To expand its support for high-end and luxurious automotive interiors, BIG Yarns of the Beaulieu International Group has completed its first industrial production runs of virgin polyester BCF yarns at its plant in Belgium.

The new yarns complement the company’s line of polyamide PA6.

There is a growing market in PET for automotive interior applications, with polyester allowing OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to develop products that consider eco-design from the outset, by building mono-polymer carpets and flooring that are 100% recyclable at end of life (EOL). These materials are helping to ensure improved and more sustainable EOL recycling of electric vehicles that are driving the future of the car industry.

The new PET BCF yarns offer high-performance for automotive carpets, including abrasion and stain resistance and durability, passing all stringent automotive tests including the Taber test for abrasion performance, compressibility and recovery ability, light fastness in automotive and VOCs (fogging). The yarns can be colour solution dyed, have a dTex between 1,300-1,500, 81 filaments and are ideal for mats with weights of between 400-800gsm, while the yarns for moulded carpets have a dTex of 1200, 144 filaments for carpet weights of 380gsm.

“As the industry continues its transition towards circularity, making the right material choice is crucial from the outset to ensure the best possible eco-design and recyclability,” says Glenn Hyzak, BIG’s global sales director for yarns.

BIG is now a one-stop-shop for solution dyed BCF carpet yarns for the automotive industry – nylon (PA6), polypropylene (PP) and polyester (PET), along with the sustainability-focused Eqo range of PA6 yarns.

The automotive carpet market is expected to grow strongly in the coming decade with the increased demand for vehicle customisation and personalisation driven by owners looking to upgrade and enhance interiors, including the flooring area.

A growing awareness around car hygiene is also boosting the market as consumers become more conscious of maintaining cleanliness in their vehicles. Automotive carpets provide an effective solution by trapping dirt and preventing it from spreading to other areas.

“From sustainability to enhanced functionalities and colour, we work closely with our customers, supporting them in design for vehicle customisation and personalisation, and in building new carpet designs that have never been seen before,” says BIG’s R&D manager Mélanie Monceaux.

www.bigyarns.com