Article Number : 6140 |
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| Date | 11/22/2010 8:46:49 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=6140 |
| Abstract | By Melissa McGuire Whether driven by the high price of traditional petroleum-based products, the environmental impact of petroleum use or an interest to become independent from foreign sources of oil, sustainable flooring products made from bio-based materials are growing in... |
| Article | By Melissa McGuire Whether driven by the high price of traditional petroleum-based products, the environmental impact of petroleum use or an interest to become independent from foreign sources of oil, sustainable flooring products made from bio-based materials are growing in popularity. In a frenzy of scientific advancements that mimic a Ray Bradbury science fiction novel, flooring manufacturers continue to break through the glass ceiling of sustainability. Bio-based materials, or biomaterials as they are sometimes referred, are defined as engineered materials made from substances derived from living matter. These materials have undergone extensive processing and are used in bio-based products. As defined by the USDA and the Bio-based Manufacturers Association, bio-based products rely on plant and/or animal materials; are sustainable, renewable resources; and generally do not contain toxins, synthetics or environmentally damaging materials. The benefits of using bio-based materials are numerous: • Renewable raw materials, if properly managed, can be a sustainable source of products and energy. • Bio-based products can be grown and harvested close to their point of use, thus minimizing the carbon footprint of the product and stimulating rural economic development. • Bio-based products are usually less toxic, less flammable and less corrosive than petroleum-based products. In addition, manufacturers and end users can also save money by avoiding special permits, compliance penalties and disposal costs. The flooring industry has been a leader in responding to the consumer outcry for products with recycled content and aggressive methods for sustainably produced products and reclamation. From this response, innovation has flourished and bio-based flooring materials are finally moving from idea to invention. The following are some of the pioneers in the production of scientifically advanced floor covering. TANDUS FLOORING Genesis, unveiled at NeoCon 2010, is comprised of 15% biopolymer and 85% nylon in either yarn dyed or solution dyed. The biopolymer component is derived 100% from annually renewable plant sugars from nonfood stock, emits 86% fewer greenhouse gas emissions and produces 65% less nonrenewable energy than nylon. A collaboration between Tandus Flooring Technologies, the company’s R&D center, and NatureWorks, a division of Cargill, Genesis is the first flooring fiber to encapsulate a biopolymer in a durable nylon outer layer and proclaimed to be the first bio-based yarn to execute the commercial performance and aesthetic attributes of petroleum-based nylon. ARMSTRONG COMMERCIAL FLOORING Creating a new category of flooring, Armstrong introduced Migrations BBT, a bio-based tile, in 2007 at GreenBuild. Made possible by the creation of Armstrong’s BioStride polymer, the tile — derived from castor and soybean oils — incorporates rapidly renewable resources, contains 10% pre-consumer recycled content and meets low VOC emissions in compliance with California 01350. In addition, the cost is the same as traditional tile and boasts enhanced performance. “Composition tile is the most often used category of commercial flooring,” said Dominic Rice, vice president, commercial resilient, Armstrong Floor Products. “Migrations can exert maximum pro-environmental impact on the market because it provides a greener product option at an affordable price.” MOHAWK INDUSTRIES Partnering with DuPont, Mohawk Industries introduced the first bio-based fiber in 2007 dubbed SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona. The product is 37% renewably sourced, and when compared to the production of nylon 6, SmartStrand takes 30% less energy to produce and reduces greenhouse gas production by 60%. For every seven yards of Sorona carpet produced, the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline is saved. It is also manufactured in a continuous process resulting in fewer processing problems and less waste generation. Made partially from corn sugar, the polymer offers properties identical to a petroleum-based fiber. “Chemically it’s the same,” said Jeff Lorberbaum, chairman and CEO of Mohawk. “We are extremely pleased with the quality and consistency of the biological root. And fewer process variations translates into improved performance.” There is also a performance story with this revolutionary fiber. “With Sorona you get durability, color and design, and permanent, natural stain and bleach resistance that will not wash or wear off over time,” said Dawson Winch, global brand manager, DuPont Sorona. INTERFACEFLOR The first carpet manufacturer to use fibers made from polylactic acid (PLA), InterfaceFLOR recently developed Hybrid, a nylon/bio-based blend that is currently being used in the face cloth of selected products. Introduced in 2004, PLA fibers, a commercially viable plastic made from corn, are derived from #2 corn and other starch-containing agricultural plant materials and waste products. They are similar to polyester synthetic fibers. INVISTA Invista’s Antron division last year introduced Bio_Legacy white dyeable nylon, part of the Bio_Antron carpet fiber family, which uses nylon 6,6 derived from the high-yielding and renewable resource castor bean oil. According to Diane O’Sullivan, global marketing director, the solution-dyed product contains up to 25% pre- and post-consumer recycled content, as well as 10% bio-based content derived from the oil. The carpet fibers are certified as an Environmentally Preferable Product by Scientific Certification Systems and can contribute to LEED MR credit 6 for rapidly renewable materials. “This product meets all three legs of the stool of Antron: sustainability, aesthetics and performance,” O’Sullivan said. She noted that using renewable and recyclable products in a fiber can be a balancing act, both for cost and durability reasons; if the product contains too much of these materials, it might become too expensive to produce or not as stable as a product that contains fewer of these ingredients. “There was also a lot of engineering that went into these products to make them perform like virgin nylon.” |