Synthetic Fibres from Renewable Resources

Synthetic fibers from renewable resources account for only a small fraction in the world fiber market. Due to the concerns of limited fossil resources, the environment and climate change, materials made from renewable resources have attracted much attention in the past decades. In the meantime, biobased polymers have experienced a renaissance. Many traditional synthetic polymers, such as PET, PTT and PA have been, or can be potentially made from renewable resources. The historical use of biomass for material production shows that biobased polymers are neither fictional nor new. If emerging biobased polymers, such as PLA, biobased PET, biobased PTT and biobased PA, succeed in following this example, they could possibly replace their petrochemical counterparts in large quantities in the future.