Polyester and textiles producer Far Eastern New Century Corp (FENC, 遠東新世紀) has developed a bio-based material derived from sugarcane bagasse that can be used in the production of masks.
The firm would team up with major domestic mask makers to use the material for making medium and high-end masks, FENC told the Central News Agency.
While the quality of bio-based fibers and petroleum-based synthetic fibers are similar, biodegradable materials are gentler on the skin and have good water absorption, the company said.
Photo: Tung Chen-kuo, Taipei Times
The use of bio-based materials not only reduces reliance on petroleum-based materials in production, but also reduces carbon emissions by up to 60 percent, the firm said.
Bio-based fibers cost about US$3 per kilogram — about three times that of petroleum-based alternatives, FENC said.
Despite the price, some of the firm’s customers in Japan and Europe have expressed an interest in the materials, a senior firm executive said on condition of anonymity.
The bio-based fibers can also be used to produce products such as diapers and alcohol wipes, the executive said.
FENC is a prominent supplier of raw materials to mask producers around the world. Last year, it supplied one-seventh of the world’s total materials for mask production.
The firm’s biodegradable unwoven fibers include a green polyethylene made out of sugarcane ethanol.
Taiwanese firms have tirelessly developed sustainable solutions to preserve the environment, said Steven Chen (陳世中), head of the Taiwan Nonwoven Fabrics Industry Association (臺灣不織布工業公會).
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
RSS