NOTES TECH

Lenzing and NFW Partner to Provide Sustainable Leather Alternatives for Fashion

Milliken & Company’s Textile Business Eliminates PFAS

The Textile Business of Milliken & Company announced it has successfully eliminated all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, from its textile fibers and finishes portfolio, becoming the first U.S.-based multi-market textile manufacturer to remove PFAS.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment and tribute to our team who worked around the clock to develop solutions that meet our customers’ performance requirements and reflect our purpose to positively impact the world for future generations,” said David Smith, executive vice president, Milliken & Company, and president, Milliken’s Textile Business.

The manufacturer announced in February 2022 an aggressive plan to eliminate PFAS as an ingredient in its textile portfolio by the end of the year. As of Dec. 31, 2022, the Textile Business at Milliken had removed PFAS-based finishes and fibers, which spans multiple industries including flame-resistant, military, uniform and decor fabrics.

Milliken’s Textile Business began evaluating its portfolio in 2020 and segmented its evaluation efforts between three areas of focus: durable water repellency (DWR), soil release and oil repellency. Alternative DWR solutions were readily available in the market through accredited organizations such as bluesign.® The Milliken research team assessed and implemented appropriate alternatives to maintain the performance and quality standards customers expect for DWR. www.milliken.com

Lenzing has teamed up with NFW (Natural Fiber Welding, Inc.) to offer TENCEL™ branded fibers as another backer option for NFW’s patented plant-based technology, MIRUM.® MIRUM® is a categorically unique material class, perfect for luxury accessories, fashion, footwear, automotive, and home goods. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are derived from sustainable wood sources and produced using environmentally responsible processes. The fibers are identifiable, verifiable and traceable through Lenzing’s Fiber Identification technology which enables a physical identification of fiber origin at different stages of production. This enables full traceability of the fiber materials used during the production process, be it on a piece of fabric or finished product, like garments or footwear. Completely free from plastic, MIRUM® is made from natural rubber, plant and mineral pigments, plant-based oils and waxes, and an all-natural fabric backing. Each MIRUM® recipe is unique, but the commitment to using only natural ingredients is unchanging. Instead of relying on PU binders, a characteristic of most leather alternatives, MIRUM® uses natural rubber and plant oils for binding. NFW’s unique approach incorporates a diversity of natural ingredients like biobased charcoal, clay, cork powder, rice hulls, coconut fibers, recycled denim or seaweed to develop color or add visual interest. At the end of its life cycle, products made with MIRUM® can be recycled into new MIRUM® or ground up and returned to the earth, while TENCEL™ fibers are compostable and biodegradable, enabling complete circularity of finished products. www.lenzing.com

Nassimi Completes Move To Establish A Fully PFAS-Free Portfolio

Nassimi – a leading textile manufacturer and pioneer in sustainable performance upholstery materials – is moving to eradicate per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from all new production.

Nassimi’s commitment to 100% removal of PFAS is bold, and it was the first textile company to produce phthalate-free faux leather in the early 2010s and remove flame-retardant chemicals from its upholstery materials in 2017. The company has reformulated the last of its textile lines containing PFAS, Resilience TX, to create a fully sustainable product portfolio that still delivers on performance.

While conventionally used PFAS-free alternatives are often less effective in repelling stains, Nassimi’s state-of-the-art proprietary technology in the finishing process offers highly effective stain protection. As an example, Nassimi’s Supreen liquid barrier fabrics use a silicone-based stain repellent that is applied following a patented fabric-purification process. This allows for the silicone to fully embed itself into the textiles’ fiber to create an invisible layer of stain protection.

While many companies are just now beginning to develop PFAS-free alternatives as a response to current legislation in some states, Nassimi has been at the forefront of this, engineering its fabrics to be PFAS-free from the get-go. www.nassimi.com