As the world pushes for greener products, fiber makers are looking for ways to make polyester fibers more eco-friendly. One way is to mix PBAT (a soft, biodegradable plastic) with PET (the standard polyester used in fibers). This approach can give you fibers that are strong, soft, and partly biodegradable. Here’s how it works and what you need to know if you want to try it in a short fiber plant.
1. The Idea
PBAT and PET work well together because they bring different strengths:
- PBAT is soft, flexible, and breaks down in the environment.
- PET is strong, heat-resistant, and gives the fiber its shape.
By mixing about 10–30% PBAT with PET, you can make short fibers that keep the strength of PET but gain softness and partial biodegradability.
How it’s done:
- Blend the materials: Mix PBAT pellets with PET chips using a mixer or extruder to make blended pellets.
- Spin the Short fiber: Feed the blended pellets into the short fiber spinning line. Then process them as usual—opening, cutting, and carding—to make finished short fibers.
2. How to Set Up the Process
Blending & Pelletizing
- Keep PBAT around 120–140°C, just above its melting point, to mix it evenly.
- Use low-shear extrusion so PBAT doesn’t break down.
Spinning the Fiber
- PET is spun at its usual temperature (250–260°C).
- Adjust draw ratio and spinning speed to make PBAT spread evenly.
3. Why This Works Well
After Spinning
- You can use normal opening, carding, and cutting equipment—no new machines needed.
- For higher PBAT content, a low-temperature drying or extra refining step can help make the fibers more even.
- Better functionality: Fibers feel softer and are partly biodegradable.
- Compatible with existing machines: Low PBAT levels don’t hurt PET strength or spinning.
- Affordable: Cheaper than making all PBAT fibers.
- Easy to implement: Only the blending step needs attention, no big equipment changes.
4. What to Expect
Fiber Properties
- Strength and stiffness like normal PET fibers.
- Softer feel because of PBAT.
- PBAT will partially break down over time in composting conditions.
Production Stability
- Low PBAT keeps the spinning process steady.
- Even mixing avoids broken fibers or machine jams.
Applications
- Environmentally friendly home textiles: bed sheets, curtains, towels.
- Biodegradable nonwovens: medical, packaging, or agricultural films.
- Functional fabrics: soft, partly biodegradable, improved hand feel.
- Blended fabrics: mix with natural fibers to make textiles softer and greener.
5. Impact on Your Plant
- Machines: Only need to adjust temperature and mixing speed on the blender or extruder. Spinning and cutting machines stay the same.
- Process: Watch PBAT percentage, temperature, and fiber cooling to make sure the fibers come out evenly.
6. Summary
Mixing PBAT with PET short fibers is a simple, low-cost, and effective way to make fibers that are stronger, softer, and partly biodegradable.
With careful blending and spinning, you can use your existing short fiber line to make environmentally friendly products for home textiles, nonwovens, and functional fabrics.
This method is practical, proven, and fits the growing demand for sustainable textiles.
The concept of blending PBAT with PET to obtain partially biodegradable fibers has been described in existing patents, where PBAT is mixed with PET through melt-spinning to form bio‑degradable polyester fibers under controlled ratios.
