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The market for natural fibers (including cotton, viscose, linen and hemp) is set to grow rapidly over the next decade, driven by global regulations on plastic limits, strong consumer preferences, and sustainability goals set by major brands and producers, as well as retailers.

 

The overall reduction in synthetic fibers will lead to an increase in the use of natural and cellulosic fibers, which have the advantages of being biodegradable and compostable, helping to achieve the goal of a circular economy. Consumers who prefer natural products are also driving demand for more natural materials.

 

 

"The increased awareness of sustainability issues and the environmental impact of non-biodegradable waste has prompted more and more companies and their supply chains to take action." Janet O' Regan, director of nonwovens marketing at Cotton Incorporated, said, "This is not new. It has been built for many years, and now it is becoming more and more obvious and important."

 

This growth has also been driven by brands and retailers, who have adopted sustainability goals as part of their standard business reporting, thereby challenging suppliers more about sustainable materials. What's more, the EU's plastic limit order came into effect in July 2021, putting pressure on manufacturers of wipes and feminine hygiene products, the first products to be subject to regulations and labeling requirements.

 

"Our customers are increasingly interested in sustainable solutions," said Bryan Tickle, customer director at Leigh Fibers. "Customers are looking to us for solutions as the public demands more recyclable ingredients in the products they buy."

 

 

Health and safety concerns have also promoted the use of cotton and other natural fibers. This is evident in areas such as feminine hygiene and baby diapers, where consumers want more natural materials for skin-to-skin products due to health and safety concerns. This fiber has become the first choice not only for natural brands, but also for global producers looking to attract new consumers.

 

According to Rahul Bansal, Head of Nonwovens Global Business Development at Birla Cellulose, cost and performance have been replaced by a combination of sustainability, performance and cost as the key drivers of fiber selection. "Now, the choice of raw materials mainly depends on sustainability," he said. "When we talk about sustainability, it means that raw materials are purchased, manufactured, products and the end of their life cycle will not affect the environment. The next step is whether the raw materials are suitable for current nonwoven technology."

The value of cotton

 

The popularity of cotton fiber, which consumers know and love, has further expanded its influence in consumer products such as wet wipes and hygiene products. In addition, cotton is extremely safe and healthy for the skin because it is natural and hypoallergenic. This is especially important for people with sensitive skin and products that touch sensitive body parts, such as baby diapers, feminine hygiene products, and adult care products.

 

"We will continue to see the introduction of more products with cotton ingredients, and certainly hope that this trend will continue." Lawson Gary, CEO of WildWood Cotton Technologies (formerly TJ Beall), said, "Traditionally, cotton was only considered the absorbent component of baby wipes, but with our hydrophobic TruCotton fiber, cotton can now be used as an alternative to polyester or polypropylene."

 

At the same time, there has been a surge of interest in skin-contacting cotton-containing surfaces in the context of hygiene products. This is especially true in feminine care products. "Our fibers have a unique surface chemistry that provides predictable and sustained fluid management characteristics, making them ideal for these applications." Gary added.

 

In addition to softness and feel, the use of cotton is also increasing due to government mandates to restrict the use of plastic raw materials in disposable products, which also makes manufacturers need to consider the use of new materials in products such as disposable wipes and sanitary products.

 

"We believe cotton is well positioned to expand its market share as a renewable, biodegradable and compostable fiber," said Gary, "Cotton is the oldest and most trusted fiber on the planet. Bleached cotton is also suitable for many traditional absorbent fiber applications. Our TruCotton products overcome the cost, yield and fluid management problems that many brands and manufacturers have encountered in the past with cotton fibers."

 

WildWood recent innovations include carded/wood pulp/carded spunlace materials in collaboration with Cotton Incorporated and Lenzing. They are also pilot producing chopped TruCotton for wet-laid and airlaid applications.

 

Lewis Barnhardt, president of Barnhardt Manufacturing, said that as ingredient transparency becomes more important, especially for female consumers, the use of cotton fibers in the hygiene field has become more prominent. "Feminine hygiene products are leading the way in terms of ingredient transparency, and this is also being carried over to larger brands." He said.

