#Raw Materials

2024-11-14

Teijin Frontier announces global availability of biodegradable BIOFRONT® PLA resin

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., today announced the global availability of its BIOFRONT® polylactic acid (PLA) resin, which biodegrades faster in oceans, rivers and soil compared to conventional PLA products. Incorporation of a novel biodegradation accelerator in the polymer can enhance its decomposition rate without significantly compromising strength, crystallinity or moldability. This resin, named to signify cutting-edge biotechnology, is now fully commercialized in Japan and internationally.

BIOFRONT® resin pellets © 2024 Teijin Frontier

BIOFRONT® resin aligns with Teijin Frontier’s THINK ECOR environmental strategy and joins the company’s wide range of sustainable materials and products. Teijin Frontier plans to continue developing biodegradable materials to help reduce the environmental impact of plastics.

Features and benefits of BIOFRONT® resin

The resin’s biodegradation accelerator promotes hydrolysis and speeds up material consumption and decomposition by bacteria and fungi compared to PLA polymers without additives. BIOFRONT® resin exhibits rapid biodegradation performance even in marine, riverine and soil environments, where there are fewer bacteria and fungi than in high- temperature, high-humidity composting systems. Further, the decomposition period can be controlled by adjusting the loading and incorporation parameters of the accelerator. Accordingly, the decomposition period can be adjusted to the required lifetime.

Another advantage of BIOFRONT® resin is its ability to be processed like conventional PLA polymer resins used in films and injection-molded and extruded products. It can also be used for fibers in textiles and non-woven fabrics.

From the standpoint of sustainability, BIOFRONT® PLA resin is expected to help reduce microplastics, thanks to its accelerated biodegradation rate, and to reduce CO2 emissions during the product lifecycle since it is made from plant-derived raw materials.

Teijin and Asahi Kasei to merge textile subsidiaries into joint venture

Teijin Limited and Asahi Kasei Corporation have signed a definitive agreement to integrate their textile subsidiaries Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. and Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation. The announcement was approved by Teijin’s Board of Directors on 1 December 2025 and marks a significant consolidation move within Japan’s advanced materials and textile sector.

Teijin Frontier develops a next-generation stretch fabric

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced today that it has developed a next-generation stretch fabric made of an extra-fine three-dimensional structure with randomly sized crimps. The newly developed fabric combines exceptional elasticity with a soft, airy texture and a natural uneven surface that helps make the fabric lightweight while providing quick drying and moisture wicking performance.

New high-performance polyester fabric with a natural fiber-like texture and appearance

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced that it has developed a new high-performance polyester fabric, which combines the elegant appearance and texture of natural fibers made of yarns of random thickness with advanced functionalities such as cool touch, anti-stickiness, quick dry, opacity and ultraviolet (UV) protection.

Nantong Teijin’s efforts to reduce water usage certified as model activities for supporting the environment in the Yangtze River Delta Region

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., announced today that its group company, Nantong Teijin Co., Ltd., has been recognized by China’s Jiangsu Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment for reducing water usage by approximately 300,000 tons/year. Nantong Teijin, which manufactures polyester long-fiber woven and knitted fabrics in Jiangsu Province, independently developed equipment and systems for analyzing, recovering, storing and reusing wastewater from its water-intensive dyeing process.

Human Rights Day: Cotton made in Africa reinforces its commitment to ensuring respect for human rights in cotton production

The sustainable cotton standard Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) has always focussed on respect for human rights, including by prohibiting child labour and discrimination. With the new version of the CmiA standard coming into force, AbTF raises requirements for due diligence in the areas of human rights and risk management.

How innovations drive BASF’s success

“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen launches registration and unveils key topics

Participants can now register online for the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, which will be held on 25-27 March 2026 at the Haus der Bürgerschaft parliament building on market square. All visitors can look forward to a high-calibre conference programme, numerous additional meetings and a valuable exchange of knowledge and information. The comprehensive range of topics covering the entire value chain will provide practical expertise, address current developments, answer key industry questions, and provide new impetus for the future.

ICAC to collaborate with Uzbekistan and Bizpando on regenerative agriculture

The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.

More safety and comfort for protective clothing thanks to auxetic fabrics

When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section. We can also observe this property in two-dimensional textiles. Auxetic structures behave differently here. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. The DITF are researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.