Textiles

Recent developments

Textile circularity advances

Reju opened a Research & Development Center in Conshohocken and secured funding for a Chemelot textile regeneration hub, advancing polyester chemical recycling infrastructure. Axens, IFPEN and JEPLAN validated industrial‑scale polyester‑to‑BHET recycling for closed‑loop textiles. trinamiX mobile NIR for footwear and textile identification and REMONDIS’ EPR timelines signal progress on sorting and funding. BASF and Lindex introduced loopamid recycled polyamide for lingerie.

Bio-based polyamides

Toray and PTT Global Chemical established a starch‑to‑nylon 66 route from cassava residues, aiming at FY2028 products. Goldwin, Neste, Idemitsu and Toray formed a renewable nylon supply chain for THE NORTH FACE via mass‑balanced naphtha. Bio‑polyamide platforms broadened with Arkema’s castor‑based Rilsan PA11 and BASF’s mass‑balanced and zero‑PCF Ultramid.

Performance fibers

Teijin Frontier developed a polyester textile combining heat retention with high breathability for FW2027 and is expanding OCTAIR insulation fiber capacity for a March 2027 start‑up. Evonik opened the Asia PAthletic Center in Shanghai to accelerate polyamide sports applications. Teijin Frontier and Asahi Kasei Advance will merge to form TA Frontier in October 2026.

Materials and applications

Covestro presented sustainable, productivity‑focused textile solutions spanning waterborne PU coatings, specialty TPU films and cushioning‑grade TPUs. BASF and dimpora introduced a PFAS‑free elastic microporous waterproof/breathable membrane for apparel. Avantium and Heynen prototyped a releaf PEF cushion to evaluate automated encapsulation for bedding and upholstery.

Policy and markets

The EU awarded €400m to decarbonise industrial heat, with textiles among targeted off‑takers. Raw‑material volatility triggered Toray emergency surcharges on fiber‑linked products and WACKER silicone price increases. Trinseo reported weak European textile binders amid lower prices and volumes.