The BioBase project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant 031B0958C, ran from 1 December 2020 to 30 November 2023. Carl Weiske GmbH & Co. KG led the work packages on scaling chemical‑fiber production (4.2) and upscaling texturing (4.3) within the BioTexFuture innovation space. The consortium comprised Adidas, Strähle & Hess, Huesker, and Krall + Roth, each supplying three target applications in sport, automotive, geotextiles, and home textiles. The project’s objective was to replace petroleum‑based yarns used in these sectors with novel biobased polymers.
To support this transition, a comprehensive database was created that catalogued biobased polymers, their properties, manufacturers, prices, availability, and suitability for textile processing. Carl Weiske sourced the polymers and identified suitable producers through its extensive supplier network, integrating data from previous studies on biobased polymer use in textiles. Benchmark products were selected for each partner’s application, and technical specifications for reproducing the reference yarns were derived.
Yarn production began with melt‑spinning of the polymer melt into a pilot‑scale pilot‑spinning (POY) process. The spin parameters were defined and executed at the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University and the Aachen‑Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM), with Carl Weiske providing process planning and parameter tuning. The resulting POY was then subjected to two texturing routes: direct‑to‑yarn (DTY) performed by Zwirnerei‑Untereggingen (ZUE) and air‑to‑yarn (ATY) conducted at ITA. For both routes, Carl Weiske optimized the process settings, including spool arrangement on the under‑dimensioned spooling plate for ATY, which reduced winding issues and fiber breaks.
Mechanical testing of the produced yarns revealed initial variability in tensile strength and intermittent fiber breaks. A targeted spin‑process optimisation was implemented, involving control of the fiber guide elements, spin package, and a two‑step pyrolysis (300 °C then 450 °C for 12 h). Replacement of worn guide elements and adjustment of the winding temperature eliminated the periodic strength fluctuations and reduced breakage frequency. Subsequent yarns exhibited stable tensile properties.
Key performance data from the ATY trials include a Dtex 1017 yarn with 22.98 cN/tex tensile strength, 40.14 % elongation, and 0.75 % hot‑air shrinkage at 180 °C, and two ITA‑produced yarns of Dtex 1079 (18.26 cN/tex, 43.42 % elongation, 8.7 % shrinkage) and Dtex 1057 (17.28 cN/tex, 37.54 % elongation, 10.7 % shrinkage). Bio‑PET yarns from Far Eastern New Century, containing 30 % biobased content, achieved 40.61 cN/tex strength, 23.6 % elongation, 17.1 % curl contraction, and 103 twist points at a cost of 3.46 USD/kg. A second bio‑PET sample delivered 42.38 cN/tex, 21.1 % elongation, 28.2 % curl contraction, and 65 twist points at 3.40 USD/kg. PLA yarns from LeiTsu showed 30 cN/tex strength with 41 % elongation and 682 turns per metre, while a second PLA variant delivered 29 cN/tex, 46 % elongation, and 508 turns per metre.
The collaboration integrated expertise from industry partners, academic institutions, and a textile technology institute, enabling the translation of biobased polymers into scalable, high‑performance yarns suitable for the identified application sectors. The project demonstrated that with targeted process optimisation and careful material selection, biobased fibers can match or exceed the mechanical performance of conventional petroleum‑derived yarns, paving the way for broader adoption in sports, automotive, geotextile, and home textile markets.