The Project
The SPEY project aims to establish poly (lactic acid) (PLA) staple fibre yarns in home textiles, e.g. furniture fabrics, bedding, mattress thickening, in technical applications, e. g. workwear and medical textiles, to avoid degradation phenomena.
The polymer formulation is modified, enabling high production speeds to be achieved with less fibre damage. At the same time, recommendations for the processing of the fibres are derived and the first process parameters for subsequent industrial implementation are determined.
The Benefit
Scientific - technical benefits: The results of the SPEY project show that ring and rotor yarns can be produced from PLA with suitable parameter settings using conventional plant technology. The processability of PLA rotor yarns has also been proven on industrial weaving machines. The process settings determined provide initial indications for production on an industrial scale. At the same time, initial recommendations were made for the gentle processing of this biopolymer.
Economic benefits, particularly for SMEs: The project has been supported by the active participation of several SMEs, including the provision of equipment, spinning equipment, the provision of various services and advice. At the last meeting of the project monitoring committee, the response of the companies to the results of the project was very positive. Several potential applications were identified in the discussion
For further information please contact
Marie-Isabel Popzyk
Marie-Isabel.Popzyk@ita.rwth-aachen.de
+49 241 802 3446
Funding
Industrial Collective Research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) - No. 153 EN