 

In order to meet the growing demand for alternative fibers in nonwoven products, Barnhardt are also exploring materials other than cotton that may be able to replace synthetic materials in disposable products such as wet wipes.

 

Barnhardt use EVOC(Enhanced short for Visual Opening and Cleaning System) to carefully remove all foreign matter from each piece of cotton to produce the clean, white cotton fiber that consumers expect from feminine care and baby care products. Even for the most demanding 100 percent cotton nonwovens applications, including ultra-lightweight nonwovens for hygiene, EVOC can replace synthetic fibers and other less sustainable materials with cotton.

 

Cotton growers are also working to increase yields and improve fiber sustainability. For the past 20 years, cotton growers have struggled to do more with less. They have increased production without increasing water use, and global cotton farming uses only 3% of the total water used in agriculture.
"Cotton is grown in some 80 countries and uses only 0.6 percent of the world's agricultural land. Its natural drought tolerance, minimal irrigation needs and ability to thrive in arid climates make it one of the most versatile crops on the planet, producing both fiber and food (cottonseed and cottonseed oil)." O' Regan said. Over the next 10 years, cotton growers aim to increase land use efficiency and reduce soil erosion, water and energy use.
More specifically, for nonwovens, manufacturers like Barnhardt rely on online vision systems to help eliminate agricultural pollution and mechanical cleaning to keep the cotton pure. "We're trying to make our cotton as clean as possible," he said, "and that's what we're focused on-making it as pure as possible." These efforts have helped nonwovens producers remove some of the barriers associated with processing cotton and other natural fibers compared to more controllable synthetic materials.

 

"The nonwovens industry has grown up, which drives the engineering of equipment and processing," says O' Regan. "Cotton is a product of nature. It is naturally variable and shorter in length than the synthetic fibers used in our industry. These are problems that have been overcome. In the past 20 years, the demand for more natural and biodegradable materials from nonwoven manufacturers has been growing, and the related technology and expertise have also been continuously developed."

Advances in Bast Fibers

 

Although fibers such as hemp and flax (known as bast fibers) have been around for more than 30000 years, they have played a small role in the nonwovens industry. However, recent advances in Bast Fiber Tech (BFT) are paving the way for non-woven materials for applications such as disposable wipes and hygiene products.
Founded in 2016, Bast Fiber Tech is committed to developing high-value, patented hemp, flax and other bast fibers that provide a sustainable choice for nonwovens manufacturers and their customers. "From cleaning to babies to industry, these fibers can be used in many areas, and there are many hygiene customers who want to start switching to more sustainable solutions." Company President Jim Posa said.

 

Disposable plastic or recycled fiber products containing adhesive, rayon and polyester fibers are the main causes of microplastic pollution in soil and water areas, while bast fibers manufactured by BFT patented processing technology can be degraded by microorganisms in the soil while ensuring comfort, absorption and stretchability, without any negative impact on the environment.

 

Bast fibers are usually extracted from the stems of bast plants (such as hemp). This fiber can not only support and transport nutrients in the process of plant growth, but also show strong water absorption ability in humid environment. It is an ideal material for making non-woven products (such as cleaning wipes, diapers, makeup remover cotton, medical masks, etc.).

 

Fibers from hemp and flax plants have traditionally been difficult to use in nonwoven applications due to consistency and cleanliness issues, but BFT has been working on controlling fiber length, micron size, cleanliness, etc. for the past 18 months, and has been tested for various nonwoven processes, including wet-laid and spunlaced. "We experimented with many large nonwovens companies and worked with consumer goods companies that contacted us directly." Posa said.
These fibers can be run on a high-speed carding machine that runs about 60% of the mixed synthetic material to maintain uniformity and strength. In systems used to run cotton or other natural fibers, these materials can be processed at rates of up to 100 percent.

 

"We are working with manufacturers to increase the percentage, and next year, we expect that even with the new high-speed carding machine, it will exceed 60%." Posa added.

 

Compared to other natural fibers such as cotton and viscose, hemp and flax are grown with little water or pesticides and, as annual crops, are replenished every year. In addition, the fiber has only a 90-day growth cycle and actually quickly returns nutrients to the soil, ready for future crops. "It actually improves the soil for the next crop, so it is a good rotation crop."

