botanic principles of Lenzing fibers," as explained on the pack of seeds.

This simple marketing message draws attention to the way more people now examine their relationship with the environment. This now affects not only how we eat but also what we wear.

Concerns over global warming and, more recently, the credit crunch have raised the profile of sustainability generally and the textiles industry has not been exempt from such issues. The need to lessen the environmental impact of textiles is a topic high on the agenda of fibers producers.

In Lenzing's case, its cellulose fibers - Lyocell - are made from sustainable resources of wood pulp taken from managed eucalyptus forests. Lyocell was first commercialized under the trademark Tencel. According to Lenzing, the trees mature in eight to 10 years and for a given acreage produce four to five times the amount of cellulose fiber compared with cotton.

With so much of the world's textile industry concentrated in Asia, much of the recent investment in capacity has been in that region, both for synthetic and man-made fibers.

Thomas Fahnemann, chairman of the Lenzing management board, tells ICIS the demand for Lenzing fibers, particularly in Asia, has recently been very positive.

"Cellulose fibers are very comfortable to wear and are an indispensable component of the functional wear sector, one of the key growth areas in the garment business," says Fahnemann.

"Asia is and will remain the most important growth market for our products," he adds. The company now has Asian production facilities in China and Indonesia, as well as its base in Austria.

VERSATILE PRODUCT

In the US, NatureWorks (a joint venture between US agricultural group Cargill and Japanese chemical group Teijin) produces the biopolymer Ingeo fiber, made from corn sugar, which can be used to make everything from packaging and consumer goods, to fibers for apparel, furnishings, and home and garden products. According to NatureWorks, the fiber is derived from 100% annually renewable resources, is more environmentally friendly to manufacture than traditional petroleum-based plastics, and is the world's first polymer showing a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Also producing fibers from corn sugar is US chemical group DuPont, whose range of products in this sector is sold under the brand Sorona, which is a partially sustainable polymer with a performance very similar to nylon, yet contains 37% renewable source material.

DuPont's technology and business development manager, Joe Kurian, explains that fabrics made with its Sorona polymer provide benefits such as a very soft hand-feel similar to silk, with a comfortable stretch and recovery, while it is also ultraviolet (UV) and chlorine resistant, easy to care for, and has a natural stain resistance.

"The fiber has an easy dyeability, making it suitable for a wide range of uses, for knits and woven garments, and can be blended with other synthetic or natural fibers such as nylon, spandex, cotton, silk and wool, thus making it versatile for swimwear, active sportswear, intimate apparel, ready-to-wear and outerwear," says Kurian.

DuPont's chief innovation officer, Tom Connelly, adds that the company's culture is to bring more bio-based products to the market place to generate growth for the company. "We plan to increase our spending for R&D [research and development] on products and projects directed towards environmental goals," he says.

CARBON FROM COCONUTS

US company Cocona, based in Colorado, has developed its own brand of fibers and yarns by activating carbon from coconut shells, for a wide range of fabrics and nonwovens to provide effective evaporative cooling, odor absorption and UV protection.

Cocona recently claimed that its technology can lower the energy impact of a garment. Working with UK clothing retailer Marks & Spencer, Cocona says it was able to demonstrate that 80% of the energy used in the life-cycle of apparel was attributed to consumer maintenance, with just 20% of energy consumed during the manufacturing process.

North Carolina State University used its own testing protocol and found that Cocona garments have a drying rate that is up to 35% faster than that of conventional polyester.

This drying time testing also showed that the Cocona fabric used 22% less energy than ordinary polyester and 52% less energy than cotton or bamboo-based fabrics. Of further interest is that the drying time of cotton towels and denim jeans can be significantly improved by the use of Cocona yarn in the fabric blend. For example, denim jeans using a 35% Cocona/65% cotton blend used 23% less energy to dry than standard 100% cotton denim in this study.

In addition to using eco and sustainable fibers, the textile industry is also looking at environmentally friendly approaches for finishing fabrics.

German chemical major BASF offers eco-efficient solutions for the textile industry, such as its Cyclanon XC-W after-soaping agent for reactive-dyed cellulose fibers, and its Cyclanon ECO after-cleaning agent for dyed polyester fibers - both considerably shorten the processing time, while also saving both water and energy. The Purista solution is a freshness-enhancing finish for cellulose textiles such as cotton and blends that combat odor-causing bacteria, so garments stay fresher for longer, meaning consumers have the choice of reducing the frequency of washing and dry cleaning, thus saving energy, water and time.

Other eco-efficient products also help to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during textile processing, and help consumers to contribute to climate protection. The BASF colorfast finish is a one-step process of pigment dyeing and finishing while the Fixapret no-iron and easy-care finishing can be applied to apparel and home textiles and can reduce time and effort in drying and ironing. The Ultraphor SGF Liquid low-temperature optical brighteners can be applied at lower temperature thus saving energy while reducing CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile, US silicone producer Dow Corning is introducing a silicone-based fabric softener for the textile industry. One of the major causes of air pollution in the textile industry occurs when heat-curing or drying of coatings and finishes causes the ­vaporization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can harm the environment and human health.

According to Dow Corning's technical center, the new OP-8800 premium hydrophilic softener is nearly 100% composed of a novel silicone copolymer, virtually eliminating VOCs from its composition, whereas other silicone products can contain up to 300 grams/liter of VOCs.

Dow Corning claims the OP-8800 softener is an extremely well balanced, more environmentally sound, safer, multifunctional product that delivers a combination of benefits over a wide range of conditions.

Increasingly, consumers worldwide are introduced to renewable and eco-friendly fibers and more fashion retailers, designers and fashion brands are increasing the use of such fibers in various clothing sectors.

At a "Fashion for the Earth" eco-fashion show held in Sapporo as part of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit 2008 that took place in Japan in June, Teijin Fibers showcased a range of fashionable clothing made with its heat-resistant polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) fiber under the brand of BIOFRONT.

According to Teijin, this new type of heat-resistant fiber has pushed up the melting point of ordinary PLA fibers from 170e_SDgrC (338e_SDgrF), to 210e_SDgrC, enabling high-temperature/high-pressure dying and moderate­-­temperature ironing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics. As a further development, Teijin has recently codeveloped BIOFRONT buttons with Nagai Plastics of Kyoto so that the buttons can be ironed at high temperature while holding the texture and luster similar to natural seashell buttons.

Fashion brand Marite + Francois Girbaud is launching a new range of eco-designed apparel using textile fibers derived from Ingeo products, which will be available in France from next September. Other designers that have joined the eco movement using Ingeo include Gattinoni of Italy for a bio-wedding gown.

In the UK, retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Next, as well as supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's have followed the trend started by eco-fashion brands such as People Tree and Gossypium to include eco-friendly products in clothing sectors.

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