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(c) Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung
04.02.2022

“Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2022 Award” für Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz

Mit ihren Forschungsergebnissen zur Herstellung von Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz bewarben sich die DITF erfolgreich um den ersten Preis der „Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year“. Nominiert wurden die DITF im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“, die vom 2. bis 3. Januar in Köln stattgefunden hat.

Zum zweiten Mal kürte das nova-Institut für Ökologie und Innovation im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“ herausragende wissenschaftliche Forschung, die nachhaltige Lösungen für die Wertschöpfungskette von Zellulosefasern liefert. Die DITF Denkendorf präsentierten sich mit dem Thema „Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz“ inmitten eines aktuellen Forschungsfeldes, das ressourcenschonende Alternativen zu Fasern auf fossiler Basis liefert.

Mit ihren Forschungsergebnissen zur Herstellung von Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz bewarben sich die DITF erfolgreich um den ersten Preis der „Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year“. Nominiert wurden die DITF im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“, die vom 2. bis 3. Januar in Köln stattgefunden hat.

Zum zweiten Mal kürte das nova-Institut für Ökologie und Innovation im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“ herausragende wissenschaftliche Forschung, die nachhaltige Lösungen für die Wertschöpfungskette von Zellulosefasern liefert. Die DITF Denkendorf präsentierten sich mit dem Thema „Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz“ inmitten eines aktuellen Forschungsfeldes, das ressourcenschonende Alternativen zu Fasern auf fossiler Basis liefert.

Das Kompetenzzentrum Biopolymerwerkstoffe der DITF Denkendorf erhielt bei der Nominierung den ersten Platz mit der Präsentation von Kohlenstofffasern (Carbonfasern), die in einem neuartigen und nachhaltigen Verfahren aus dem Rohstoff Holz gewonnen werden. Die HighPerCellCarbon®-Technologie beschreibt ein patentiertes Verfahren, das unter der Federführung von Dr. Frank Hermanutz weiterentwickelt worden ist: In Folge dessen können in einem nachhaltigen und besonders umweltschonenden Prozess Carbonfasern auf der Basis von Biopolymeren erzeugt werden.

Das HighPerCellCarbon®-Verfahren umfasst das Nassspinnen von Zellulosefasern unter Verwendung ionischer Flüssigkeiten (IL) als Direktlösungsmittel. Das Filamentspinnverfahren stellt den zentralen technischen Teil. Es erfolgt in einem umweltfreundlichen und geschlossenen System. Das Lösungsmittel (IL) wird dabei vollständig rezykliert. Die auf diesem Wege erzeugten Zellulosefasern werden in einem weiteren Entwicklungsschritt durch einen Niederdruck-Stabilisierungsprozess direkt in Carbonfasern umgewandelt, gefolgt von einem geeigneten Carbonisierungsprozess. Während des gesamten Verfahrensablaufs entstehen keine Abgase oder giftigen Nebenprodukte.

Neben der Rezyklierfähigkeit des verwendeten Lösungsmittels steht besonders die Verwendung des Rohstoffs Holz für Ressourcenschutz. Erdölbasierte Ausgangsstoffe, die üblicherweise in der industriellen Herstellung von Carbonfasern Verwendung finden, werden durch nachwachsende Biopolymere substituiert.

Source:

Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung

(c) Kelheim Fibres
04.02.2022

Kelheim Fibres again on the podium at the Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year Award

For the second time in a row, the speciality viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres was awarded a place on the podium at the Cellulose Fibre of the Year Awards. The concept for sustainable menstrual underwear made from Kelheim’s functionalised speciality fibres achieved third place. Kelheim Fibres thus emerges from the competition as the most innovative fibre manufacturer.

Project manager New Business Development Natalie Wunder presented the promising concept from Kelheim at the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres: "We have been able to use our experience as a long-established supplier for the tampon industry to develop further sustainable solutions in the feminine hygiene sector, in this case reusable menstrual underwear. As an innovation pioneer, we are thus helping to break the taboos that surround the topic of menstruation. We offer women the choice between different environmentally friendly products which also offer high levels of performance - depending on what fits their lifestyle."

For the second time in a row, the speciality viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres was awarded a place on the podium at the Cellulose Fibre of the Year Awards. The concept for sustainable menstrual underwear made from Kelheim’s functionalised speciality fibres achieved third place. Kelheim Fibres thus emerges from the competition as the most innovative fibre manufacturer.

Project manager New Business Development Natalie Wunder presented the promising concept from Kelheim at the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres: "We have been able to use our experience as a long-established supplier for the tampon industry to develop further sustainable solutions in the feminine hygiene sector, in this case reusable menstrual underwear. As an innovation pioneer, we are thus helping to break the taboos that surround the topic of menstruation. We offer women the choice between different environmentally friendly products which also offer high levels of performance - depending on what fits their lifestyle."

For the next step, the commercialisation of the concept, Dr Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Director New Business Development at Kelheim Fibres, puts her trust in the proven open innovation approach: "We want to bring partners from the entire value chain together. By bringing in our joint expertise, we can significantly accelerate the path from idea to finished product in the market. At the same time, through open dialogue, we ensure that the concept works seamlessly from fibre through processing to the final product.

