The Australian company Nanollosehas found an innovative way to manufacture cellulose fabrics, such as viscose. Instead of using chemicals to extract cellulose from cotton, trees or bamboo Nanollose feeds bacteria called Acetobacter Xylinum various agricultural waste (in particular by-products from cocoa) so that they turn into cellulose the sugar obtained from them.

Not only does this process eliminate the need for arable land, irrigation and pesticides, it is also much more productive than traditional pulp production methods. For example, a cotton plantation the size of a football field requires 6 to 8 months to harvest and eventually yields about 0.5 tons of pulp. From trees planted on the same area, it would be possible to obtain 3.5 tons of cellulose, but the trees will grow from 12 to 18 years. Bamboo is harvested much faster, in just 3 to 7 years, and a bamboo plantation will yield about 12 tons of pulp. However, microbial cellulose is many times superior to them all: 115 tons of pulp every 10–15 days.

Comments Alfie Germano, General Director ofNanollose: Microbial cellulose is universal, all it needs for natural fermentation and growth is a little water. It does not require sunlight, daily watering, fertilizers or pesticides. The biggest difference between our fiber and the current fibers obtained from plants is that trees are not cut down during the production process. The process is not accompanied by chemical emissions, so we are completely free from the harmful effects of chemical transformation of wood into wood pulp, such as air and water pollution. In addition, we can always recycle all the waste and turn it into a new commercial product. Our technology can be easily integrated into the existing ecosystem of the textile and clothing industry. This is the main advantage, since manufacturers using our fiber do not have to change their facilities or invest in further infrastructure.

The technology itself was discovered more than two decades ago by a scientist named Gary Cass, who became one of the non-executive directors of Nanollose. He mistakenly flooded a vat of wine with oxygen. What happened after the Acetobacter bacteria fed on wine was a textile substance. Cass spent years thinking about the potential use of this substance, until the Australian fashion designer Donna Franklin joined him in 2006. Together they released the world's first dress made of wine. In 2014, another dress, this time made of beer, was demonstrated at the World Exhibition in Milan for marketing purposes.

Now Nanollose is preparing to commercialize the business and plans to succeed in penetrating the textile industry over the next 18 months. The company is ready to enter into partnerships for the industrial production and use of new fiber and is focused on increasing the scale of raw material supplies. But the development does not stop there. Microbial cellulose technology (commercial name Nullarbor) is constantly being improved, Nanollose is looking for other markets and application options for its idea.

Source: FashionUnited

Photos and videos: Nannollose