Startup Focuses on Fabric Line Made Entirely From Bacterially Produced Cellulose

 

According to the Industry Chronicle (Seattle, Wash., USA) in recent reporting late this past month (Aug. 2018) reported how Nanollose (Australia), a start-up company, has since the spring of this year bravely showcased selection of knitted fabrics developed from microbial cellulose. The company utilized biomass waste from the coconut industry for creating a plant-free fiber, which causes less environmental damage as compared to majorly used textiles such as cotton. Manufacturing of raw materials required for textiles often requires huge amount of agricultural land for plant-based production. Furthermore, it also requires use of clean water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

Nanollose makes use of organic waste matter to produce a sustainable fiber called as Nullarbor, explained the Chronicle. The company claims that the nanocellulose for its fiber is produced using microbes that convert biomass waste into cellulose. The process doesn’t require the felling of trees or use of arable land, and takes less than a month. For the production of microbial cellulose, the company is currently using coconut by-products from Indonesia, which are synthesized and converted into usable rayon fibers courtesy of the company’s proprietary technology.

Existing industry sources are said to be sufficient for production during the pilot phase of the project, but Nanollose intends to make use of waste from larger industries when full-scale production kicks off. "Our process has the potential to convert a number of biomass waste products from the beer, wine and liquid food industries into fibers using very little land, water or energy in the process," said company CEO Alfie Germano.