ARCO – Aquafil, a leading manufacturer of nylon, has announced progress in its collaboration with biotechnology company Genomatica, as the pair have produced the first pre-commercial quantities of plant-based nylon-6.
The two firms have already developed pilot-scale volumes of the material, demonstrating that they’re able to convert caprolactam – the nylon alternative’s building blocks – into polymers for reprocessing.
Christophe Schilling, Geno’s chief executive, commented: “We're working to build purposeful, traceable and transparent supply chains, in this case for nylon-6, with the goal to provide more sustainable products that consumers demand and material solutions that can help brands achieve their ESG goals.”
