Mindful Materials: Bio-Acetate
Our Bio-acetate is an eco-friendly version of plastic that has a lower carbon footprint than traditional acetate.
The main benefits include;
- Sustainably sourced base materials like cotton or wood, rather than heavy use of petrol chemicals.
- Hypoallergenic, therefore safe for your skin.
- High strength and flexibility characteristics promote easy adjustments and repairs.
- Fully repairable
How is acetate made?
Cellulose is first obtained from a plant source such as cotton or wood. It’s a molecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Cellulose is the main substance in the walls of plant cells, allowing plants to remain stiff and upright. Cellulose is naturally occurring and non toxic, to humans and other animals such as cows natural cellulose can be digested. Cellulose is most commonly derived from cotton or wood pulp, as these have significantly high content compared to other plants.
Once the cellulose materials have been extracted, they need some form of binding agent or plasticizer to make the material useable.
Natural plasticizers as a whole are still undergoing much development, and the formula currently used for our acetate plasticizers is derived mostly from vegetable oil.
Compared to traditional plastics, bio-acetate does not pose such a long term toxic and physical hazard for land or sea life. It offers similar performance characteristics to plastic but without the environmental impact.
Research conducted by Daicel Groups.
