Alginate-based fibers and fabrics for compostable textile applications

This technology is an alginate composition and the extruded fiber produced from it, incorporated into yarn, knit, and woven fabrics as a plant-based, compostable alternative to petrochemical textile polymers.

Unmet Need: Low-impact alternatives to petroleum-based textile fibers

The textile industry relies heavily on petroleum-derived fibers such as polyester and nylon, which persist in the environment and carry a substantial carbon footprint. Cotton and other agricultural fibers require arable land, freshwater irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. Alginate is a polysaccharide extracted from kelp and other brown algae, and kelp is among the fastest growing and most rapidly replenishing organisms on earth, cultivated without any of these inputs. Conventional alginate fibers, however, have not met the requirements of industrial textile production, losing tensile strength when hydrated and turning brittle when dehydrated.

The Technology: Alginate, methyl cellulose, and glycerol fibers produced by wet extrusion

This technology is an alginate-based fiber whose composition combines sodium alginate with methyl cellulose and a glycerol plasticizer. The blend is extruded into a calcium chloride bath, where the alginate is cured into continuous filaments. The plasticizer reduces brittleness, and the ratio of alginate to methyl cellulose governs the strength, stiffness, and toughness of the resulting fiber. Composition and bath concentration are defined ranges, allowing mechanical properties to be tuned across the working window.

Extruded fibers have been produced and characterized. Available data cover tensile properties across a range of alginate to methyl cellulose ratios and curing bath concentrations, fiber morphology and elemental composition including calcium uptake during curing, linear mass density, and drying behavior.

Applications:

• Apparel, garments, and accessories
• Footwear
• Home textiles including bedding
• Packaging
• Furniture

Advantages:

• Renewable seaweed-derived feedstock requiring no arable land, irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides
• Compostable at end of life
• Retains strength and flexibility in the unhydrated state, unlike conventional alginate fiber
• Composition and curing bath ranges allow strength, modulus, and toughness to be tuned
• Water-based processing with ambient drying and non-toxic plasticizers
• Can be spun with natural or synthetic fibers and processed into yarn, knit, or woven textiles

Lead Inventor:

Theanne Schiros, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Issued (US12,644,206)

Related Publications:

• Claudio L. “Waste couture: Environmental impact of the clothing industry.” Environmental Health Perspect. 2007 Sep; 115(9): A449.

• Muthu SS, Li Y, Hu JY, Mok PY. “Quantification of environmental impact and ecological sustainability for textile fibres.” Ecol Indic. 2012 Feb 1; 13(1): 66-74.

• Knill CJ, Kennedy JF, Mistry J, Miraftab M, Smart G, Groocock MR, Williams HJ. “Alginate fibres modified with unhydrolysed and hydrolysed chitosans for wound dressings.” Carbohydr Polym. 2004 Jan 1; 55(1): 65–76.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU19029

• Licensing Contact: Dovina Qu