Asahi Kasei will exhibit its solutions for a more sustainable material life cycle in the sportswear industry at ISPO Munich 2023, the sports trade fair taking place from November 28-30 in Munich, Germany.

On display will be a novel manufacturing technology for synthetic fibres and textiles from biomass feedstock, the Ecosensor fabric collection, Roica premium stretch fibre and RespiGard – a PFAS and solvent-free waterproof membrane.

For the first time at ISPO, Asahi Kasei will showcase its new process technology to produce biobased basic chemicals from bioethanol. This technology makes it possible to manufacture most synthetic fibres and plastics from biomass feedstock, including those that had been considered difficult to manufacture from raw materials other than petroleum.

Grades from the Roica Eco-Smart family will also be displayed. Roica EF is a recycled stretch fibre which features 58% pre-consumer recycled content and is certified to Oeko-Tex Standard 100 in the product class 1 category, while Roica V550 is a degradable yarn which decomposes into CO2 and water, and has obtained a C2C (cradle-to-cradle) certified material health certificate.

RespiGard is a lightweight membrane designed for apparel with the optimal combination of waterproofness and breathability. The membrane is produced using a solvent-free manufacturing process with a low carbon footprint. The polypropylene material is recyclable and PFAS-free. Outdoor sportswear and coats utilising RespiGard have won numerous awards, including the 2021 Performance Days Performance Award and the 2019 and 2020 Outdoor Retailer’s Innovation Awards.

To contribute to closing the material life cycle in the sportswear and apparel industry, Asahi Kasei and partner company Microwave Chemical are currently developing a new chemical recycling process for polyamide 6.6. The process uses microwaves to depolymerize polyamide 6.6 and directly obtain the monomers, which can then be used to manufacture new polyamide 6.6 for apparel. Asahi Kasei will describe this process at a presentation on November 29 from 11:30-12 at the Munich Trade Fair Center, in Hall B1.

www.asahi-kasei.com