At HIMIESA, in line with our environmental policy, which is innovative and adds value to our products, as specialists in spinning, we have embarked on a new R&D project that has allowed us to develop a new range of biodegradable polyester yarns aimed at the agri-food sector (nets for the commercialization of fruits and vegetables: oranges, lemons, garlic, potatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers...) and the meat sector (especially for the production of ham casings and the preservation of cold meats).
This goal has been achieved by applying a new finishing process that was developed as a result of the project's research, based on the technology of synthetic polymer biodegradation catalyzed by enzymes, in combination with microcapsule technology. A new microencapsulated enzymatic finish has been researched and applied to polyester yarns intended for the meat and/or agri-food sector to find the most suitable finishing formulation and the optimal application process, enabling polyester yarns to biodegrade into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water, and biomass.
As a result of the project, the final polyester yarns obtained have a lower environmental impact since, being biodegradable, at the end of their useful life, their use in textile articles (mainly single-use items, such as ham casings and nets for fruits and vegetables) helps reduce waste ending up in landfills or incinerators.
For this project, the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) has granted us a subsidy of €45,644.17. This subsidy is 60% funded by the European Union, within the FEDER Program of the Valencian Community 2021-2027, with the title "Research on the biodegradability of bioactivated synthetic yarns" and file number IMIDTA/2023/41, presented to the program R&D PROJECTS FOR SMEs (PIDI-CV) 2023.
