Price, performance and preference

A significant number of major fibre suppliers to the global nonwovens industry have been present at this week’s Innovation Takes Root conference held by NatureWorks in Orlando, Florida. 

This suggests an imminent escalation in the adoption of Ingeo PLA fibre by the industry, following the introduction of a number of tailored new grades during 2013, along with high profile launches such as Fitesa’s new PLA/BioPE bicomponent materials. 

NatureWorks CEO Marc Verbruggen said that the company’s Blair plant in Nebraska was now operating at an annual 150,000 tons and that Ingeo resin grades now satisfy requirements for many applications in respect of what the company calls the ‘three P’s’ – performance, price and preference.

At the same time, NatureWorks is also accelerating its feedstock options as it moves towards establishing its second plant in Thailand, and with an eye to the longer-term potential of directly exploiting waste methane as a source for its lactic acid, via its partnership with biochemicals specialist Calysta, also announced in 2013.

New nonwovens innovations incorporating Ingeo fibre were announced by companies including 3M, Kimberly-Clark and Kodak at the Orlando meeting and it became clear that some unexpected new markets are also opening up, including 3D printing – for which Ingeo is now the resin of choice – printer toner cartridges and engineered laminates for the building sector.

Further news from the event will be posted over the next few days and a full report will appear in the next print issue of Sustainable Nonwovens, out March 7th.