BASF is among ten organisations from industry and science working together on a project to increase recycling in sportswear.
Led by adidas and funded by the European Commission, the three-year Sports Infinity project aims to develop recyclable, partly waste-based, textile fibre-reinforced composites, particularly for use in sports shoes. The goal is a new breed of sporting goods that will not be discarded but reused. A used football shoe, for instance, could be collected and shredded into tiny pieces, of which every gram is reprocessed to help produce new footwear, says BASF.
BASF’s extensive polymer know-how will play an integral part in developing new materials and tailoring them to the manufacturing process. Recyclability is a key factor in the material selection process. Juergen Weiser, Director Technology, Performance Materials, BASF, said: “We are focusing on special new polymers with a broad mechanical property range. “The goal is to create a recyclable product that can be fine-tuned to a variety of applications and related processes. Developing new and disruptive cradle-to-cradle sporting good concepts together with partners along the entire value chain is a perfect fit for us.”
As part of the project, polymers, either from industrial or sportswear waste sources, will be reengineered to the key manufacturing processes for Sport Infinity. The processes uses almost every gram of material and do not produce waste. Sport Infinity brings together partners from various disciplines from specialty equipment manufacturers and processing experts to chemical suppliers and fibre and textile processors. Involved are adidas AG; BASF; KISKA GmbH; FILL Gesellschaft m.b.H.; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU); OECHSLER AG; University of Leeds, Centre for Technical Textiles (CTT); Association CETI (Centre Européen des Textiles Innovants); Hypercliq E.E and SportsMethod Ltd.
Canadian investment on the up
Chemical Industry spending in the provinces of Western Canada, consisting of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, has greatly increased compared with last year, according to a new report. The provinces are home to some of the country’s largest chemical and petrochemical complexes and Texas-based research organisation Industrial Info based its findings on 39 projects with plans to begin construction this year, totaling an estimated $221 million in capital and maintenance spending.
New venture launched
Tokyo-based Mitsui Chemicals and SKC Polyurethanes Inc has officially launched a joint venture bio-polyol manufacturing company in India, Vithal Castor Polyols Pvt. Ltd has been established with Itoh Oil Chemical Co. Ltd and India’s Jayant Agro-Organics Ltd to manufacture and sell bio-polyol using Indian castor oil from non-edible plants as a main raw material. Eight per cent of the world’s castor oil is produced in India and the new venture’s manufacturing plant in India allows the company to stably supply bio-polyol.
Award for company
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc of Tokyo has been presented with this year’s Japan Chemical Industry Association Outstanding Award for its work to contribute to the local community. The company’s activities have included sponsorship of children’s sports events, educational support including plant tours for elementary, junior and high school students and the holding of chemical experimental classrooms.
Accolade for Chemetall
Chemetall, a global surface treatment company and a division of Albemarle Corporation, has been named as one of Germany’s best apprenticeship companies. The study conducted by the weekly news magazine FOCUS tested 2,000 companies from 22 industries and its results were influenced by the success of apprentices, vocational training, and salaries paid to the apprentices.
