MUMBAI – Viscose manufacturer Birla Cellulose has announced the successful completion of a pilot-scale spin cycle of lyocell fibre integrating 20 per cent of Australian innovator Nanollose’s microbial cellulose.
The pair last year filed for a joint patent, entitled High Tenacity Lyocell Fibres from Bacterial Cellulose and Method of Preparation Thereof, and has spent the past year optimising Nanollose’s ‘tree-free’ Nullarbor fibre for mainstream use.
Producing 250 kilograms during a pilot spin cycle is the culmination of that work, and the collaborators are now expected to turn their attention to producing samples of their ‘sustainable’ alternative for brands to assess.
