From the Sector

• Future plans for the nonwovens market

The two companies will develop sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ PHA and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ PLA technologies NTR and CJ Biomaterials

CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and NatureWorks, an advanced materials company that is the world’s leading producer of polylactic acid (PLA), have signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) that calls for the two organizations to collaborate on the development of sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ Biodegradable Polymers and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymers. The companies will develop high-performance biopolymer solutions that will replace fossil-fuel based plastics in applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food serviceware to personal care, films, and other end products.

The initial focus of this joint agreement will be to develop biobased solutions that create new performance attributes for compostable rigid and flexible food packaging and food serviceware. The new solutions developed will also aim to speed up biodegradation to introduce more “after-use” options consistent with a circular economy model. The focus on compostable food packaging and serviceware will create more solutions for keeping methane-generating food scraps out of landfills, which are the third largest source of methane emissions globally, according to World Bank. Using compostable food packaging and serviceware, we can divert more food scraps to composting where they become part of a nutrient-rich, soil amendment that improves soil health through increased biodiversity and sequestered carbon content.

CJ Biomaterials and NatureWorks plan to expand their relationship beyond cooperative product development for packaging to create new applications in the films and nonwoven markets.  For these additional applications, the two companies will enter into strategic supply agreements to support development efforts.

Renaissance Textile in Laval, France has successfully started up a complete textile recycling line, delivered, installed, and commissioned by ANDRITZ Laroche, part of the international technology group ANDRITZ.

The ANDRITZ textile recycling equipment enabled Renaissance Textile to become the first French recycling platform dedicated to industrial end-of-life textiles. The project aims to produce new fibers from the collected post-consumer apparel, which will be used to weave new recycled fabrics in the end.

The new 12,000 m² plant is equipped with a complete tearing line whose design is the result of close collaboration between R&D specialists from ANDRITZ Laroche and Renaissance Textile, as well as customized trials carried out jointly by the two parties at the ANDRITZ technical center in Cours, France.

The new clothing produced based on this type of circular economy model thus reflects the social and sustainability commitments of Renaissance Textile in terms of decarbonizing the textile industry, the fight against global warming, autonomy in raw material sourcing, and promotion of local staffing, particularly for people who have been unemployed for a long time or are seeking to enter the labor market for the first time. By 2025, for example, Renaissance Textile plans to create no less than 110 direct jobs.

• Positive business development in all four business units
• Sales increases by 14.8% to €853.9 million
• Adjusted EBITDA improves by 25.4% to €136.1 million
• Successful refinancing of the 2018 convertible bonds

After €270.9 million in Q1 2022 and €278.9 million in Q2, SGL Carbon increased its consolidated sales to €304.1 million in Q3 2022. After nine months, this corresponds to a significant sales growth of 14.8% to a total of €853.9 million (9M 2021: €743.5 million). The positive business development is also reflected in the company's adjusted EBITDA, which improved by 25.4% year-on-year to €136.1 million (9M 2021: €108.5 million). All four business units contributed to the operating success.

Outlook
Due to the positive business development, the management increased the forecast for the full year on 6 September 2022. For the financial year 2022, Group sales of approx. €1.2 billion (previously: approx. €1.1 billion) and adjusted EBITDA of €170 to 190 million (previously: €130 to 150 million) are expected.

Consequently, an adjusted EBIT of €110 to 130 million (previously: €70 to 90 million) is forecasted. The expectations for return on capital employed (ROCE) of originally 7% to 9% are raised to 10% to 12% in line with the development of earnings. The estimate for free cash flow (significantly below the previous year's level of €111.5 million) remains unchanged.

JEC Forum DACH‘s primary goal is to promote the DACH region’s dynamic composites ecosystem. Besides an extensive program of business meetings and conferences, innovation will have a special place in Augsburg from November 29 to 30, 2022 as attendees will have the opportunity to witness the JEC Composites Startup Booster and the AVK Awards. Winners of both competitions will be announced during a dedicated ceremony on November 29th.

The five finalists are:

BioWerkz: Closing the Loops
At BioWerkz a new bio-based, resource-efficient, and CO₂-negative material called “NEWood” is developed,  using only wood waste and agricultural waste bound using fungal mycelium; the root network of mushrooms as a natural binder without the need for any synthetic binders.

Bufo Technology – HARDCORK: High-Performance Biobased Composite – Superior by nature
Bufo Technology has developed the high-performance composite material HARDCORK® made from cork, fibers and a thermosetting matrix. HARDCORK® can be manufactured as a core material, sandwich panel or complex molded part.

