Hyosung TNC launches first bio-based spandex for commercial use

The fiber division of Hyosung Corporation, Hyosung TNC,  has succeeded in extracting spandex from corn and commercializing the world’s first bio-based spandex in history.

Utilizing a natural resource sourced from maize rather than coal, the business created bio-derived spandex, Creora Bio-Based, and received a worldwide eco-friendly certification. According to Hyosung, spandex saves carbon emissions by 23% compared to conventional goods.

The US Department of Agriculture awarded a chemical developed from maize with an eco-friendly certification, which is used to partially replace raw materials originating from coal in the Creora Bio-Based spandex.

The corn-derived material has been used for ordinary fibers, wrapping paper, cosmetics, and liquid detergents for a long time, but not for high-functional textiles like spandex since it is not technologically viable to give distinctive elasticity and durability. For the first time ever, Hyosung TNC claims to have successfully commercialized bio-based spandex after investing more than a year in research and development.

In comparison to traditional spandex goods, Creora Bio-Based can cut water usage by 39% and carbon dioxide emissions by 23%, according to the Life Cycle Assessment, a tool for evaluating environmental effects based on international standards.

The SGS (previously Société Générale de Surveillance) awarded the Creora Bio-Based the Eco Product Mark, a global eco-friendly certification, in June 2022.

The Eco Product Mark is given to goods manufactured with ESG-focused management, using eco-friendly raw materials that are safe for human use.

Global demand for eco-friendly biomaterials is increasing as a result of the European Union’s recent announcement that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) would be fully implemented in 2025.