Technology · Biochemistry & industrial biotech / Polymers & materials

Bio-nylon

Bio-based polyamide (nylon) polymers and fibres built from renewable monomers — 100%-castor PA11, fermentation-derived pentanediamine PA56/PA510, and fully bio-based PA66 — produced as polymer chip and melt-spun textile yarn that drop into apparel and technical nylon supply chains.

Risk: low Textiles & leather US · CN · EU Science: why it works → verified 2026-07-29 · 4 Sources (0 independent)

1 · What it gives

Bio-nylon is the family of bio-based polyamide polymers and fibres whose monomers come from renewable carbon instead of crude oil. Four routes are in play: the long-established castor PA11 line (Arkema Rilsan), where castor-oil ricinoleic chain is cut to 11-aminoundecanoic acid and polycondensed to a 100%-bio polyamide; the bio-pentanediamine PA56/PA510 route, where sugars are fermented to pentanediamine and reacted with a bio-diacid; the emerging plant-based nylon-6 route (Geno/Genomatica, with Sojitz partnering since October 2025 to accelerate commercialisation); and fully bio-based PA66, where Toray and PTT Global Chemical established a manufacturing technology in May 2026 that ferments starch residues to bio-muconic acid, then bio-adipic acid, and on to 100% bio-based nylon-66. The result is a drop-in nylon with a 50–100% renewable-carbon content and a far lower carbon footprint — Arkema reports ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg for global PA11 production versus ~6–8 kg CO₂e/kg for fossil PA66. This article owns the polymer and fibre producers; the upstream bio-diamine and long-chain-diacid monomer houses (Cathay Biotech) are tabled elsewhere and are named here only to mark the scope boundary.

Key directions of bio-nylon:

Castor-based PA11 & long-chain bio-polyamides (Castor PA11): the 100%-bio-carbon line from castor oil, in commercial production for decades (Arkema Rilsan PA11).
Bio-pentanediamine PA56 / PA510 route (Bio-Pentanediamine PA56): fermentation-derived pentanediamine reacted with a bio-diacid; the monomer houses feeding it are tabled elsewhere. Alongside it runs Geno’s plant-based nylon-6 route, still pre-commercial.
Bio-PA66 from bio-adipic acid / bio-HMDA (Bio-Adipic PA66): drop-in fully bio-based nylon-66 (the Toray–PTT GC bio-muconic → bio-adipic acid technology, established 2026 and not yet in commercial production).
Bio-nylon textile yarn & fibre (Bio-Nylon Fibre Spinning): melt-spinning bio-PA into yarn and staple fibre for apparel and technical textiles (Fulgar EVO castor yarn; Toray renewable-feedstock nylon fibre).

Sectoral value chain#

[castor / sugars] ──> [bio-monomer] ──> [polycondensation] ──> [PA chip]
                            │                                        │
                    (fermentation)                            (melt-spinning)
                            │                                        │
                            ▼                                        ▼
[textile / apparel] <─── [yarn & fibre] <────────────── [compounding]

Value chain levels#

Level	Description	Key inputs/outputs
Bio-feedstock	castor oil and fermentable sugars as renewable carbon	In: castor beans, sugar. Out: castor oil, glucose.
Bio-monomer synthesis	fermentation or chain-cleavage to diamines, diacids, aminoundecanoic acid	In: castor oil, sugars, strains. Out: bio-monomer.
Polycondensation	diamine + diacid (or aminoundecanoic) polycondensed to PA resin	In: bio-monomer, catalyst. Out: PA resin.
Polymer chip & compounding	resin pelletized and compounded to a nylon grade	In: PA resin, additives. Out: PA chip.
Fibre & yarn spinning	chip melt-spun to yarn and staple fibre	In: PA chip, heat. Out: bio-nylon yarn/fibre.
Textile & apparel conversion	yarn knitted/woven into fabric and apparel	In: yarn, fabric. Out: textile, apparel.

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

Castor-to-PA11 chemistry (Castor-to-PA11): ricinoleic-chain cleavage to 11-aminoundecanoic acid and polycondensation to 100%-bio PA11.
Fermentation diamine route (Bio-Diamine Fermentation): engineered-strain fermentation of sugars to pentanediamine for PA56/PA510.
Bio-nylon melt-spinning (Bio-Nylon Melt-Spinning): spinning bio-PA chip into textile-grade yarn and staple fibre.