Cavicore: Water soluble salt cores for the production of hollow carbon fiber parts
CAVICORE produces ready-to-use water soluble cores for the realization of hollow composite parts. Their “lost cores” have the advantage of being temperature-resistant, stable as well as eco-friendly and recyclable, as they consist of pure salts without binders.

Composite Recycling: Closing the loop on Composite Materials
Composite Recycling has developed a highly energy efficient and sustainable process to separate the resin from the fibres. With the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the team has designed a post-treatment to clean the fibres and make them reusable in new composites, closing the loop.

Microwave Solutions GmbH: Imagineering a sustainable future
Agile and modular microwave plasma and selective depolymerization technology for molecular recycling, fiber recovery and nanomaterial creation.

As an accredited testing and certification body, the “OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie, Technik und Innovation GmbH“ (OETI for short) has been successfully responding to prevailing market requirements for 55 years and, in the process, has made a name for itself worldwide. To mark its anniversary, this international centre of excellence with its origins in Austria is taking a look back at the most important milestones in its history as well as providing interesting insights into future developments.

As renowned flooring manufacturers founded the Austrian Carpet Institute on 25th of September 1967, no one could have imagined how successful the company would become. But even back then, one thing was clear to the experts: the need to establish a carpet research and testing centre in the form of an association. Today, over five decades later, OETI is a testing and certification services provider for OEKO-TEX® certificates and labels, textiles, leather, due diligence along the textile and leather supply chain as well as for personal protective equipment (PPE), flooring technology, furnishings and indoor air quality.

In 1992, OETI was a founding member of the ‘International OEKO-TEX® Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology’ with independent certifications and product labels. Ever since, OEKO-TEX® has enabled companies along the textile and leather supply chain and every consumer to make responsible decisions for safe, environmentally friendly and fairly manufactured products.

In line with its focus on sustainability, OETI and its Swiss parent company, TESTEX AG, wanted to build the new OETI headquarters using low energy construction techniques and ensure its carbon-neutral operation. To achieve these goals, the highest possible thermal insulation and energy optimisation standards were applied, while the carbon-neutral power supply is generated by its in-house photovoltaics system as well as domestic renewable energy.

The new headquarters, which the company moved into in 2021, provides space for 75 employees over 2,500m2 and boasts bright and perfectly equipped office areas. The laboratory areas, the analytical/chemical laboratory and the physical / fire laboratory were also designed based on the latest methods and technologies. This makes OETI, alongside its Swiss parent company TESTEX, the second fully fledged laboratory site in the entire, global TESTEX Group.

HeiQ will showcase some of its latest technologies at the Taipei Innovative Textile Application Show – TITAS 2022, from the 12th to the 14th of October, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. A newly launched, upgraded formula - HeiQ Barrier Eco Dry New, is added to the company’s fluorocarbon-free water repellent technology range and will be one of the highlights.

As urbanization and modern lifestyles cause an estimated 40% of the global population to be afflicted by allergies, HeiQ recently launched HeiQ Allergen Tech, a finish based on bio-based synbiotic technology to combat inanimate allergens on textiles. It will also be introduced at TITAS.

HeiQ innovations driving change
The global call for sustainability has put the textile industry, as the second-highest generator of CO₂ emissions, under the spotlight. Most of the marine pollution is caused by non-degradable micro-and nanoparticle emissions from washing clothes, and tons of textile items pile up in landfills. Clothing a potential 8Bn global population by 2023 doesn’t have to be a problem, and HeiQ is driving change in the textile industry so that every player can be part of the solution. In response to the ongoing energy crisis, HeiQ will emphasize the use of HeiQ Clean Tech, a polyester dyeing auxiliary system that helps mills save energy by 30-35%, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the finished product.

Hexcel Corporation has received Type Approval for its HexPly® M9.6GF prepreg products from Bureau Veritas (BV), a leader in testing, inspection, and certification services.

This certification enables carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy prepregs to be used in the production of parts for all BV-approved marine vessels. It also guarantees the quality, performance and consistency of the prepregs for ship and boat builders.

BV-approved HexPly M9.6GF prepregs can be reinforced with unidirectional, non-crimp and twill-weave fabrics. They are particularly suitable for use in the manufacture of masts and other large structural components for wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP). To reduce reliance on engines and cut fuel usage, WASP vessels harness the power of ocean winds often using large carbon fiber-reinforced masts flying durable composite solid sails.

HexPly M9.6 prepregs were recently used to manufacture the mast for the Chantiers de l’Atlantique Silenseas project. The HexPly M9.6 prepregs satisfied all the requirements of the Silenseas consortium’s mast-section manufacturers for quality, mechanical performance, and processing characteristics, while also proving to be cost effective.

