Cellulose is a natural polymer found in plants. It serves as a structural component of plant cell walls. Plants’ stems, leaves or seeds can be used to get cellulosic fibers.

Cellulosic fibers are used in textiles, papermaking, building and advanced nano-materials. Textiles from cellulose is known for their soft, smooth, and silky texture. They can soak up moisture quickly and are valued for their strength, durability, and sustainability.

There are two categories of cellulosic fibers: 

• Natural

• Regenerated  

A. Natural cellulosic fibers

Made directly from plants and are not chemically altered. By far the most common of these is cotton, obtained from the seed. Here are more examples of natural cellulosic fibers: cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, jute, abaca, flax, ramie, nettle, apple, pineapple and others.   

B. Regenerated cellulosic fibers

Created by chemically dissolving cellulose and then regenerating it into fibers. Here are some common types of regenerated cellulosic fibers: rayon, lyocell, modal, tencel, viscose.

In general, the production process for cellulose fibres is less resource-intensive than that of synthetic materials. However, not all cellulose fibres are created equal in terms of environmental impact.

Viscose is the first man-regenerated cellulosic fiber which spread commercially around the 1940s. The process of its production requires intensive use of chemicals which are harmful for the environment. The same goes for the production of modal. That is why these fibres are not the most sustainable choice. Another negative point is that viscose can be less durable than other regenerated cellulosic fibers.

Among the regenerated cellulosic fibre production processes, lyocell is the most modern and most environmentally friendly. No toxic chemicals are required to make it, and there are fewer production steps compared to conventional viscose production. Lyocell fiber has higher tenacity (especially wet tenacity), higher modulus, lower shrinkage, better thermal stability than Viscose.

Tencel belongs to the family of lyocell fibres. It is made from the wood pulp of eucalyptus trees, and the production process uses a closed-loop system that recycles up to 99% of the solvents used. Besides, the water usage is rather low. This fabric is soft and has a feel similar to silk or cotton. Tencel is biodegradable and can decompose within a few months.

The Ioncell fabric has even better strength and durability than tencel and viscose. It is developed through the newest and most sustainable method of production which requires only one solvent – a liquid salt. It was invented by the Helsinki-based textile innovation company of the same name, and is a collaboration between Aalto University and University of Helsinki together with partners. The Ioncell fabric contributes to circular economics: waste textiles, waste paper or products made from natural fibres can be used as a base for the new fabric.

Finally, nanocellulose has advanced properties, for example, its stiffness is comparable with that of Kevlar and is better than that of glass fiber. Films made from nanocellulose are as well known for their high strength. Nanocellulose can also be used to make aerogels / foams.