2 · What it replaces 3 · matched by industry

D1E–	Lower-toxicity textile dyeing and dye-effluent treatment with biological methods — bio-based indigo reduction and enzymatic indigo routes, microbial pigments, and biological decolorization of dye effluent — instead of sodium dithionite reduction, aniline-derived synthetic indigo and untreated/chemically treated dye effluent Replaces: Sodium dithionite (hydrosulfite) for indigo vat reduction, synthetic indigo made from aniline (traces of aniline in dyed denim), some azo …	CHEM
D3E2	Textile wet processing with enzymes — bio-scouring (pectinase), enzymatic desizing (amylase), cellulase "bio-stoning" and laccase denim bleaching, catalase peroxide removal — instead of caustic scouring, pumice stonewashing, potassium permanganate spraying and hypochlorite bleaching Replaces: Hot sodium hydroxide scouring, acid/oxidative desizing, pumice stones, potassium permanganate (PP) spray, sodium hypochlorite bleaching of …	CHEM
D1E4	Leather processing with enzymatic unhairing/bating and vegetable or other chromium-free tanning (mimosa, quebracho, chestnut, olive-leaf extract) — instead of sodium sulfide liming and chromium(III) tanning Replaces: Sodium sulfide + lime hair-burning unhairing, chromium(III) sulfate tanning (about 80–90 % of world leather), ammonium-salt deliming …	CHEM

3 · How to implement 6 steps

1
Castor / sugar feed
Castor oil (for the PA11 line) or fermentable sugars (for the PA56/PA510/PA66 lines) are received as the renewable-carbon feedstock.
2
Bio-monomer synthesisSynthesis & conversion
Castor oil is chain-cleaved to 11-aminoundecanoic acid, or sugars are fermented to pentanediamine / bio-HMDA and a bio-diacid, giving the nylon monomers.
Who can do this step matched automatically
Rossari Biotech (NSE) India
✓ ISO 9001 industrial scale
“A liver protectant comprising a combination of Liver extracts, Choline chloride, Inositol, Vitamin B12, Protein Hydrolysate, Biotin, Selenium, Vitamin E and Methylsulfonylmethane.”
Toyobo Japan
“Core technologies include polymerization, modification, processing, and biotechnology.”
China Everbright Environment Group China
163,050 tonnes
“Uniquely equipped with the credentials for the R&D, design, and production of both high-efficiency dust filtration materials and SCR denitration catalysts, as well as for the …”
3
Polycondensation
The diamine and diacid (or aminoundecanoic acid) are polycondensed to a bio-polyamide resin — PA11, PA56/PA510 or PA66.
4
Chip & compoundingFormulation & blending
The resin is pelletized and compounded to a nylon grade with the target renewable-carbon content (evidenced per ISO 16620).
Who can do this step matched automatically
Rossari Biotech (NSE) India
✓ ISO 9001 industrial scale
“The company also announced a new greenfield blending facility in Thailand to boost Southeast Asia operations and smarter capacity utilization across its HPPC, TSC, and AHN …”
Advanced Enzyme Technologies (NSE) India
✓ ISO 9001 500 m3
“This is a satellite blending, mixing and formulation facility, located at Vashind near Shahapur and dedicated to the company’s Animal Nutrition business.”
Vland Biotech 蔚蓝生物 (SSE 603739) China
✓ ISO 9001 industrial scale
“Aquaculture Premix”
5
Fibre & yarn spinning
The chip is melt-spun to textile-grade yarn and staple fibre, or retained as engineering-polymer chip for technical and additive-manufacturing uses.
6
Textile conversion
The bio-nylon yarn is knitted or woven into fabric and apparel, closing the loop from renewable carbon to finished textile.

4 · Who delivers

Matched suppliers (matched automatically)

Toray	Japan	Producer	active
Cathay Biotech 凯赛生物 (SSE 688065)	China	Producer	active
Far Eastern New Century (FENC)	Taiwan	Producer	active
Spiber	Japan	Producer	active
Zhejiang Huafon Biomaterials	China	Producer	active

In the services and supply catalogue 2 · paid service

Biopolymers & materials · Contract manufacturing (CMO/CDMO/toll)

Leading companies and institutes (from the brief)

Company / Institute	Country	Key products / platforms	Tech features	Status 2026
Fulgar	🇮🇹 Italy	EVO® castor-oil bio-polyamide yarn	Castor-based polyamide yarn for apparel	Commercial
Arkema	🇫🇷 France	Rilsan PA11	100%-castor polyamide, ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg	Commercial
Genomatica	🇺🇸 USA	Geno plant-based nylon-6 route	Renewable caprolactam route, Sojitz commercialisation deal	Pre-commercial
Toray	🇯🇵 Japan	100% bio-based PA66 (with PTT GC); renewable-feedstock nylon fibre	Bio-muconic → bio-adipic acid fermentation; Neste RE mass-balance fibre	PA66 technology established 2026; fibre commercial

5 · Rules & route to market

Route into Russia / EAEU: CHEM · Minpromtorg (registration) / Rospotrebnadzor (notification of new substances)
state registration ~10-15 working days after expert assessment; new substances need notification
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product. (2026-10-06)

