Century Enka begins commercial production of sustainable nylon tire cord fabric

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A new sustainable material developed by Century Enka will be utilized by Apollo Tyres for selected ranges in various segments. In what it states is a first, Century Enka has launched commercial production of NTCF (nylon tire cord fabric) made from 100% recycled nylon waste.

NTCF was unveiled in November 2022 at the Century Enka Bharuch plant in Gujarat, India, when the first consignment of commercial supplies was dispatched to Apollo. The two companies worked jointly on this project for over a year.

Century Enka is the largest consumer of caprolactam in India, and generates in-process waste during manufacturing of polyamide yarn. This waste is then recycled back to caprolactam, which, after extensive distillation, is made suitable for production of NTCF.

“We decided to use our in-house waste for caprolactam and, with our technology from Akzo, some could be converted back to Caprolactam,” said Suresh Sodani, managing director of Century Enka. “The idea was to conserve crude oil, a finite natural resource, for making virgin caprolactam and avoid misuse of polyamide waste – which is highly detrimental to the environment. I am proud of our teams for this remarkable achievement.”

Sustainable fabric from Century Enka is subject to rigorous quality assessments and is GRS certified.

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About Author

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Matt joined UKi Media & Events in 2014 after seven years of living and working in Dubai. He has been a journalist for over 15 years and has worked for a wide range of publications, including Rolling Stone, Time Out, iQ, Wired, Kipp Report and Loaded. After starting out on the automotive team as deputy editor of Engine Technology International, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International and Transmissions Technology International, he has been an editor since 2015, and began editing Tire Technology International in 2018. In 2020, he was appointed editor-in-chief of Tire, Electric & Hybrid Marine Technology International and Wheel Technology International. He is also the chairman of the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation & Excellence

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