Freudenberg & Ratti Join Hands to Reuse Silk for the Manufacturing of High-performance Thermal Insulation

Freudenberg Performance Materials and Italian fashion textile company, Ratti, have been working on sustainability projects since the start of this year. The first fruit of this collaboration is a process for reusing silk textiles and using it for the manufacturing of high-performance thermal insulation, which Ratti is currently launching onto the market.As a production partner in this project, Freudenberg is contributing to the sustainable development of the clothing and textile industry. The practice of using recycled materials from other industries, such as post- consumer PET bottles, has been common practice in the textile industry for years. Freudenberg and Ratti are now re-using silk textiles from their own industry, the clothing industry, in a jointly developed process. Ratti re-uses silk textiles (outer fabrics/clothing) and Freudenberg uses this to produce thermal insulation made from 70 percent re-used silk, which Ratti then markets, according to a press release by Freudenberg.

In addition, Freudenberg’s solvent-free manufacturing process for the waddings significantly reduces the environmental impact of the new process.

Freudenberg possesses the nonwoven industry’s most extensive technology platform. For decades, this has enabled the leading supplier of technical textiles to offer sustainable solutions for a wide range of applications. Airlaid technology plays a key role in the re-use of silk textiles, enabling Freudenberg to produce waddings with a three-dimensional structure from this material.

This leads to the formation of countless tiny air chambers, which give the padding excellent thermal insulation properties combined with exceptional breathability. Its high dimensional stability and wash resistance, as well as its impressive durability, make this wadding made from 70 per cent re-used silk textiles an excellent choice for environmentally conscious outdoor enthusiasts.

“Our partnership with Ratti proves once again what joint innovation work can achieve. Thus, we make a valuable contribution to extending the scope of sustainability within the textile industry,” Jonathan Oh, general manager Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel said.