DE-LYCRA/DCC
The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative, sustainable solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, announced today that it has signed a letter of intent with Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) to convert QIRA®—the next generation of 1,4 butanediol (BDO)—into low-impact PTMEG, the main ingredient in patented bio-derived LYCRA® fiber. Dairen will be the first company in the world to mass produce this low-impact bio-PTMEG at scale.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509462079/en/
Left to Right: Steve Stewart, chief brand and innovation officer, The LYCRA Company, and Shean-Tung Lin, Chairman, Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC), sign a letter of intent for DCC to convert QIRA® into low-impact PTMEG for bio-derived LYCRA® fiber. (Photo: Business Wire)
In September 2022, The LYCRA Company and Qore® announced they were joining forces to enable the production of bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA®. Now, DCC joins this distinctive collaboration, converting QIRA® into bio-PTMEG. This unique PTMEG will make up the renewable portion of LYCRA® fiber, accounting for 70% of the fiber’s content. It is being made exclusively for The LYCRA Company to its stringent specifications. With its low-impact allyl alcohol process, DCC has pioneered a technology that creates the lowest-impact PTMEG available, which is cleaner and has a lower carbon footprint than product produced with natural gas or coal.1
The LYCRA Company, Qore®, and DCC are united by a shared commitment to R&D, health and safety, sustainability, and conservation. To mark this event, Steve Stewart, The LYCRA Company’s chief brand and innovation officer, presented DCC with a Green Partner Award. The award acknowledges DCC’s ongoing sustainability efforts and commitment to creating low-impact products.
“Our collaboration heralds a brand-new era of environmentally conscious production activities, fueled by our shared commitment to reducing carbon footprints and developing world-leading eco-friendly solutions,” said DCC’s chairman, Lin Shean-Tung. “Sustainability is not merely a trend, but an imperative for the future of our planet. We are honored to receive the Green Partner Award and embark on this journey alongside The LYCRA Company, advancing sustainable practices in the industry.”
Available in early 2025, patented bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® will be the world’s first renewable spandex available on a large scale. By using annually renewable dent corn, an initial screening calculation indicates that the carbon footprint of LYCRA® fiber potentially could be reduced by up to 44 percent2 compared to LYCRA® fiber without bio-derived materials. Further, the fiber will offer equivalent performance to traditional LYCRA® fiber, making it an easy replacement for mills, brands and retailers.
“We are excited to collaborate with DCC to bring bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA® to market and realize our shared vision for a more sustainable value chain,” said Stewart. “Given the combination of using bio-derived input from corn, plus conversion at a state-of-the-art QORE® facility run on wind power, and transformation to PTMEG using DCC’s low-impact process, we anticipate the potential for additional reductions as we go into production.”
For many years, Dairen has demonstrated its sustainability efforts in raw materials management, waste elimination, process enhancement, innovations, and more. It has also achieved significantly lower carbon emissions in its product offerings than its competition.
“Sustainability has evolved from fulfilling requirements to being a competitive advantage,” said Simon Chuang, vice president of global sourcing and procurement at The LYCRA Company. “We’re committed to selecting, promoting, and expanding our business with supply partners like DCC who embrace and drive meaningful sustainability efforts.”
Visit lycra.com/qira to learn more about bio-derived LYCRA® fiber made with QIRA®.
1Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening PCF for a representative DAIREN PTMEG manufacturing facility, year 2023, prepared by DNV Business Assurance Co., Ltd.
2Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA® fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc.
About The LYCRA Company
The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries and owns the leading consumer brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX® and TACTEL®. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its sustainable products, technical expertise, and marketing support. The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. For more information, visit lycra.com.
About Qore® LLC
Formed through a joint venture by Cargill and HELM AG, Qore® helps leading brands replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-derived intermediates. At the heart of the joint venture is the production of QIRA®, the next-generation bio-derived 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA® can save up to 86% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today’s widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. Bio-derived QIRA® can be used the same way as its fossil counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance. Qore® and QIRA® are trademarks of Qore® LLC. For more information and inquiries visit https://www.myqira.com/.
About Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC)
Founded in 1979, DCC is a leading maker of acetyl and allyl chemicals. The company board has been chaired by Mr. Lin Shean-Tung since June 2019. DCC operates seven production sites in Asia and serves customers in more than one hundred countries. Major products include Vinyl Acetate Monomer, Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (VAE) Emulsion, VAE Redispersible Powder, Allyl Alcohol, 1,4-Butanediol and PTMEG. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, its productions sites are in Taiwan, China, Singapore and Malaysia. Under the leadership of Chairman Lin, DCC is expanding its international activities and enhancing its global presence.
