Bayer has opened a state-of-the art textile coating plant in Shanghai that uses waterborne polyurethane technology instead of potentially polluting solvents. The company is looking to replace PU-based textile coatings and artificial leather with a more sustainable option. It has also installed new lab facilities at its headquarters in Germany and in the US to allow it to develop a new generation of more sustainable polyurethane (PU) coated textile materials.
The production of PU synthetic leather and textile coatings results in the emission of dimethyl formamide (DMF) vapor, which has been linked to both cancer in humans and birth defects. However, the new technology from Bayer uses water-borne polyurethane chemistry in a dry process that does not require any DMF.
Bayer expects global demand for environmentally friendly synthetic leather and coated textiles to grow strongly. The increase will be felt most prominently in China, home to 90 per cent of the world’s production of these materials. Many apparel and footwear brands as well as consumers have embarked upon a huge sustainability agenda to address the social and environmental impact of the industry. Governments and regulators in textile material producing countries such as China are also calling for improvements.
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