Fibers | Textiles Fiber
Fibers | Textiles Fiber and Fabric Applications Sorona ® Renewably Article contributed by Dawson E. Winch, Global Brand Manager, DuPont Applied BioSciences, Wilmington, Delaware, USA Now in its third century, DuPont has evolved into a leader in industrial biotechnology. The company is leading the way in industrial biotechnology with more patents in this field than any other company. DuPont is also unique in that it operates throughout the entire supply chain - from seed to agricultural feedstock to product or in the terms of life cycle analysis, from cradle to gate. Being a leader in sustainability in October 2006 DuPont announced new 2015 Sustainability Goals. Most of the previous sustainability goals for 2010 had been met or exceeded. One of these goals is to reduce dependency on non-depletable resources – this includes petroleum. DuPont Sorona ® renewably sourced polymer was the first commercialized product that used renewable resources – instead of petroleum – to produce both ingredients and materials. Natural fibers such as wool, linen, silk and cotton have long been a part of fashion history. In the mid 20th century synthetic fibers hit the market and women enjoyed wearing stockings made with nylon from DuPont. For over 60 years DuPont has been a leader in polymer and fiber innovation and this innovation continues in the 21st century with the introduction of DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer DuPont has known about Sorona, known generically as PTT (polytrimethyl terephthalate) for many years but didn’t believe it was economically viable to make it using traditional petrochemical feedstocks. So, DuPont scientists developed a way to make this product by combining biology with polymer science to find alternative production methods. Since the production of PDO (propanediol) – the key ingredient in Sorona, occurs in nature, it was a matter of maximizing and simplifying that process to produce commercial quantities of 1,3 propanediol, in one step. Bio-PDO (1,3 propanediol) is the first of several base monomers or building block molecules developed by DuPont using renewable resources instead of petrochemicals. Not only does Bio-PDO have direct applications it is also the key ingredient in Sorona renewably sourced polymer. Sorona offers ‘Performance PLUS Environmental Responsibility’ to the fiber and fabric industries. As a fiber, Sorona offers a unique combination of attributes not found in any other single fiber. Many markets and end uses including apparel, home and office interiors, carpeting and automotive interiors and carpeting can benefit from the many attributes and benefits of Sorona. 30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/08] Vol. 3
Fibers | Textiles using DuPont Sourced Polymer Performance is important to both brands and consumers and is an important contributor to increasing the sustainability quotient of a product. Today’s busy consumers are looking for products and apparel that offer durability, meet or exceed performance expectations and are easy care. Apparel markets including swimwear, intimate apparel, activewear and ready to wear are key targets for Sorona. Due to the colorfastness, UV and chlorine resistance, swimwear looks great and retains its color and shape all summer long. Fabrics made with Sorona won’t degrade or breakdown due to harsh sunlight or chlorine. Due to its softness, fabrics made with these fibers are low pill so swimwear looks and peforms like new despite the performance demands. • Mohawk smart strand carpet bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/08] Vol. 3 31
