NordicBio - Circular Nordic Bio Nonwoven in MedTech Applications

Purpose and goal

Prototypes for bio-based and resource-efficient nonwovens/textile-like materials for healthcare have been developed and evaluated by measuring product properties and discussing with customers. Methods for washing, decolorization and disinfection of used textiles have been developed. Post-consumer textiles have been used in combination with other bio-based textile fibres to spin yarn into consumer products. Network has been established where Swedish and Finnish key technology is used to demonstrate bio-based solutions for upscaling and commercialization.

Expected results and effects

The project has served as a platform for demonstrating new value chains where raw materials as post-consumer textiles and technologies like foam laid, carding and wet laid has been evaluated. Also, cleaning technologies for post-consumer textiles show good potential and is an important part in the value chain. Product focus has been both on medtech nonwovens/textile-like materials and on yarn for consumer textiles. It is shown that these new value chains call for both new processes, new business contacts and new collaborations.

Planned approach and implementation

The project was led by Wargön Innovation (Sweden) and VTT (Finland). Finnish and Swedish pilots and full-scale facilities provided prerequisites for the entire value chain for both medtech nonwovens and yarns to be demonstrated. Collaboration with companies such as Pure Waste Textiles, Cellcomb, Sporda and Fiber-X, together with Södersjukhuset´s customer perspective, provided important input for understanding the market conditions. Textiles as a secondary raw material were developed and tested together with various types of Nordic bio-based fibres.

External links

Pressmeddelande mars 2019 Övergripande projektbeskrivning Labbförsök och pilotkörningar som genomfördes på VTT inom skumformning, tvättning, avfärgning, desinficering.