Chemical Engineering May 2021 - 7

New demonstration plant for
cellulosic textile fibers
A
new demonstration plant will significantly
scale up production of
sustainable textile fibers made
from cellulosic raw materials.
TreeToTextile AB (Stockholm, Sweden;
www.treetotextile.com), jointly owned by
H&M Group, Inter IKEA Group, Stora Enso
and LSCS Invest, has piloted a production
technology to efficiently regenerate cellulose
from bio-based sources, creating
staple fibers that can be used in apparel,
bedding and other textile applications.
The process dissolves wood pulp in a
cold alkaline solution, resulting in a cellulosic
solution that can be spun into long
threads of fibers. After washing, fibers are
cut into staple fibers and can be passed
to downstream yarn-spinning processes.
Notably, the system recycles all process
chemicals and water. " When compared
to conventional viscose production, according
to our estimations the TreeToTextile
process will consume at least 33%
less energy, 70% less chemicals and
80% less water, " says Sigrid Barnekow,
TreetoTextile CEO.
Chemical recovery is key, points out
Barnekow, because it means that there
are no waste or residue streams leaving
the process, and it also eases some of
the economic and technological burdens
in scaling up the technology. TreeToTextile
has been operating a pilot plant at a
research partner's facility, and recently
completed a third-party-verified lifecycle
assessment to benchmark its emissions
production against manufacturing processes
for traditional bulk fibers, such as
viscose (rayon), cotton and polyester. " Our
next milestone is constructing a demonstration
plant and preparing for market introduction, "
says Barnekow.
Construction has begun on a €35-million
demonstration plant that will scale
up fiber production to 1,500 ton/yr. The
new plant will be located at Stora Enso's
Nymölla mill in southern Sweden. " Hopefully
TreeToTextile fibers can be an alternative
to less-sustainable materials in the
future. Our aim is to provide a sustainable
textile fiber with a high versatility for many
applications and a lower cost so that it becomes
broadly available to many consumers, "
adds Barnekow.
including AP Ventures, Chevron
Technology Ventures,
New Energy Technologies and
Osaka Gas USA.
Ammonia has an energy
density comparable to fossil
fuels and significantly
higher than lithium-ion batteries
and compressed or
liquid H2. It can be affordably
and easily stored and
transported, leveraging established
infrastructure and
shipping networks, and is
regulated by well-developed
codes and standards.
Starfire Energy's Rapid
Ramp NH3 technology produces
NH3 from renewable
energy, air and water. The
company has also developed
its Prometheus Carbon-free
Fire, a system to crack NH3
back into H2, providing an efficient
means of green H2 storage
and transportation.
ANTI-REFLECTION
Inspired by rose petals, an
anti-reflective coating has
been developed by Phyton(Continues
on p. 8)
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Chemical Engineering May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering May 2021
