Belgian company Solvay launches partially bio-based textile yarn

18 Jun '21

2 min read

Pic: Solvay

Solvay, a science company with headquarters in Belgium, has globally launched Bio Amni, the first partially bio-based polyamide textile yarn developed by the company. It is a polyamide 5.6, which is produced entirely at the company's textile industrial unit in Brazil. Solvay's research and innovation teams worked on the creation of the product for two years.

The development of Bio Amni follows the growing global trend in demand for more sustainable textile products, especially bio-based materials.

"Sustainability is one of the main drivers of the global textile market,” said Antônio Leite, global vice president of polyamides and fibres at Solvay. “Solutions and products must add value to the entire consumer chain – from its base to end consumers of textiles – and have less of an impact on the environment. Solvay’s Bio Amni is part of a portfolio evolution to offer customers the most innovative products on the market."

The textile sector currently faces three main challenges in relation to the environment and sustainability: resources, the production process, and disposal. Solvay already has developed sustainable alternatives in the production process, using cleaner energy sources, closed water circuits, and zero effluent emissions at its industrial unit in Brazil, as well as more biodegradable products to support more sustainable disposal. With Bio Amni, Solvay is now offering its first partially bio-based textile yarn, further expanding on its diverse portfolio of sustainable products.

With the launch of Bio Amni, sustainable textiles will now account for 30 per cent of Solvay's global polyamide portfolio, a figure which the group expects to reach 50 per cent in the next three years.

Bio Amni is just the latest of Solvay's innovations for the global textile market. In 2020, as a quick response to COVID-19, the company launched Amni Virus-Bac OFF, a functional polyamide that inhibits contamination between textiles and users, preventing the fabric transmitting viruses, including coronaviruses, and bacteria.

The company also created Amni Soul Eco, the world's first biodegradable polyamide textile yarn, which facilitates the decomposition of textile articles in about three years after disposal in controlled landfills.

Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €9 billion in 2020.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RKS)

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