Issue 06/2018

From Science & Research
Improved biobased fibres
for clothing applications
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a material obtained from renewable
resources, suitable for obtaining melt-processable fibres. It
combines ecological advantages with a good performance in
textiles. PLA successfully bridges the gap between synthetic and
natural fibres and finds a wide range of uses, but despite their
benefits, most commercial PLA grades do not yet fulfil all the mechanical
and thermal requirements for some textile applications.
In order to solve these limitations, the European project FIBFAB
has been working on the development of a new bio-compound
that fulfils the desired properties for textile clothing applications
as well as the suitability to be used in industrial fibre production.
The project FIBFAB aims to industrialize and successfully launch
the production of biobased and sustainable PLA-based fabrics
(wool/PLA and cotton/PLA) for applications in casual, protective
and workwear clothing and to overcome the current limitations of
PLA fibres as a real alternative to current fabrics (wool and cotton
combined with polyester (PES) fibres). The targets of the project
are:
• To obtain a final 100 % biobased clothing product that meets
the mechanical performance requirements of the textile sector.
Sample
Standard /
Method
MFI
(g/10 min)
210°C; 2,16 kg
UNE-EN ISO
1133-2: 2012
VICAT B50 (°C) Crystallinity (%)
UNE-EN ISO
306: 2015
DSC,
Platen Press
PLA 6201 D 25 55-60 25.40
PLA 6100 D 24 55-60 -
PLA 6260 D 65 - -
Target
properties
15-30 > 90 -
FibFab
compound
22.8 ± 0.7 92.7 ± 0.4 47.08
By:
Nuria López Aznar
Senior Polymer Researcher
AIMPLAS (Plastics Technology Centre)
Paterna, Spain
With this compound developed, fibres and some
final products such T-shirts were obtained.
• To improve the current poor thermal resistance of PLA fibres
to meet the requirements in several clothing applications. The
thermal resistance of PLA fibres achieved are higher than
90°C.
• To improve the extrusion process for PLA fibres to be able
to obtain fine fibres (less than 3 dtex) and especially the
mechanical spinning process (friction control in ring spinning)
to be able to spin PLA blend fibres at higher speeds.
• To reduce the market dependence on fibre and textile imports
(mainly PES products) and improve the competitiveness of the
textile sector by creating a new concept of clothing that fits the
expectations of customers with high ecological awareness.
• To introduce yarns and fabrics produced from PLA fibres
and cotton or wool into the textile market. Due to the
chemical nature of PLA, it has been proven that it has better
breathability, hydrophilic properties, UV resistance, low smoke
production and flammability and also lower density than PES.
The compound development, in which AIMPLAS (Paterna,
Spain) is the main responsible, has included a mix of different
commercial PLAs with some additives such as nucleants,
processing aids and hydrolysis stabilizers.
From the results of the characterization of the compounds
developed, it was possible to achieve the targets regarding viscosity,
thermal resistance, crystallinity, hydrolytic behaviour, mechanical
properties and shrinkage, as well as good processability, obtaining
fibres with less than 3 dtex.
The table shows some of the main properties studied and
compares some commercial PLAs and the compound developed
within the project FIBFAB.
FIBFAB is a two-year project funded by the EU’s
Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme
under grant agreement No 737882, in which AIMPLAS
(Plastics Technology Centre) is the coordinator.
Together with the rest of the consortium (Centexbel,
D.S. Fibres, Yünsa and Sintex), these members
cover the textile value chain, from fibre production to
product manufacturing, thus ensuring the industrial
implementation of PLA fibres for clothing.
fibfab-project.eu/ | www.aimplas.es
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/18] Vol. 13