Source:

Kelheim Fibres

12.10.2021

Innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2022”

  • International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022, 2-3 February in Cologne, Germany and online
  • Call for Innovations
  • Six nominees will get the chance to present their unique products

The footsteps are big: in 2021, Stora Enso from Sweden won the innovation award, granted on the first day of the “International Conference on Cellulose Fibres”. Their new cellulose foam for packaging fully convinced the audience. Second place was taken by Kelheim Fibres (Germany) with their high-quality hygiene products made of cellulose ahead of third place occupant Metsä Spring from Finland that presented a new cellulose fibre production process.

  • International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022, 2-3 February in Cologne, Germany and online
  • Call for Innovations
  • Six nominees will get the chance to present their unique products

The footsteps are big: in 2021, Stora Enso from Sweden won the innovation award, granted on the first day of the “International Conference on Cellulose Fibres”. Their new cellulose foam for packaging fully convinced the audience. Second place was taken by Kelheim Fibres (Germany) with their high-quality hygiene products made of cellulose ahead of third place occupant Metsä Spring from Finland that presented a new cellulose fibre production process.

nova-Institute has opened the Call for Innovations for the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2022” award until 15 November 2021. All producers, inventors and pioneers along the entire value chain from feedstock to final product are invited to enter the competition. Developments of new technologies and applications are welcome. An independent expert jury will select a total of six new materials and products from all entries for the award. The innovators get a free 2-day ticket for the conference and the unique opportunity to present and market their product or technology to a huge professional audience. After short presentations of the six candidates at the conference, the three winners will be elected by the participants of the conference and honored with the innovation award at a festive gala dinner.

Following the conference, nova-Institute issues an international press release to announce the winners.

Call for Innovations
More information about the innovation award and the application can be found at www.cellulose-fibres.eu/award-application
Deadline for submission: 15 November 2021

Source:

nova-Institut GmbH

Kelheim Fibres nominated for the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021” award © Kelheim Fibres Gmb- Stefanie Müller
2020 FemHyPad
15.12.2020

Kelheim Fibres nominated for the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021” award

Kelheim Fibres has been named as one of the finalists for the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021” innovation award to be presented at the 2nd International Conference on Cellulose Fibres. With their plant-based and biodegradable fibres, the Bavarian viscose speciality fibres manufacturer presents a significant contribution to a plastic-free future for AHP (absorbent hygiene products). In contrast to other natural fibres, which are already available in fibre form and can only be treated on the surface, Kelheim’s technological flexibility offers the possibility to modify cross-sections and to introduce additives into the fibre matrix for intrinsic functionalisation. Through these modifications, Kelheim tailors its fibres specifically to the requirements of the individual nonwoven layers of the AHP and is able to achieve comparable performance values to synthetic fibres. 

Kelheim Fibres has been named as one of the finalists for the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2021” innovation award to be presented at the 2nd International Conference on Cellulose Fibres. With their plant-based and biodegradable fibres, the Bavarian viscose speciality fibres manufacturer presents a significant contribution to a plastic-free future for AHP (absorbent hygiene products). In contrast to other natural fibres, which are already available in fibre form and can only be treated on the surface, Kelheim’s technological flexibility offers the possibility to modify cross-sections and to introduce additives into the fibre matrix for intrinsic functionalisation. Through these modifications, Kelheim tailors its fibres specifically to the requirements of the individual nonwoven layers of the AHP and is able to achieve comparable performance values to synthetic fibres. 

In addition to this, the speciality fibres from Kelheim offer a very attractive ratio of cost to performance in comparison with other fibres of natural origin such as organic cotton. They are therefore not only able to enhance the performance of the final products more effectively than other bio-based alternatives, but are, at the same time, financially attractive. "Consumers of absorbent hygiene products are often faced with a choice between sustainable solutions made from fibres of natural origin and products with better performance and good fluid management properties produced using synthetic fibres,“ says Dominik Mayer, from Kelheim’s R&D team. „Our goal is to offer products to the consumer which combine both sustainability and performance. Our sustainable and functional fibre technologies now make this possible.“

The project is a good illustration of the central element of Kelheim Fibres‘ innovation philosophy: the identification of unsolved problems in the market and the development of solutions in close cooperation with experts along the value chain using open innovation techniques. Fibres from Kelheim also offer a significant contribution to overcoming one of the biggest global challenges of our time, by reducing the amount of plastic waste in the environment. Step by step, or in this case layer by layer – Kelheim Fibres is moving towards a vision of a plastic-free future.

Kelheim’s developments include the hydrophobized Olea fibre (for fast acquisition and efficient transfer of liquid and for better rewet values in the topsheet) as well as the Galaxy® fibre (for an efficient and optimised distribution of liquids in the Acquisition Distribution Layer (ADL) via capillary channels) and the Bramante fibre (which can store up to 260% of its own weight of liquids in chambers inside the fibre). Kelheim’s fibres can also be processed in the textile sector, to enable solutions in the field of reusable hygiene products such as menstrual underwear. All these fibres are already commercially available. Kelheim Fibres is cooperating with an innovative AHP manufacturer and an innovative nonwoven supplier to incorporate the fibres into new end products.

More information:
Kelheim Fibres cellulose fiber
Source:

Kelheim Fibres