naNea Materials

Introducing naNea

naNea is a novel co-polyester designed for both biodegradability* and recyclability*. The material is made from biobased, recycled or virgin feedstock. Its polymer structure enables rapid biodegradability in the open environment, without the use of chemical additives.

naNea does not release persistent micro or nano plastics* and is the world’s only synthetic textile material to receive Cradle to Cradle Certified ^® Gold. It is safe for both the biological and technical cycle.

naNea is an obvious choice for brands facing increasing legislative pressure to adopt environmentally responsible materials.

naNea is soft, matches the performance of PET* and has an excellent built-in moisture management*. As a drop-in technology, switching to naNea in manufacturing is easy.

Consumers benefit from a safe, durable material without harmful substances or heavy metals like antimony, a common contaminant of conventional polyester. At end of life, naNea is recyclable along with PET.

naNea is available today in industrial quantities as chips, fibers and filament yarns.

Why?

It’s about time for a change!

More than 50% of textile fibers manufactured globally today are conventional polyester (McKinsey, 2023) - a material that takes several centuries to decompose naturally in the environment.

Furthermore, conventional polyester stands as a major contributor to microplastics pollution. According to the European Environment Agency (2022), synthetic fibers, notably polyester, account for over 30% of the microplastics found in the world's oceans.

Yet, polyester carries health-related risks: Textile items made from polyester often contain harmful substances like carcinogenic antimony trioxide (Indian Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2009)

Further, the short lifespan of many textile products and inappropriate end of life scenarios produce vast amounts of textile waste that drastically pollute the environment (McKinsey, 2023).

naNea was designed to effectively tackle the environmental and health-related issues associated with conventional polyester.

Biodegradability

naNea degrades down completely to its building blocks. In ocean water, naNea biodegrades by >93% within 99 days (according to ASTM D6691-17) and can therefore be considered as non-persistent*.

Its biodegradation properties are not based on additive or enzyme technology. naNea's biodegradability is the result of its novel polymer structure. This structure allows the material to break down in ocean water, in soil and in anaerobic landfill environments*.

Watch our explanation video on how it works:

Environment & Health

Using naNea as a polyester replacment is an environmentally conscious choice for various reasons.

First, it is safe for the oceans: It does neither emit persistent microplastics, nor does it contain harmful substances like toxicants or heavy metals*. These properties were tested and certified by various renowned labs.

Second, it is recyclable along with PET waste streams*.

Third, naNea has undergone ecotoxicological testing conducted by Hohenstein, following DIN EN ISO 20079:2006-12 and additionally according to OECD 202. The results from both tests have confirmed naNea to be non eco-toxic*.

‍A High-Performance Functional Material

naNea stands out not only for its environmental advantages, but also for delivering unparalleled functionality and surprising versatility across a wide range of applications.

naNea is strong, but also has a built-in moisture management, combing characteristics like high absorption, high wicking and quick-dry properties. Perfect for sportswear, outdoor or workwear.

And fabrics based on naNea are amazingly soft and comfortable on your skin.

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How does naNea compare to conventional PET?

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Its moisture management characteristics are surprising for a polyester material:

• Substantially higher hydrophilicity
• High absorption capacity
• Lower evaporative resistance and high-wicking
• Substantially higher dry rate
• Similar moisture retain

In addition, naNea has other very desired technical properties:

• Inherently flame-retardant due to higher LOI
• High tenacity & elongation at break
• Good tear strength and pilling values
• Easy care

Drop-in Technology

Transitioning to naNea in manufacturing processes is easy - and it is market-ready and scalable today. In other words, naNea is a true drop-in technology that does not require new manufacturing equipment throughout the entire value chain.

Industry Applications

Considering its versatile technical properties, naNea is an excellent replacement wherever conventional polyester is used today. naNea an ideal choice for textile products where resilience and durability are paramount:

• Sportswear
• Outdoor
• Functional apparel
• Home textiles
• Technical applications
• Automotive

Questions?

Download the naNea fact sheet

or visit our FAQ's

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_{*We are happy to provide relevant documents for validation upon request.}

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