# 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. Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/bio-nylon/ Updated: 2026-08-18 ## Overview and value chain Markers: [EC: EU REACH polymer registration / ISO 16620 bio-based content | OECD: Bio-based materials | Regulator: EPA (USA), REACH (EU)] 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: 1. **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). 2. **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. 3. **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). 4. **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. --- ## US 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. --- ## CN 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. --- ## EU 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. --- ## Leading companies and research institutes | 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 | --- ## Tech stack and innovations The stack is built on castor PA11 chemistry, fermentation diamine routes and bio-nylon melt-spinning. 1. **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. 2. **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. 3. **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. --- ## Value chains and production pipelines ### Industrial pipeline of bio-nylon polymer & fibre (ISO 16620 bio-based content) ``` ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 1. Castor / sugar feed │ ───> │ 2. Bio-monomer synthesis │ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 4. Chip & compounding │ <─── │ 3. Polycondensation │ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ │ ▼ ┌───────────────────────────┐ ┌───────────────────────────┐ │ 5. Fibre & yarn spinning │ ───> │ 6. Textile conversion │ └───────────────────────────┘ └───────────────────────────┘ ``` #### Stage 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. #### Stage 2: Bio-monomer synthesis 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. #### Stage 3: Polycondensation The diamine and diacid (or aminoundecanoic acid) are polycondensed to a bio-polyamide resin — PA11, PA56/PA510 or PA66. #### Stage 4: Chip & compounding The resin is pelletized and compounded to a nylon grade with the target renewable-carbon content (evidenced per ISO 16620). #### Stage 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. #### Stage 6: Textile conversion The bio-nylon yarn is knitted or woven into fabric and apparel, closing the loop from renewable carbon to finished textile.