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The EU-funded BioFibreLoop(opens in new window)<\/a> project is working to make Europe\u2019s textile industry more sustainable with a focus on outdoorwear, activewear and workwear. Having just achieved a major milestone in lignin-based fibre spinning, the project is now working on securing a reliable supply of lignin for this process.<\/p>\n The textile industry is at a crucial turning point as it strives to achieve sustainable production while also meeting consumer demand for smart functionalities beyond comfort and aesthetics. However, functional textiles are often made using harmful chemicals that pose a threat to the environment and workers\u2019 safety. With more and more regulations banning the use of hazardous chemicals, the EU\u2019s textile industry needs smart innovations to help reduce its carbon footprint.<\/p>\n BioFibreLoop is contributing to the sector\u2019s sustainability by using bio-based materials such as lignin to produce recyclable textiles with bio-inspired functionalisation. But now that project coordinator German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) has successfully spun fibres from lignin blended with cellulose, the project faces the challenge of finding reliable feedstock from suppliers in European wood refineries.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe lignin challenge<\/p>\n The problem lies in the fact that lignin is not yet standardised in the EU, meaning that there is no uniform system in place for classifying different types of lignin. Also, depending on its extraction process, basal lignin \u2013 extracted but unmodified lignin \u2013 varies widely in properties and quality. \u201cNot all lignin basal types are suitable for textile applications, and recent market changes have made sourcing even more difficult,\u201d reports a BioFibreLoop news item(opens in new window)<\/a>. \u201cSeveral small supplier companies founded a few years ago with special high-quality lignin types no longer exist, and larger ones often do not produce the required grades.\u201d<\/p>\n To tackle this problem, DITF conducted extensive research on available lignin suppliers, also testing material suitability. This included analysing the lignin\u2019s ability to be drawn into fibres using thermoplastic spinning techniques and to exhibit film-forming characteristics suitable for coatings. Coatings are what give textiles their special functions, such as protection against liquids, gases and bacteria. BioFibreLoop\u2019s goal is to make lignin-coated textiles that will not only all be biodegradable but also robust enough to make recycling possible and economically sensible, helping to meet European Green Deal requirements.<\/p>\n Despite the lignin market\u2019s current volatility, the new wood refinery plants being built or commissioned in Europe indicate that BioFibreLoop\u2019s need for high-grade lignin will most likely be met. Lignin suppliers now have the opportunity to secure stable, large-scale demand by integrating lignin into the mass textile market. With the potential for more lignin-based products to enter the market \u2013 supported by European legislation promoting bio-based solutions \u2013 there is significant scope to establish resilient, circular supply networks. Such a development would reinforce the European textile industry\u2019s bio-based supply chains, improving the sector\u2019s overall resilience to external disruptions.<\/p>\n \u201cOur good research results on the use of lignin in textile products together with the great market potential will strongly motivate the establishment of biorefineries for suitable lignin variants in Europe,\u201d remarks DITF\u2019s technical coordinator Thomas Stegmaier. The BioFibreLoop (Circular biobased technical textiles with innovative bio-inspired non-toxic functionalisation) project ends in 2027.<\/p>\n