Australian biomaterials company Nanollose has completed the fourth pilot spin of its patented tree-free lyocel fibre Nullarbor, edging the firm closer to scalable, sustainable textile production.
In co-development with Birla Cellulose, a subsidiary of global manufacturing conglomerate Grasim Industries, Nanollose produced 580 kilograms of Nullarbor fibre, the company’s largest single production run to date.
Nanollose received confirmation that the fourth spin material met the required technical specifications and successfully passed dissolution and spinnability trials, validating the company’s microbial cellulose feedstock within an existing lyocell production environment.
The fourth spin utilised a 200-kilogram batch of processed microbial cellulose, produced by Nanollose’s long-term supply partner Hainan Guangyu Biotechnology using a new washing and treatment process. The batch yielded 425 kilograms of Nullarbor-25 and 155 kilograms of Nullarbor-30 fibres, comprising respectively 25/30 per cent microbial cellulose and 75/70 per cent FSC-certified wood pulp.
Nanollose added the pilot production spin represents the first full validation of Nanollose’s microbial cellulose acting as incremental, fungible feedstock within Birla Cellulose’s lyocell process without the need for additional pre-processing, supporting scalability and commercial adoption.
The total batch will be sent to Paradise Textiles in China to be converted into yarns and fabrics, with these being sent to Nanollose’s commercial development partners and potential customers for testing, evaluation and product development.
Over the years, the biomaterials company has collaborated with the likes of Sydney-born brand Lee Mathews, Waverly Mills in Tasmania, and allowed a Western Australian fashion student to test its bioleather, which is both plastic-free and not derived from animal skin.
Nanollose expects these downstream activities from its new batch to provide critical data and partner feedback to inform next-stage production strategies.
Chief executive officer and managing director Andrew Moullin said the completion of this fourth pilot spin represents a significant milestone for Nanollose.
“During the spin, areas for further improvement were identified, and it is exciting that process improvements recently identified in our lab should not only address these areas but drive us further forward,” Moullin said. “Notwithstanding that our attention is focused on simplifying production and reducing costs so we can scale, it is gratifying to receive confirmation that the fibre has met specification and passed dissolution and spinnability trials.
“Importantly, this production run delivers the largest quantity of Nullarbor fibre to date and allows us to progress immediately into downstream yarn and fabric manufacturing with Paradise Textiles. Sharing these materials with our commercial development partners and potential customers is a key step as we continue to work collaboratively to refine product performance, evaluate end-use applications and progress toward scalable production.”