Italian textile manufacturer Brugnoli has developed a technical fabric with up to 89 percent bio-based content that maintains stretch, comfort and durability standards for performance apparel.
The fabric, called Br4/E1, combines three bio-based components. It uses Brugnoli’s patented Br4 production process designed for stretch fabrics with bio-based polyamide. The process optimizes water and energy use during dyeing and finishing, reducing environmental impact by up to 20 percent.
The polyamide component is EVO by Fulgar, derived entirely from renewable sources including castor oil and industrial corn with no petroleum derivatives. According to life cycle analysis conducted by Fulgar in 2024, the material reduces climate change impact by 45 percent and ecotoxicity by 86 percent compared to conventional PA 6.6 polyamide. It also significantly reduces marine and terrestrial eutrophication.
The elastomer is LYCRA EcoMade renewable fiber by The LYCRA Company, composed of approximately 70 percent industrial corn not intended for human food. The fiber allows for a carbon footprint reduction of up to 44 percent based on cradle-to-gate assessment compared to traditional fossil-based LYCRA fiber. The fiber has become a globally scalable and commercially validated solution across multiple apparel segments.
Brugnoli has been developing bio-based solutions since 2015. The company has built an industrialized portfolio of bio-based technical fabrics through research, testing and real-world applications.
Br4/E1 represents the outcome of over a decade of technological innovation. The development demonstrates how bio-based materials can replace petroleum-derived components in performance textiles without compromising technical requirements.
