OceanSafe and CHT facilitate eco-friendly polyester textiles

OceanSafe recommends dyeing and finishing solutions developed by CHT to manufacturers of circular textile materials that use the Bern-based company’s naNea biodegradable and recyclable polyester fiber. According to a press release, end products made from naNea materials and CHT chemistry can support the efforts of textile manufacturers to achieve sustainability goals and drive positive change across the textile industry.

NaNea serves as a replacement for conventional polyester. According to the press release, it matches conventional polyester in terms of performance, in addition to being market-ready and scalable. OceanSafe’s polyester is proven to be non-eco-toxic and more than 93 percent biodegradable in marine environments after 99 days. It is the world’s first and only synthetic textile material to have been awarded a Cradle to Cradle certification at Gold level.

CHT has developed a bio-based process in the form of Cooldye for dyeing all types of polyester fibers at a temperature 20 degrees Celsius lower than is usually the case for polyester. The Bemacron HP-LTD disperse dyes from CHT specifically facilitate the dyeing process at a lower temperature, which helps to save both energy and time. CHT’s Ecoperl 4 is applied to naNea in cases where the textile needs to offer hydrophobic properties. It is fluorine-free and biodegradable, in addition to effectively withstanding multiple wash cycles.

“The results of this partnership with CHT are proof that collaboration is key for progress towards sustainability”, as OceanSafe founder Manuel Schweizer explains. His company is proud to make “positive environmental impacts throughout the value chain”, he adds. The two firms will be presenting their solutions until April 26 as part of the Swiss Pavilion for the leading international trade fare Techtextil 2024 held in Frankfurt am Main. ce/mm