Pincroft announced the adoption of an innovative precision spray technology that allows the application of many finishes for textiles, including permethrin for vector protection, to the face of the fabric to avoid contact with the skin.

The system is a more versatile and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional application method of padding and offers the possibility of applying the chemistry on either face side or both sides of the fabric across the full width.

The benefits of this new equipment are countless not only for the end user but also for the environment. The system allows for a reduction of energy, water and wet pick up of up to 50%, while 100% of the chemistry is recycled. Thanks to the equipment’s precision application technology, less water and chemistry are needed, and its no immersion system means the fabric would require less saturation and a shorter drying time.

Mike Collins, Pincroft’s Managing Director: “This innovative equipment can be used in two ways. The single sided spray finishing can be used where the full effectiveness of the finish is only required on the face side of the end item, for example, vector, fluorocarbon and antimicrobial protection. The dual spray finish may be used to simulate the traditional padding method where full effectiveness of the finish is required dependant on end use, for instance, crease recovery, fabric softening, soil release and moisture management.”

This vector protection solution provided by Pincroft is ACTIGARD®, a branded technology developed by Sanitized AG, with long lasting active ingredients that have proved highly effective against mosquitoes and ticks. This product endures a high number of washes, is suitable for military uniforms and conforms to Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex®.

Freudenberg Performance Materials – the Freudenberg Group’s nonwovens specialist – was hosting a meeting of the German National Hydrogen Council at the Freudenberg headquarters in Weinheim, Germany, on September 16. As a leading global supplier of technical textiles, Freudenberg Performance Materials provides fuel cell components for mobility applications and for electrolyzers used to produce CO₂-free hydrogen.

The German National Hydrogen Council was appointed by the German government and acts as an independent, non-partisan advisory board. The council board currently consists of 25 high-ranking experts in the fields of economy, science and civil society. The objective is to assist and advise the State Secretaries’ Committee on Hydrogen in the further development and implementation of Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy. Council meetings are hosted by one of the board members to enable the council to deepen its knowledge of the relevant technologies, value chain roles and challenges. Dr. Silke Wagener is a member of the council board, and represents the Freudenberg technology group, giving input on suppliers’ know-how as well as contributing her decades-long expertise in technological solutions for the hydrogen industry.

During a tour of the factory organized for the council board members, Freudenberg Performance Materials explained the development and production of performance-critical gas diffusion layers manufactured from carbon fiber-based nonwovens for fuel cells and porous transport layers for electrolyzers. The tour highlighted the potential for improvements from a supplier’s perspective, such as the need for very timely exchange and collaboration along the value chain. Functioning, unbroken and scalable value chains, in parallel with the development and scaling of hydrogen infrastructure, are key prerequisites for the hydrogen industry to fulfill its vital role in the transformation to climate neutrality.

Gas diffusion layers are one of the main components at the heart of the fuel cell. Their function is to transport gases and liquids in the cells. They have a significant impact on system performance and costs, and are indispensable for the functioning of fuel cells. The same applies for porous transport layers that are the key component of electrolyzers for the CO₂-free production of what is called green hydrogen.

Fuel cells in combination with green hydrogen are an important technology for CO₂-free mobility, in particular with reference to buses, heavy-duty trucks and trains. Other uses include stationary applications such as stationary power generation or heat generation in buildings or industry.
Apart from mobility, green hydrogen also plays a key role in climate-neutral energy supplies in the industrial sector, particularly in the chemical and steel industries.

The Lenzing Group, a leading provider of wood-based specialty fibers, is expanding its global clean electricity portfolio by gradually transitioning to green energy at its production site in Nanjing. This will enable its Chinese subsidiary Lenzing Nanjing Fibers to use electricity derived solely from renewable sources from 2023 onwards and reduce the site’s carbon emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually. Lenzing only recently announced the transition to green electricity at its Indonesian production facility.

In 2019, Lenzing became the first fiber producer to set a target of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. This carbon reduction target has been recognized by the Science Based Targets Initiative. In Nanjing, Lenzing is currently investing in cutting its carbon emissions and converting a standard viscose production line to 35,000 tonnes of TENCEL™ branded modal fibers. Thanks to this move, the Chinese site will exclusively produce eco-friendly specialty fibers.

The company aims to generate more than 75 percent of its fiber revenue from the wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibers business under the TENCEL™, LENZING™, ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ brands by 2024. With the launch of the lyocell plant in Thailand in March 2022 and the investments in existing production sites in China and Indonesia, the share of specialty fibers in Lenzing’s fiber revenue is set to exceed the 75 percent target by a significant margin as early as 2023.