Dr. Aspi Patel, Chief Technology Officer, Aditya Birla Group & Birla Cellulose.

Birla Cellulose & Nanollose File JointPatent for High Tenacity Lyocell

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Birla Cellulose, part of Aditya BirlaGroup and one of the world’s largestman-made cellulosic fibre producers,has filed a joint patent application withNanollose for a high tenacity lyocell fibremade from bacterial cellulose.

The patent application, entitled HighTenacity Lyocell Fibres From BacterialCellulose and Method of PreparationThereof, represents a majoradvancement over Nanollose’s previousviscose versions of nullarbor andnufolium.

Lyocell is a form of rayon, made using aclosed loop process with low demand onchemical and water usage and low wastegeneration. Lyocell is widely used in textileand nonwoven applications and has becomepopular due to a number of desirablestrength and comfort characteristics.

Using the lyocell process, a team of fibreexperts at Birla Cellulose, Pulp and FibreInnovation Centre have produced nullarborfibre that is finer than silk and significantlystronger than conventional lyocell that istraditionally produced from wood pulp.

This innovative development isanother important step in ourcontinuing journey to make ourfibres more sustainable. This is an exciting development in the area of next generationalternative feedstock and we arelooking forward to scaling upthis technology in collaborationwith Nanollose.

The nullarbor fibre produced by the team at Birla Cellulose has exceeded our expectations, and we now havea fibre that is not only more eco-friendly but has superior properties over conventional tree-based fibres. We are very much looking forward to commencing the pilot production and presenting textiles made fromthis remarkable fibre to the fashion industry. Wayne Best, Executive Chairman, Nanollose

Polygiene Acquisition Expands Sustainable OfferingSweden-based Polygiene has bought BritishAddmaster Holdings Limited, making it acomprehensive supplier of antimicrobialsolutions for both soft and hard surfaces.

On one of the last days of the year, anextraordinary general meeting voted infavor of Polygiene’s acquisition ofAddmaster Holdings Limited at a purchaseprice of SEK 374 million.

Polygiene’s antimicrobial and odormanagement products ViralOff, BioStaticand OdorCrunch, the former, launched inthe spring, has performed the best.

According to an ISO standard it is over 99percent effective at breaking downviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, whichcauses the disease COVID-19, within twohours.

The acquisition will allow us to offer the market a comprehensive solution of antimicrobialfunctions for both soft surfaces such as textiles and hard surfaces such as floors, handles,kitchen and bathroom fittings in public spaces. This reduces the need for washing andcleaning, therefore lessens our environmental impact.

Ulrika Björk, CEO, Polygiene,

Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines used at Turkey's Rubenis factoryTwenty-five tonnes of knitwear perday is the Rubenis knitting factory’sproduction capacity.

The fully integrated textile companybased in Istanbul, Turkey,commenced operations at thebeginning of 2021 in its new, state-of- the-art production facility withonly Mayer & Cie. machines. Overthirty of the German manufacturer’scircular knitting machines are in useat Rubenis. They knit single jersey,double jersey, rib structures, fleece –in short, everything a customercould wish for.

At its factory Rubenis uses only organic cotton from itsown spinning mill. Fabric is supplied in 100 to 250kilogram rolls. Two thirds of the circular knittingmachines on the Rubenis shop floor, all with industrialframes and housed in separate cabins to prevent flufffrom spreading, are Relanit 3.2 HS models. The mostcommon model of this is the 32-inch version, followedby the 30- and 26- inch versions.

All Relanit 3.2 HS machines knit to an E28 gauge. Theyare extraordinarily productive in processingelastomeric yarns too. Rubenis also uses several MBF3.2 three-thread fleece machines and D4 2.2 IIs. Theinterlock specialists knit to an E18, the MBF 3.2 to anE24 gauge on a 32-inch frame.