Freudenberg & Ratti recycle silk for thermal insulation

Freudenberg Performance
Materials and Ratti, an Italian fashion textile company, develop a process to
re-use silk textiles for thermal insulation. Both the companies have been
working together on sustainability projects since the start of this year.

The first fruit of this
collaboration is a process for reusing silk textiles and use it for the
manufacturing of high-performance thermal insulation, which Ratti is currently
launching onto the market. As a production partner in this project, Freudenberg
is contributing to the sustainable development of the clothing and textile
industry.

The practice of using
recycled materials from other industries, such as post-consumer PET bottles,
has been common practice in the textile industry for years. Freudenberg and
Ratti are now re-using silk textiles from their own industry, the clothing
industry, in a jointly developed process. Ratti re-uses silk textiles (outer
fabrics/clothing) and Freudenberg uses this to produce thermal insulation made
from 70 per cent re-used silk, which Ratti then markets.In addition,
Freudenberg´s solvent-free manufacturing process for the waddings significantly
reduces the environmental impact of the new process.

Jonathan Oh, General Manager Freudenberg
Performance Materials Apparel, explained “Our partnership with Ratti proves once again what joint
innovation work can achieve. Thus, we make a valuable contribution to extending
the scope of sustainability within the textile industry.”

Freudenberg possesses the
nonwoven industry’s most extensive technology platform. For decades, this has
enabled the leading supplier of technical textiles to offer sustainable
solutions for a wide range of applications. Airlaid technology plays a key role
in the re-use of silk textiles, enabling Freudenberg to produce waddings with a
three-dimensional structure from this material. This leads to the formation of
countless tiny air chambers, which give the padding excellent thermal insulation
properties combined with exceptional breathability. Its high dimensional
stability and wash resistance, as well as its impressive durability, make this
wadding made from 70 per cent re-used silk textiles an excellent choice for
environmentally conscious outdoor enthusiasts.