Bio fashion reached the world of chemistry

"Bio" fashion reached the world of chemistry... and clothing. Whereas since the launch of the polyethylene (PE), in the early 1970s, it was especially noted the emergence of new technical fibers (Dyneema, Zylon, M5), is that a polymer, perfectly biodegradable corn starch without impact on greenhouse gases, attempts to breakthrough to the weavers.

The American Cargill is the main sponsor. He has developed a fermentation process which allows to make polylactic acid from corn starch and make the shelves of a polymer whose learned name is PLA. Known for more than 20 years, the PLA was primarily used for medical products with high added value. Production costs declined today sufficiently to move to other uses. Marketed by the subsidiary NaturalWorks of Cargill, the PLA can be used to make biodegradable packaging, or as textile fiber, under the brand name Ingeo (a name chosen because it means ingredient of the Earth). "We are now less expensive that the nylon and we become competitive with the polyester," provides Stephen Davies, Director of global marketing for NaturalWorks. A plant was built in Nebraska, capable product 140,000 tonnes of PLA annually.

If the product is devoid of all traces of oil, it is composed from corn part perhaps of transgenic origin. But "the manufacturing process is that it is not of GMOs in the polymer and this has been tested by laboratories," says Stephen Davies. Moreover, note Eric Devaux, Director of the laboratory of research superior Gemtex of the national school of arts and textile industries (Ensait), "20 to 30 of the cotton used in the world is of transgenic origin and it bothers nobody." But this does not mean that should not worry about the origin of materials production.

A difficult drilling market

Despite always more applicants consumers of biodegradable products, the market is not easy to break. "All the industrial facilities have been optimized for polyester, which has 50 years." "However, it slightly adjust production processes", notes Stephen Davies. The implementation is a little trickier because products are quite sensitive to moisture, observes Eric Devaux. "It is difficult to be a place." "It is firstly a question of price and marketing," observes Boet Brinkgreve, manager of biomaterials for Europe in DuPont.

NaturalWorks communicates no figures on its activity, but ensures that growing double each year. "We are at an inflection point, growth increased sharply because consumers are looking for organic products and the increase in the price of oil has had an impact on the prices of synthetic fibres," said Stephen Davies.

Major brands of apparel such as Diesel, Versace, Armani, tested Ingeo. It is used also for the bed linen (matelassiers Dunlopillo or Treca are clients) but also to make layers or tissue. A few issues remain resolve, as to make these repassables textiles and to join the dyes.

Find other polymers

The DuPont chemist, inventor of Nylon, is also sought by bio adventure. With Tate & Lyle, he created a joint venture in 2005 in which they have invested $ 100 million to build a plant in Tennessee to manufacture of bio-PDO, an ingredient obtained from corn. It must give a young Sorona, a Petro-chemical fiber that will now contain 38 of bio original components. "This is another direction of development." "We want to take advantage of the performance of the textile obtained through oil but add a bio dimension", explains Boet Brinkgreve. It is the market of the swimsuit, with more colourful and chlorine-resistant fabrics and sports clothing. The resistance of bio-Sorona tasks also makes an interesting product for automotive textiles and carpets.

In Europe, where no production is launched, research on the PLA is especially conducted by a small franco-wallon consortium, Mabiolac. It brings together the school of chemistry of Lille, Materia Nova, Galactic and Gemtex laboratory. "Sustainable development is a concern more increasingly important, and should also find other things that the PLA," insists Eric Devaux. Its teams have begun working on the possibility of extracting keratin of chicken and duck feathers to make a new polymer.