TEXTILES.ORG
With its new PLA/wood pulp materials that use no chemical binder, Freudenberg Performance Materials says that it has achieved a technological breakthrough with sustainability benefits. The company’s innovative materials combine the advantages of both components, addressing the needs of specific segments within plant propagation systems, packaging, filtration, apparel and healthcare.
The innovation lies in combining the water absorption and biodegradability characteristics of wood pulp with the high strength and hot sealability of PLA. The entire product is 100 percent bio-based and binder-free.
This combination is achieved using the wetlaid process; conventional PLA nonwovens are made using spunlaid technology. While spunlaid nonwovens can only be produced from polymeric raw materials, wetlaid nonwovens can be manufactured with a mix of polymeric and non-polymeric materials.
These nonwovens have a variety of applications in markets such as horticulture, packaging, filtration and healthcare. In horticulture, PLA/wood pulp wetlaid materials achieve balance between good water absorption, good rooting and degradation properties due to wood pulp on the one hand, and the high strength provided by PLA on the other. These properties are required by short-, medium- and long-term plant propagation systems, e.g. for vegetable growing, flower cultivation and forestry.
For packaging, PLA/wood pulp wetlaids open up new sustainable opportunities by replacing plastic-based packaging, e.g. bio-based desiccant bags to replace traditional synthetic desiccant bags. Other applications of PLA-based wetlaids include embroidery backings and interlinings for apparel, and wound dressings for the healthcare market. The two-component mix is flexible, therefore allowing for a wide range of products to fulfill the requirements of the various applications.
Freudenberg Performance Materials is a leading global supplier of technical textiles for a range of markets and applications. It is based in Weinheim, Germany.