United States

The US anchors the fermentation-monomer-to-nylon route, licensing the bio-diamine process that polymer and fibre producers convert into nylon.

plant-based nylon-6 route, monomer licensing, Sojitz partnership#

Genomatica (Geno): holds the process technology for the world’s first plant-based nylon-6, made from renewable rather than fossil caprolactam; a partnership with Sojitz announced in October 2025 is intended to accelerate its commercialisation. The route is not yet in commercial production.
TSCA / EPA: the bio-monomer intermediates fall under TSCA new-chemical review, the regulatory gate for scaling the plant-based route domestically.
Brand pull: apparel brands pull renewable-carbon nylon yarn into commercial collections — Goldwin, Neste, Idemitsu Kosan and Toray established a supply chain for nylon fibre from used cooking oil for THE NORTH FACE products, evidencing downstream demand.

European Union

The EU is the centre of commercial castor-PA11 and bio-nylon yarn, with the lowest-carbon polymer grades and the established textile-yarn converters.

castor PA11, bio-nylon yarn, low-carbon polymer#

Arkema (Rilsan PA11): the long-established 100%-castor polyamide, reported at ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg for global production, extended into a Gen2 bio-based PA11 for advanced additive manufacturing.
Fulgar (EVO®): Italian yarn producer selling a castor-oil-based bio-polyamide yarn (EVO®) into apparel and activewear, alongside its Q-NOVA® recycled PA6.6 line.
REACH & ISO 16620: polymer registration under REACH and bio-based-carbon determination to ISO 16620 are how an EU bio-nylon grade evidences its renewable content to a buyer.

China

China’s bio-nylon is dominated downstream by PA56, but the lead producer sits in a sibling article — this article states the boundary rather than re-tabling the monomer house.

PA56 fibre, Cathay boundary, domestic nylon#

Scope boundary — Cathay Biotech: China’s bio-PA56 (pentanediamine + sebacic/adipic acid, the Terra-/Waylung-line polymers) is led by Cathay Biotech, which is tabled in the bio-based-polyols and biosynthetic-specialty-chemicals articles for the monomer line; it is deliberately not re-tabled here.
Domestic nylon fibre producers: Chinese nylon-fibre converters draw on the bio-PA56 polymer for textile and industrial yarn, a growing rather than consolidated bio-nylon fibre segment.
Standards: national bio-based-content and polymer standards (mirroring ISO 16620) frame how a Chinese bio-nylon grade evidences renewable carbon.

6 · Money: tenders & grants

Grant	Strengthening evidence-based policies for the resilience of European agriculture and forestry and related … European Commission · EU	Sep 23, 2027 342 days
Grant	CHEERS Open Period 1 - All Technical Areas Air Force -- Research Lab · United States	Sep 30, 2027 349 days
Grant	CHEERS Open Period 2 - All Technical Areas Air Force -- Research Lab · United States	Sep 30, 2027 349 days
Grant	Circularity of seafood supply chain European Commission · EU	Sep 21, 2027 340 days
Grant	Enhancing farmer's profitability and resilience through innovations for diversified crops and value chains European Commission · EU	Sep 23, 2027 342 days

7 · Tech stack & innovations

The stack is built on castor PA11 chemistry, fermentation diamine routes and bio-nylon melt-spinning.

Castor PA11 & long-chain bio-polyamides (Castor PA11):
- castor-oil ricinoleic chain cleaved to 11-aminoundecanoic acid and polycondensed to 100%-bio PA11.
- case: Arkema Rilsan PA11 at ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg, extended to a Gen2 bio-based PA11 for additive manufacturing.
Bio-pentanediamine / bio-adipic PA56 & PA66 routes (Bio-Diamine/Diacid PA):
- sugars fermented to pentanediamine (and bio-HMDA) and reacted with a bio-diacid for PA56/PA510 or drop-in PA66.
- case: Geno’s plant-based nylon-6 with the October 2025 Sojitz commercialisation partnership; the Toray–PTT GC 100% bio-based nylon-66 technology.
Bio-nylon fibre melt-spinning (Bio-Nylon Fibre Spinning):
- bio-PA chip melt-spun to textile-grade yarn and staple fibre for apparel and technical textiles.
- case: Fulgar EVO® castor yarn; Toray renewable-feedstock nylon fibre for THE NORTH FACE.

Sources 4 · 0 independent · 4 producer sites

Producers' own sites 4

Fulgar producer checked 2026-06-22 · link not kept
Arkema producer checked 2026-06-22 · link not kept
Genomatica producer checked 2026-06-01 · link not kept
Toray producer checked 2026-07-01 · link not kept