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CELLulose lyocell FILaments as a scalable solution for circular textile production

Project description

Lyocell filaments green the textiles industry

Ensuring the sustainability of the textiles industry is challenging. One solution is a European invention: lyocell filament (LF). While it is similar to rayon and cotton, it is a semi-synthetic fabric made from wood pulp. The EU-funded CELLFIL project aims to create a collaborative framework across the entire value chain to advance the development of lyocell filament, which is one of the most sustainable cellulosic filaments currently available. The project will facilitate the further development and validation of key production processes throughout the value chain. Additionally, it will focus on defining business models and plans to ensure market adoption by 2030.

Objective

Sustainable innovation in the textile value chain is difficult and time consuming, as the industry is highly fragmented and specialized. The intention is to form an umbrella across the value chain, which allows to jointly define and push the boundaries of the most sustainable cellulosic filament currently available on a “pre-industrial” scale – Lyocell filament. As the starting point is at a TRL5 (pilot) with key drivers and innovators being within the industry (not in basic research), the actual amount of relevant scientific (as in basic research) publications is rare. Lyocell filament has been introduced to the market in small volumes in 2017, but the development of the value chain and the overall market acceptance is still at an early stage.
Lyocell filament has the potential to achieve this: continuous-filament yarns (or filament yarns) are smooth to touch, lacking the bulk of staple fiber yarns and can be used to produce a wide range of woven and knitted fabrics for various textiles and clothing. The global filament market exceeds the global staple fiber market, but is still vastly dominated by fossil-based, non-recyclable materials (foremost PET and Polyamide). No significant innovations have been introduced on an industrial scale in decades, however the environmentally friendly, closed-loop lyocell process has been established already in the early 2000s. A European-based global innovator has developed a Lyocell filament (LF) process to a state to improve both commercialization and sustainability with a consortium of key partners along the value chain.
The proposed innovation project aims to catalyze further development and validation of key production processes along the value chain; to define business models and plans to enable market uptake within 1–2 years post-project i.e. by 2030.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2023-CIRCBIO-02

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Coordinator

RTDS - VEREIN ZUR FORDERUNG DER KOMMUNIKATION UND VERMITTLUNG VON FORSCHUNG, TECHNOLOGIE UND INNOVATION
Net EU contribution
€ 799 575,00
Address
STROZZIGASSE 2 / 2. STOCK
1080 WIEN
Austria
SME
Yes
Region
Ostösterreich Wien Wien
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 799 575,00

Participants (16)

Partners (2)