 

According to Posa, the trend of using alternative fiber materials in nonwovens has been brewing for a long time. "This trend is accelerating with EU legislation targeting single-use plastics, especially wipes," he said, adding that "companies that release single-use plastic products into the environment will be penalized."

Viscose plays an important role

 

Due to their natural properties such as absorbency, softness and skin-friendliness, viscose fibers have been playing an important role in the field of hygiene products for many years, and their role has become more prominent as the demand for environmentally friendly solutions continues to increase.

 

Matthew North, commercial director of Kelheim Fibres, said: "So far, most sanitary products are made of synthetic fibers and are designed for convenient one-time use. But the disadvantage that comes with this convenience is a lot of waste. Unfortunately, a significant portion of this waste ends up in our waters and into the oceans, creating one of the greatest environmental hazards of our time. The marine plastic pollution we have caused not only threatens the habitats of many animals, but also enters our food chain with unprecedented consequences."

 

Unlike fibers of petrochemical origin, viscose fibers are made from renewable raw materials and are biodegradable after use. Replacing synthetic fibers in hygiene applications with biodegradable fibers means it is more environmentally friendly. "While more and more customers are seeing the benefits of viscose in terms of product sustainability and performance, some companies are demonizing all man-made fibers-often for lack of information. They know very little about the differences in raw materials, production processes and applications."

 

"We first try to provide more features by continuously improving our products so that they are perfectly adapted to our customers' processes," says North. "We firmly believe that our viscose fibers can be part of the solution to the plastic waste problem."

 

In addition to natural properties, viscose fibers can also be flexibly customized according to the specific requirements of the final product or nonwoven. Kelheim specialty fibers include chopped fibers, which are very suitable for the production of flushable wipes, and a range of fibers that can meet the different needs of the various layers of materials in absorbent hygiene products.

 

"Especially in the field of absorbent hygiene products, users will not compromise on performance, and the product must be absolutely reliable." North said.
In order to effectively develop specialized fibers, Kelheim rely on an open innovation approach based on three key factors-tracking major trends, dialogue with customers, and active work in innovation networks. Marina Crnoja-Cosic, the company's director of new business development, said that the core of this approach is to focus on the customer's "unmet needs" and transform them into corresponding fiber solutions.

 

This allows Kelheim to provide customers with tailor-made fibers, each taking into account the requirements of the production process and the final product. "Our focus is on making our production technology flexible and adjustable. Over the past decade, we have increased the production capacity of chopped fibers (for example, for flushable wipes) and generally increased the proportion of fibers used in nonwovens. In addition, upgrading our technology and products is an ongoing process. We have ushered in greater progress in each challenge."

 

Thanks to the innovations of these fiber producers, from viscose to linen and even plastic synthetics, nonwovens will continue to venture into new areas. "For other fibers, my position has always been that we all live in a very large global market with numerous market segments and product development opportunities," says O' Regan."

Biodegradable polyolefin

 

Fiber producer FiberVisions and spun-melt non-woven fabric manufacturer Avgol are both part of the Public Company Limited (IVL), a Indorama Ventures of global chemical producers, who work closely with scientists in Polymateria to commercialize innovative "biotransformation" technologies. The patented technology changes the properties of polyolefins to make them biodegradable in natural processes.

 

This bioconversion technology can further expand the two companies' fiber and spunmelt product catalog. The focus of these efforts will be the introduction of non-oxidative degradable ingredients for personal protective masks, hygiene, agriculture, industrial and home care applications.

 

The use of this bioconversion technology will support the application of non-virgin resin recycling, while providing solutions for used items, including those that have not been properly recovered or disposed. The process involves the breakdown of the material into wax, where the wax is further degraded into carbon dioxide, water and biomass by the action of environmental bacteria.

 

The two companies have been developing prototypes of fiber and nonwoven products. The first prototype developed by their collaboration has been tested to meet the stringent biodegradability tests defined in the British Standards Institution (BSI) biodegradation standards.

This article is from Nonwovens Industry Journal

 

Source: Jung-International Nonwovens Industry