Urethane Blog

Waterborne PU Leather Technology

February 24, 2015

Bayer & IAF join on hiking apparel sector sustainability

February 24, 2015 (Europe)

Bayer MaterialScience and the International Apparel Federation (IAF) have collaborated on improving innovation and sustainability in the apparel and footwear industry.

As a first step, both partners have recently run a number of Insquin series workshops which took place across three continents.

Under the theme of “Setting New Standards for Material Innovation and Sustainability”, the workshops proved to be essential events for brands that use polyurethane (PU) coated fabrics.

Textile coating experts from Bayer MaterialScience introduced Insquin, a novel turnkey solution for brand owners and manufacturers looking to achieve goals related to innovation and sustainability.

“Offering design freedom, durability and economy when compared to genuine leather, PU leather is increasingly becoming the material of choice for footwear, apparel and accessories,” Bayer informs.

Whilst brand owners turn to PU technology for its unique combination of properties, they face challenges in dealing with the environmental side effects of mainstream PU technology.

“Large amounts of solvent are used in the current PU coating process, creating occupational hazards and environmental pollution risks,” Bayer MaterialScience says in a statement.

Insquin pure waterborne PU technology enables PU leather to be manufactured according to a new process that does not require the use of any solvents, and therefore eliminates all negative issues.

The technology presents a wide range of possibilities to enhance and transform fabrics, be it luxurious hand feel or unique textures and finishes for the fashion industry, or high performance materials.

They can be used in applications as diverse as PU leather, functional fabrics or high-performance printing, to name just a few.

The other hot topic covered during the workshops is on how to secure supply chain transparency.

Bayer adds, “The textiles industry is extremely complex and sometimes for manufacturers it is difficult to get visibility and direct access to brand owners interested in sourcing more sustainable materials.

“Also for brand owners, transparency about the origin and quality of fabric materials is often difficult to achieve.”

Addressing these unmet needs, Bayer MaterialScience has also developed the Insquin Partner Manufacturer Program that through audit, verifies the production processes of manufacturers using the technology.

Certified partner manufacturers of Insquin, benefit from technical support from Bayer MaterialScience, for the implementation of waterborne PU technology in their units. (AR)

 

http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/apparel-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=170808

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