They created fabric from many different materials
In search of an environmentally friendly alternative to cotton, scientists go into the forest. Finnish researchers are now making fabric from trees, cardboard and old newspapers as a possible alternative to cotton. They claim that the substance used to dissolve the cellulose is safe and non-toxic, and can be used again and again.
Photo: freepik.com
Finnish researchers have developed a liquid they call Ioncell. It is this liquid that allows money to be turned into fabric. Pulp comes from plants and trees and is what we use to make paper. According to her, it can also be used to make clothing.
The production of textiles from Ioncell involves three steps: first the cellulose is dissolved, then the substance is made into fiber, and then the Ioncell solution is collected for reuse. The fibers must then be combed and spun into yarn, as is done with other textile fibers.
«It can be used again and again», — states Anna Schlapp Sigaard. According to her, the clothes are a mixture of fleece, wool, buttons, zippers and sequins. Plastic can be melted down, but it is not compatible with cotton or wool.
The fact is that clothing production — this is a climate disaster.
«Many chemicals are used that pollute the land, rivers and water, — says the researcher. — 15 couples took part in the study and counted everything from socks and trousers to winter hats.
As a result of the count, the answer was obvious: on average, a person has 359 pieces of clothing in his wardrobe. Additionally, people buy an average of 23.5 items of clothing per year. Ioncell technology — expensive.
“If money weren’t a problem, clothes made from birch and old paper would be an excellent solution,” — Schlapp Seegaard believes.
Today, half of the clothes are made from cotton. It's cheap, but it's also not easy.
«When fields are used to grow cotton, we have less space to grow food, — says Schlapp Sigaard. — Most of our clothes are made of plastic. When we wash it, microplastics settle on it.
Researchers warn that clothing made from trees and old banknotes — This is not the whole solution to the environmental problem. The key, says Schlapp Seegaard, is to reduce the amount of clothing you wear.
She has three pieces of advice: wear what you have, fix it if it's broken, and borrow from friends or family.
What if humanity stops all production here and now? According to her, they would survive into the distant future: “there are plenty of clothes on our planet.”
Researchers are currently improving the technology behind the fabric, as well as developing the textile itself. Researchers hope that clothes made from this material will be ready for sale in 2025.
Kristin Syverud — Director of Research at the Paper and Fiber Research Institute in Trondheim. She states that viscose is very similar to Ioncell and is made from similar raw materials. The problem with viscose production, however, is that the process uses toxic chemicals to dissolve the cellulose.
The Institute welcomes the news that Finnish researchers have invented a new solvent, Ioncell, that does not contain toxic chemicals. A similar process has been in development since the 1970s in Austria, where researchers used a substance called Lyocell.
«The Finnish process is better because it can be used with a variety of raw materials. Lyocell, on the other hand, can only be used with a few types of raw materials,” — indicates a specialist.
Syverud believes that in the future the Ioncell method could become an important component of clothing production.
«The future should be in methods of dissolving cellulose without the use of harmful chemicals. This is a very positive event. Using the forest as a resource is very reasonable,” — she concludes.
The new textiles are also a healthy alternative to cotton, Syverud says.
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