The Eurecat technology centre has created an innovative formulation of polylactic acid, a biodegradable plastic derived from natural sources known as PLA, specifically designed for manufacturing textiles with a low environmental impact both at origin as it is made from renewable sources and also at the end of its lifecycle due to its biodegradability which can help reduce plastic waste in landfill sites and oceans.
“The innovation comes from Eurecat’s study of bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics used in industry since they can be harnessed to make single-use textile products which degrade quickly and naturally without leaving waste in the environment,” says Javier Baselga Zapater, Innovation Manager of Polymeric & Composites Processes at Eurecat.
“The process has been developed entirely at Eurecat’s facilities from the formulation in Cerdanyola to the biodegradable multifilament produced and manufacturing the textile material in Canet de Mar, where tests have also been carried out in accordance with textile industry ISO standards to ensure a completely sustainable production process,” adds Sofia Perales Viñals, a Polymeric & Composites Processes researcher at Eurecat.
Accelerated biodegradation
Synthetic plastics such as polyester (PET, PBT and PTT), nylon (polyamide) or polypropylene are commonly used in the textile industry. However, there are polyesters synthesised from natural resources such as PLA which are a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic plastics derived from petroleum.
Although polylactic acid is bio-based, it still has a very long biodegradation time so Eurecat has explored alternatives by altering the PLA’s formulation to speed up its degradation. This process has enabled the Eurecat research team to get synthesised yarns for accelerated biodegradation.
PLA is a biodegradable plastic made from renewable resources which is widely used in 3D printing. This thermoplastic polymer can be made by fermenting vegetables such as corn, cassava and sugar cane.
