Innovation and development trend of EU renewable artificial textile fiber

Synthetic textile fibers such as polyester, acrylic and spandex account for 75% of the EU textile industry's raw material market. However, most of these raw materials come from non-renewable petrochemical products, and there is an urgent need for replacement of renewable biomass raw materials. The EU's Seventh Research and Development Framework Program (FP7) provides 2.2 million euros of funding, with a total R&D investment of 2.9 million euros. It is composed of four EU member states, Spain (total coordination), France, the Czech Republic and Greece, and the main textile industry combined with the scientific and technological community of Europe ECOLASTANE R & D team. Since its establishment in March 2013, it has gradually developed into a research and development innovation public-private partnership (PPP) with close cooperation of renewable artificial textile fibers at the EU level. It will be engaged in R&D, innovation and commercialization of renewable artificial textile fiber technology for a long time.

The ECOLASTANE R&D team uses as much as possible low-value renewable plant raw materials of cellulose, hemicellulose or lignin, using advanced low-carbon production processing routes, developed furfural (CF) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), Successfully developed and synthesized new renewable synthetic textile polyester and spandex. Various functional indicator parameters are being tested to further optimize the conversion efficiency of furosemaldehyde and hydroxymethylfurfural, including the full utilization of xylose molecules of renewable plants.

To date, the R&D team has identified three renewable plants: Miscanthus, almond shells and pine wood chips, which have the cost-effective advantages of mass production of renewable artificial textile fibers. The R&D team is looking for new industrial manufacturing partners and regional partners to jointly develop an engineered production process for the production of renewable artificial textile fiber raw materials, and actively contribute to the EU 2030 energy and climate strategy and the transition to a sustainable bio-based economy.