Specialty textile chemicals supplier CHT says it’s seen a spike in demand for formaldehyde-free binders used in textile finishing and pigment dyeing – despite some initial doubts about the effectiveness of these types of formulations.
Formaldehyde-based finishes, as is the case with many chemicals used in the textile supply chain, have come under greater regulatory scrutiny, and this chemical regularly features on apparel brand RSLs, MRSLs as well as regional environmental regulations.
CHT explained, “Formaldehyde-free binders have many benefits, but some customers remained skeptical. After all, many customers expected that the formaldehyde-free technology would lead to higher costs and adjustments in production processes. Nevertheless, in 2018 the team of CHT Germany was able to sell more than 500 tons of formaldehyde-free binders in Germany alone.”
