Freudenberg Performance Materials garment (Freudenberg) has launched the first biodegradable fusible cotton shirt interlinings range 46xx in the garment industry, marking another significant advance in the development of sustainable textile solutions.

With this invention, the top provider of woven, knitted, weft, and nonwoven interlinings in the world lessens its environmental effect and helps clients meet their own sustainability goals. The series is sold in Asia as the 42xx series.

The new Freudenberg fusible interlinings for shirts and blouses have been created in such a way that, at the end of their life cycle, they are safe for both people and the environment. The 46xx series was subjected to biodegradation testing by Germany's independent Hohenstein Laboratories, based on the Hohenstein method, which incorporates DIN EN ISO 11721-2:2003 and EN ISO 846, and was found to be biodegradable and ecotoxicologically safe. In the acute toxicity test, the Hohenstein tests on the germination of garden cress and on earthworms revealed no adverse effects.

The ability to fuse the novel biodegradable shirt interlinings at a low temperature offers significant possibilities for energy savings. In more concrete terms, this means that the resulting temperature during the fusing process between the upper fabric and the shirt interlining is just 127°C, which is far lower than the standard value of 143°C.

The shirt interlinings are washable at up to 40°C and resistant to dry washing, and they have been certified to OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Class II for successfully testing for no dangerous compounds. Freudenberg further demonstrated that interlining is superior to traditional products in terms of quality through washing and degradability testing. It is also a perfect end-of-life cycle solution and has passed all ecological-toxicological tests.

In Europe, products from the 46xx range are offered in the weight classes of 4605 (90g/m2), 4616 (150g/m2), and 4618 (55g/m2) in the color white. The interlinings' glue is made entirely of biopolymers that degrade. The shirt interlinings are perfect for bolstering the collars, cuffs, and plackets of shirts and blouses used in fashionable, casual, and professional attire. The non-toxic, biodegradable interlinings are crucial for labels that make an environmental sustainability claim.