Natural Environment Blog

Biodegradable TPU is a solvent-free TPU that can biodegrade in as little as 4 years.

TPU, which stands for Thermoplastic Polyurethane, is a form of plastic and is not known for being eco friendly. As well as being harmful to the environment to produce, TPU products can take many hundreds of years to decompose.
Biodgradable TPU, on the other hand, is low in toxicity, can biodegrade much better than traditional TPU, and therefore is better for the natural environment.

TPU is used to produce hundreds of different products, including fabric laminates. Therefore, biodegradable TPU can be used instead of traditional TPU in the clothing industry.

Here’s a list of common uses for TPU:

• Architectural Glass Lamination
• Auto-Body Side Molding
• Automotive Lumbar Supports
• Caster Wheels
• Cattle Tags
• Constant Velocity Boots (Automotive)
• Drive Belts
• Film and Sheet
• Fire Hose Liner
• Flexible Tubing
• Food Processing Equipment
• Footwear - sport shoe soles
• Hydraulic Hoses
• Hydraulic Seals
• Inflatable Rafts
• In-Line Skates
• Magnetic Media
• Medical Tubing
• Mining Screens
• Sporting Goods
• Swim Fins and Goggles
• TPU Coated Fabrics
• Wire and Cable Coatings

An example of one clothing company using biodegradable TPU is Quiksilver. Quiksilver uses a biodegradable TPU laminate in some of it’s winter clothing line.

Given the widespread use of TPU, it makes sense to continue development of biodegradable TPU.

In today’s ever-increasing environmentally conscience world, we are seeing some really innovative materials emerging as eco friendly alternatives. Another example of this is Ingeo.

Ingeo^™ (a trademark of Natureworks LLC) is a man-made fiber made out of corn. Natureworks claim that Ingeo is the world’s first man-made fiber derived from 100% annually renewable resources. Natureworks describe Ingeo as follows:

Ingeo fiber combines the qualities of natural and synthetic fibers in a new way. Strength and resilience are balanced with comfort, softness and drape in textiles. In addition, Ingeo fiber has good moisture management characteristics. This means that Ingeo fiber is ideally suited to fabrics from fashion to furnishings.

Ingeo fabric:

• Is color fast (i.e. does not fade).
• Is wrinkle free (doesn’t need ironing).
• Is resilient - it doesn’t shrink.
• Doesn’t absorb odors.
• Has excellent soil release and stain resistance.
• Has excellent performance when compared to other fibers.
• Is hypoallergenic. Ingeo has never caused an allergic reaction in independent testing.
• Has excellent U.V. resistance (better than polyester).
• Will not retain moisture. It can be spun dry in the washer, and requires little or no drying.
• Is more breathable than polyester

If you’re interested, here’s a report from the Hohenstein Institute comparing Ingeo fabric to cotton and polyester as a fabric for sporting applications. (Hint: Ingeo came out on top).