Another next-gen fiber is heading toward commercialization—this time with the manufacturing capacity to scale.
Materials science company Kintra Fibers has tapped specialty polyester supplier Selenis to scale the Brooklyn-based startup’s patented fiber-grade polybutylene succinate (PBS) resin, a 100 percent biobased and biodegradable polyester alternative.
Per the terms, Selenis will serve as Kintra’s industrialization partner, leveraging its polymer production infrastructure to achieve commercial-scale volumes. Kintra’s fiber-grade PBS will be manufactured at scale through Selenis’ Texnascis platform, potentially easing uptake across mills and suppliers by leveraging existing infrastructure.
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While efforts to curb reliance on virgin synthetics have largely centered on recycled polyester, that approach has faced cost, feedstock and scaling constraints. Plus, most rPET is still derived from plastic bottles—rather than textile waste—and typically comes at a price premium without offering improved performance.
The companies said the material is designed to run on existing PET and fiber extrusion systems—allowing manufacturers to adopt it without considerable changes to equipment or processes. The partnership itself comes as the textile industry continues to rely heavily on fossil-fuel-derived synthetics—producing more than 90 million metric tons annually, according to data from Textile Exchange—while viable large-scale alternatives remain limited; synthetics account for roughly 69 percent of the industry’s 132 million metric tons of annual fiber production.
“At Selenis, we see strong potential in technologies that combine material innovation with commercial viability,” said Eduardo Santos, strategy and integration director at Selenis. “Kintra has developed a differentiated fiber-grade PBS engineered for fiber production and premium textile performance. We are proud to bring this solution to scale through our manufacturing capabilities.”
The partnership takes a step toward commercializing biobased polyester alternatives, though expanded adoption will depend on cost competitiveness and performance at scale.
For Kintra, the collaboration “creates a clear path to market.”
“Selecting the right industrial manufacturing partner to scale our technology was a top priority,” said Billy McCall, CEO and co-founder of Kintra Fibers. “Selenis brings the polymerization infrastructure, technical rigor and production control needed to manufacture our resin at the quality and volume the market demands.”
