4.14

Turning Trees into Textiles: Cellulosic Fibres Becoming Long-Lasting Fabrics

In this step we’ll learn more about the Ioncell process of creating textile fibers for clothes and fabrics from wood pulp.

The Ioncell technology, developed through research at Aalto University, is a process for creating textile fibers from wood pulp and recycled cellulose materials. The work focuses on transforming sustainable wood (such as birch pulp) and other cellulose sources into a durable fiber that can substitute for cotton or conventional synthetic fibers.

In the following presentation, Herbert Sixta, Professor and Lead Researcher at Aalto University, introduces the Ioncell fiber process, the textile industry and climate change.

In the short video here you can see the prototype process that needs to be scaled up for a more industrial production.

A more critical analysis of Ioncell’s research indicates that the main commercial challenge is the industrial-scale recycling of ionic liquids, as there is currently no established technology for cost-effective, continuous solvent recovery. While the process is proven in the lab, the overall cost-effectiveness and unproven commercial scale-up remain critical gaps. More research is needed to make profitable use of the non-cellulose wood parts (lignin and hemicellulose) to maximize benefits.

Further reading, learning and references

Ioncell https://ioncell.fi/

From forest to fabric – Ioncell https://uppsala.instructuremedia.com/embed/2a412452-cda6-46f2-8c90-6f41edc8b977

BBC News – Wooden clothes on the recycled Christmas list? https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46598387

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation – A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy

© Daniel Mossberg, CEMUS, Uppsala University and Sonali Phadke, studio Alternatives and Stephanie Foote