LYCRA® is a trademark of The LYCRA Company.
QIRA® is a trademark of Qore®.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240509462079/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
SES Receives All Required Regulatory Approvals to Complete Intelsat Acquisition14.7.2025 22:15:00 CEST | Press release
SES received the final regulatory approvals for the SES-Intelsat transaction, including the US Federal Communications Commission. On 30 April 2024, SES and Intelsat announced an agreement for SES to acquire Intelsat for a cash consideration of $3.1 billion (€2.8 billion). The transaction was subject to receipt of relevant regulatory clearances and other relevant requirements which all have now been obtained. As a result, SES plans to close the transaction on or about Thursday, 17 July 2025. Once closing has occurred, a press release will be published to confirm that the transaction has successfully closed. Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram Read our Blogs > Visit the Media Gallery > About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on Earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless data connectivity services around the world. As a provider of global content and connectivity solutions, SES owns and ope
Loomis Sayles Celebrates 15 Years of Growth Equity Strategies Team Under Leadership of Aziz V. Hamzaogullari14.7.2025 22:05:00 CEST | Press release
Loomis, Sayles & Company: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250714614048/en/ 90.7 160 1 BILLION IN ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT COMBINED YEARS OF INVESTMENT EXPERIENCE INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY GES Team As of 5/31/2025 GES Team As of 5/31/2025 Supported by a seven-step research framework Loomis, Sayles & Company proudly celebrates the 15-year anniversary of a differentiated approach to growth equity investing under the leadership of Aziz V. Hamzaogullari, CFA, the founder, chief investment officer and portfolio manager of the Loomis Sayles Growth Equity Strategies (GES) Team. Aziz is also an executive vice president and a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. GES is a cohesive team with nearly 19 years of alpha generation and a long-term, private equity approach to investing. Under Aziz Hamzaogullari’s leadership since 2010, assets under management for GES have grown from $1.9 billion to nearly $91 billion as of 31 Ma
Cessna Skyhawk Soars With Enhanced Efficiency: Solid-State Dual Electronic Ignition System Introduced to the Industry-leading Piston14.7.2025 18:00:00 CEST | Press release
The industry-leading training aircraft, the Cessna Skyhawk, now features a dual electronic ignition system (dual EIS), enhancing maintenance, efficiency and overall operation of the single-engine, high-wing piston. The dual Lycoming electronic ignition system is now standard on all new Cessna Skyhawk aircraft. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250714759359/en/ Cessna Skyhawk soars with enhanced efficiency: solid-state dual electronic ignition system introduced to the industry-leading piston (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation) The Cessna Skyhawk is designed and produced by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. The dual EIS replaces the previous dual magneto ignition system on the Skyhawk, incorporating advanced electronic components and reducing the number of internal moving parts to optimize operation. This solid-state electronic technology improves maintenance intervals, fuel efficiency and en
The 2025 Empire State Building Run-Up Returns Oct. 814.7.2025 17:48:00 CEST | Press release
Presented by NYU Langone Health and Powered by the Challenged Athletes FoundationLottery Opens July 14 The Empire State Building (ESB) announced today general lottery registration for the annual Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU) on Oct. 8, 2025, at 8 p.m. ESB also announced the ESBRU will be presented by NYU Langone Health and powered by the Challenged Athlete’s Foundation. General lottery registration will be open from July 14 through July 28, 2025. In the 47th annual Run-Up, 225 runners will race up the iconic building’s 1,576 stairs to the world-famous Observatory. This year’s heats will include elite men and women, media, celebrities, New York City real estate brokers, building tenants, CAF athletes, members of the NYPD and FDNY, and the public, among others. On July 30, registered runners will be notified of their race status with participation costs of $175 per runner to be charged only upon acceptance from the lottery. “We are delighted to welcome NYU Langone Health as our ne
Taicang: A Model for China-Europe ESG Cooperation14.7.2025 16:11:00 CEST | Press release
Located in the Yangtze River Delta, Taicang City in Jiangsu Province is known as the “Hometown of German Enterprises in China.” At the recent 2nd Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference, Taicang received the prestigious “Zero-Carbon City” Best Practice Award, further solidifying its reputation as a benchmark for green urban transformation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250714458209/en/ A glimpse of Taicang City, Jiangsu Province, China. According to the jury, “By integrating ESG indicators into its urban development strategy, Taicang has demonstrated visionary leadership and has become a model for sustainable city and industrial development.” In response to the global challenges of climate change and sustainable growth, Taicang has proactively aligned with China’s “dual carbon” strategy. It has positioned itself as a modern garden city driven by green development, integrating ESG principles into
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom