BASF and Trinamix, a provider of mobile spectroscopy solutions and subsidiary of BASF, will present their solutions at the Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels. Together, they will showcase solutions for the textile circular economy, including the reliable identification of textile fibers and the use of recycled polyamide 6 in durable textiles. The trade fair will take place on June 4 and 5, 2025. Trinamix and the Loopamid fibers will be present at booth 2341 in hall 3.
Polyamide 6 from textile waste
Loopamid is a recycled polyamide 6 based exclusively on textile waste. The technology behind it enables “textile-to-textile recycling of polyamide 6 in a variety of fabric blends, including those with spandex,” says Dag Wiebelhaus, Head of Innovation Management in BASF’s Monomers division and Loopamid project manager. The chemical company recently announced the commissioning of the world’s first commercial production plant for the fiber. The plant at the Caojing site in Shanghai has an annual capacity of 500 tons and uses industrial textile waste from textile production as well as used clothing for the production of Loopamid. The raw materials include cutting residues, offcuts and other production waste from the textile industry. These materials are collected by partners and made available to BASF. Used clothing containing polyamide-6 can also be used for production. Such waste is difficult to recycle as it usually consists of a mixture of different fibers and materials as well as dyes and additives. In addition, buttons, zippers and accessories have to be removed from used clothing in advance. BASF is working closely with partners and customers to accelerate the development of collection and sorting systems.
Mobile textile identification
According to the manufacturer, the mobile near-infrared spectroscopy solution from Trinamix enables fast and reliable identification of a wide range of textile fibers and blends, including polyester, cotton, wool or polyamide including the subcategories PA 6 and PA 6.6. BASF is already using the technology to qualify waste streams for Loopamid production.
The solution consists of a mobile NIR spectrometer, an app with cloud-based data analysis and a connected customer portal that can be used to manage and export measurement results and download result reports.
To meet the specific requirements of textile recyclers, Trinamix offers a versatile solution that combines the advantages of multiple systems: A handheld device that enables flexible, quick checks or a semi-automatic system that can be built into a sorting table and triggers scans through an integrated sensor.
Expansion of the hardware portfolio
Trinamix will present the latest addition to its mobile NIR spectroscopy solutions at Textiles Recycling Expo: the PAL Two handheld spectrometer. Visitors to the show can look forward to live demonstrations of this new device. PAL Two has been developed with special attention to ergonomics and can be operated with one hand. The measurement results are shown on an integrated display directly on the device.
“We are delighted to be exhibiting at Textiles Recycling Expo for the first time and are looking forward to exchanging ideas with the community. We are bringing along our material identification solution, which creates more transparency along the value chain. By making the technology easily accessible, we are contributing to the more sustainable use of textiles. Together with the industry, we want to initiate positive changes – on the way to a functioning circular economy,” says Adrian Vogel, Team Lead Circular Economy at Trinamix.
