KaneboGosen, Japan, develops degradable textile fabrics

Japan's KaneboGosen company and Kureha chemical company announced on last December that the biodegradable polylactic acid textile fabric they developed was profitable. This kind is called 'PLAblock (Polylactic acid block) '3D materials, can be used for water filtration, civil engineering and construction purposes. The newly developed products are antibacterial and mildew-proof and can be used for a long time. According to estimates by Kanebo company in Osaka and Kureha chemical company in Tokyo, 0. 1 billion yen worth of this material was sold in 2004, reaching in 2005. It costs 0. 5 billion yen.