Page 158 - CW E-Magazine (12-12-2023)

News from Abroad

CIRCULARITY IN CLOTHING
Avantium to supply plant-based PEF to Pangaia

for use in apparel collection

Avantium, the Dutch renewable infrastructure for both production and
chemistry firm, has announced a supply recycling; presenting a scaleable future
deal with Pangaia, a materials science for renewable alternatives to fossil-
and apparel company, under which fuel derived PET. PEF-based fibre has
Avantium’s plant-based and recyclable a significantly lower carbon footprint
material polyethylene furanoate (PEF) compared to fossil-fuel based synthetic
will be used in Pangaia’s apparel fibres, and can also be recycled in
collection with the goal of creating existing assets.
fossil-fuel free and recyclable materials
and products. “We are pleased to partner with
Pangaia, a leading innovator in the
PEF is made from furandicarboxy- Over the past year, Avantium has materials and fashion industry, enabling
lic acid (FDCA), which will be pro- increased its focus on the development of consumers to wear PEF-based clothing.
duced in Avantium’s FDCA flagship PEF for fibres and yarns, which can be Together we will demonstrate that
plant. This “world’s first commercial used in different applications including PEF-based clothing has great poten-
facility” for FDCA is currently under fashion. PEF-based fibres can replace tial to play a key role in reducing
construction in Delfzijl (the Nether- PET fibre, which accounted for about the fashion industry’s impact on the
lands), and large-scale production is set 54% of global fibre production in 2021 climate,” said Mr. Tom van Aken, CEO,
to start in the second half of 2024. (60.5-mt). PEF fits current polyester Avantium.

FOREVER CHEMICALS
Chemours, DuPont & Corteva reach $110-mn PFAS

settlement in US

Chemours, Dupont De Nemours allocated by the State for conduct related The provision required extra payment if
and Corteva have reached a settlement to discharges from Washington Works, the companies reached a similar settle-
agreement with the US state of Ohio for and the remaining 20% for other PFAS ment to the one with Delaware within
$110-mn to resolve claims associated claims statewide. eight years with any other State for more
with release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl PFAS are a class of chemicals used than $50-mn.
substances, or PFAS.
in a range of products including non-
Chemical makers have faced thou-
Chemours, a spin-off of DuPont, said stick cookware and firefighting foams, sands of lawsuits in recent years over
it would be responsible for half of the and are associated with certain cancers, alleged PFAS contamination. A US
settlement costs, while DuPont would hormonal dysfunction and other diseases. appeals court recently rejected a lower
provide about $39-mn, and Corteva is They are often referred to as “forever
expected to cover the rest. chemicals” because they don’t easily court’s ruling that would have allowed
about 11.8-mn Ohio residents as a group
break down in the human body or nature.
The agreement resolves Ohio’s to sue 10 PFAS manufacturers. In June
claims relating to the release of PFAS The US state of Delaware said the this year, 3M had agreed to pay $10.3-bn
from the companies’ facilities, including Ohio deal triggered a contingency provi- to settle hundreds of claims that the
the Washington Works facility located sion in its own 2021 PFAS settlement company polluted public drinking water
along the Ohio-West Virginia border, with the companies, which requires them with the chemicals, while Chemours,
Chemours said in a statement. Of the to pay the state an additional $25-mn on DuPont and Corteva reached a similar
$110-mn total payment, 80% will be top of the $50-mn in its original deal. deal with US water providers for $1.19-bn.

158 Chemical Weekly December 12, 2023
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