05. Mar 2015
BASF brings sustainability to the world of fashion
For the first time, BASF’s Ultramid polyamide, which is derived from renewable raw materials, is being used to produce yarns. This high performance nylon, which the company also offers for the textile industry, has been selected by Italon, a Taiwan based textile manufacturer, for the manufacture of products based on renewably sourced material.
Italon is the first company to use this new solution for yarns.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of how their clothing is made, what kind of raw materials are used in the production process and their impact on the environment,” said Dr. Ramkumar Dhruva, Senior Vice President, Monomers Asia Pacific, BASF. Using the so-called mass balance approach, BASF replaces 100% of the fossil feedstock required to manufacture Ultramid polyamide with certified renewable material, while maintaining the same high performance properties. The use of bio-feedstock helps to save fossil resources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
“The mass balance method is a groundbreaking way of creating fashion for sustainability-conscious consumers, without the need to modify the production processes or technologies along the value chain,” Druva added.
With the mass balance approach, products are manufactured in an innovative way that 
allows replacing fossil feedstock with renewable raw material at the beginning of BASF’s existing integrated production system. The bio-feedstock is then allocated to the respective sales product, such as Ultramid. The formulation remains the same and the quality is identical to the product made from fossil based resources.
An independent certification issued by TÜV SÜD confirms the use of the required amount of renewable raw materials needed to produce the product.
“With the TÜV SÜD certification, we can be assured that the right amount of bio- feedstock has been used in the BASF production site for every single ton of mass balanced product we purchase. This also ensures our customers that we can produce high quality, fossil resource- saving products for them to use,” said Huang Ming Hsiang, Chairman of Italon Co., Ltd.
Yarns made from Ultramid polyamide are the material of choice for a wide range of superior quality textiles, from clothing, hosiery to swimwear and high-tech outdoor garments. Thanks to its outstanding chemical properties, Ultramid combines easy processability, brilliant and durable colors with high strength in both fiber and fabric, guaranteeing high processing speeds with outstanding yields and homogenous dye shade.
BASF operates Ultramid polymerization plants in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Freeport, USA; São Paulo, Brazil as well as a new production plant in Shanghai, China to be started up in 2015. (KL)
http://www.basf.com