#Yarn & Fiber

2023-02-02

Natural cellulose composite wins innovation award

Alternatives to plastic-based materials are urgently needed if the world is to make a shift to sustainability. The annual Innovation in Natural Fibres Award, presented by the Discover Natural Fibres Initiative (DNFI), was given this year to researchers from the German institute of Textile Technology and Process Engineering (Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung, DITF) for their work on PureCell, a single-variety composite material made of cellulose.

This composite enables the environmentally friendly use of cellulose as a matrix polymer for the first time. Its many applications open possibilities for replacing toxic, non-recyclable, petroleum-based composites with non-toxic, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable material – and with no microplastic!

The Advantages of PureCell

PureCell is a natural fibre-reinforced composite based on pure cellulose. The cellulose matrix of PureCell is produced in a process in which the solvent from ionic liquids is 100% recycled. After impregnation of the natural fibres, which reinforces the cellulose matrix, the desired composite material can be obtained.

The manufacturing process is particularly environmentally friendly and follows the sustainability concept in textile and material production.

Physically, the composite material is lightweight and impresses with its high mechanical strength. It can be easily molded in a hot pressing process and thus prepared as a component for technical parts. Applications include automotive interior trims such as door panels and dashboards. Many others may be imagined: furniture design, cell phone covers, surfboards, and more.

The lead researchers of PureCell are Dr. Frank Hermanutz and Dr. Tanja Schneck of DITF Denkendorf.

The DNFI Innovation Award

With this award, the DNFI jury honours outstanding scientific achievement in the field of innovative research and processing with natural fibres.

The DNFI is an international association of 30+ natural fibre manufacturers and research institutions.

The aim of the DNFI is to educate companies about the added value of natural fibres and to identify new applications. For the sixth time since 2017, the DNFI has offered its DNFI Innovation of Natural Fibres Award.

Learn All You Need to Know About the International Wool Industry

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Wool shoes at the Paris Olympics

The Olympic flame’s journey to Paris 2024 has been a global spectacle, and it took on a particularly sustainable twist in Guadeloupe. Legendary French sprinter Marie José Perec played a pivotal role in carrying the flame, and she did so in style—wearing Circle Sportswear’s innovative SuperNatural Runner shoes, which are made with merino wool.

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.