Iranpolymer/ Baspar Helsinki – UPM Biochemicals and outdoor apparel manufacturer Vaude have joined forces to produce bio-based polyester textile and footwear materials.
The partners aim to produce the “first ever” fleece jacket made from polyester materials containing 30% bio-monoethylene glycol, or bioMEG.
MEG is one of the main raw materials for manufacturing the polyester fibres that go into the making of fleece. UPM’s bioMEG, marketed under the name BioPura, is made of CO₂ negative renewable feedstock that does not compete with food resources and has a significantly reduced CO₂ footprint – minimally 70% – compared to fossil-based MEG. As a second generation biochemical, it is derived from sustainably sourced hardwood and offers a renewable, drop-in solution for fossil-based MEG in the production of PET polyester.
For the production of the polyester, Indorama Ventures will polymerise and spin the polyester yarn at its site in Guben,Germany.
Pontetorto, a textile manufacturer in Prato, Italy, will then process this yarn into a bio-based polyester fabric, which Vaude will use to produce the final garments.
Asked by ERJ whether the bio-polyesters could eventually also find use in tire-reinforcement fabric, a UPM spokeswoman confirmed that this was the case, adding that ‘in this fabric, the bio-content would be then approx. 30%’.
BioMEG can also be used to produce a more sustainable polyurethane (PU) materials. Last year, UPM announced a development partnership with Dongsung Chemical in South Korea under which Dongsung would use UPM’s BioPura to manufacture renewable polyurethane for the textile and footwear industries in Asia. Later, the company intends to expand the field of application to automotive interior materials and adhesives.
Meanwhile, UPM is investing €750 million to construct the world’s first industry-scale biorefinery. Located at Leuna, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, the 220 kilotonne-per-annum facility will convert sustainably sourced, certified woody biomass into renewably-sourced biochemicals, including bioMEG. The plant is due to come on line by the end of this year.
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