Cases
What’s the true essence of what DSM brings to this market? Our bright science is helping to improve peoples’ lives and preserve the planet - every day. Read on to find out how.
Dispelling wooly myths
The average sheep produces 4kg of wool per year. Our acrylonitrile plant produces the raw materials for the equivalent of around 280 million kgs of acrylic fiber every year.
Before you reach for the calculator that’s the equivalent of 60 million sheep. You may be wondering what harm this does to the environment (surely there’s nothing more ‘natural’ than sheep’s wool).
Now consider the following. First, the sheep has to be sheared (usually done electrically). Second, the total ‘weight’ of a sheep’s coat is actually around 25kg – the vast majority of which is fat that has to be separated from the wool. That wool then has to be spun, dyed – all of which are chemical processes that cause environmental damage. Then you have the carbon footprint of the sheep itself (producing noxious gases, often from both ends – unless of course it eats animal feed from DSM!).
The result: Acrylic fibers are far better for the environment than sheep’s wool! More>
Fixing a hole
How do you make robust, functional clothing that protects both people and planet?
In the past, the ultra-thin plastic films used for textile protection were based on micropores: Thousands of tiny holes that allow moisture to escape. The only drawback is that microporous films also enable liquids to enter. Water, blood, mud…you name it.
Our breakthrough monolithic technology Arnitel® eliminates the need for micropores – providing a 100 percent barrier to unwanted fluids, bacteria and viruses.
Arnitel® is also extremely efficient to produce and can be processed in a variety of different ways – which means our customers can cut waste by up to 50 percent, thus reducing their carbon footprint. More>
