Nanollose is preparing to convert extensive pilot testing for its tree-free lyocell fibre technologies Nullarbor and Nufolium into commercialisation, with recent ventures into nonwoven applications alongside its key interest in fashion textiles.
Last year, Nanollose extended on the successful completion of fabric production through Orta, a major supplier to brands including H&M, Armani, Levi’s, Wrangler and Stella McCartney.
Now the Australian biotech firm has produced a batch of Nufolium fibre for use in nonwoven applications such as wipes, with 110 kilograms of it being made specifically for Codi Group, Europe’s largest producer of wet wipes.
The Nufolium batch came from a third spin of its Nullarbor fibre production in partnership with Birla Cellulose. Nanollose is planning to scale this production capacity alongside commercial agreements with partners and fashion brands.
This includes a recent collaboration with Australian fashion label Lee Mathews, which is using around 90 kilograms of Nullarbor fibres from Nanollose’s second pilot spin, which is expected to be converted into fabric by the end of March. This will be used for a small capsule collection which is expected to represent the first commercially available garments made from Nullarbor fibres.
“The December quarter marked another period of exciting progress for Nanollose, across both product development as well as our commercialisation objectives,” Nanollose executive chairman Dr Wayne Best said.
“The Company’s extensive R&D partnership with Birla Cellulose continues to yield strong results, with the successful execution of a third pilot production spin which met our key objectives – most notably an expanded production capacity and the introduction of Nufolium, which opens up an exciting new addressable market."
Outside of lyocell fibre technology, Nanollose is also developing a commercial pathway for its horticultural product MicroGel in collaboration with commercial partner Greenspace - an Australian smart-farming and microgreen production company.
Meanwhile, Nanollose gained approval from the Europe Patent Office for a patent covering its wet-gel JelliGrow seed raising formulation. The successful application marks Nanollose’s first patent approval in Europe to complement existing patents that were granted for this technology in China and Japan.
These products form part of the brand’s Biollose technology.
“Concurrently, activity is accelerating with respect to our Biollose technology and its range of exciting use-cases in the rapidly growing commercial soilless horticulture sector – reflected in both our ongoing commercial partnership with Greenspace and the level of interest from the industry more broadly,” Dr Best said.
“It means that heading into 2024, Nanollose is positioned with several tangible commercial pathways across our product suite.
“We look forward to providing more updates on both R&D and expanded product rollouts in the coming months.”