The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) has launched InnoCell, a dedicated research and development project to drive the market-ready development of cellulose staple fibre yarns using its patented HighPerCell process. The closed-loop production method uses ionic liquids as solvents, delivering a low carbon footprint in production and drawing on regional raw material sourcing as sustainability advantages for the apparel sector.
- Staple fibre yarns produced via the HighPerCell process have a fluffy, matte surface, making them softer and more breathable than continuous filament fibres for next-to-skin clothing applications.
- Project partner Otto Garne is responsible for yarn spinning and dyeing, developing methodology to achieve high colour depth and colourfastness from the cellulose multifilaments.
- Regional raw materials including beech wood, hemp, and flax are being investigated as sustainable, locally sourced alternatives to chemical pulp for industrial-scale fibre production.
HOW IT WORKS: The HighPerCell process produces cellulose fibres as continuous filaments in a closed-loop system, enabling complete solvent recycling. Unlike the viscose process, which generates large amounts of chemical waste, HighPerCell avoids waste products harmful to the environment and human health. The process is simpler and safer to control than Lyocell, and yields fibres less prone to fibrillation and nodule formation. Staple fibres are short fibres spun into a continuous yarn, requiring a process tailored to each fibre type's physical properties.
- Project partner Gebr. Otto Baumwollfeinzwirnerei GmbH & Co. KG (Otto Garne) produces a high-quality carded sliver as the basis for yarn spinning, with the process designed to enable the highest possible yarn quality and form the basis for industrial upscaling.
- Yarn dyeing is handled separately by Otto Garne, which is developing a dedicated methodology for the cellulose staple fibre yarns as a technically distinct step from spinning.
- The distinct surface properties of cellulose staple fibre yarns open entirely new applications and markets for this fibre type, particularly across apparel categories where comfort and breathability are priorities.
THE FEEDSTOCK: Laboratory samples produced so far have used chemical pulp, which offers high purity but has undergone extensive chemical treatment and is therefore not environmentally friendly. For production at industrial scale, the project is shifting to locally sourced plants, reducing CO2 emissions and improving economic viability. The HighPerCell process has proven flexible across various raw material sources and is expected to adapt to each input type.
- Regional beech wood, available in large quantities for cultivation, is the primary raw material focus for industrial-scale fibre production under the InnoCell project.
- Native annual plants including hemp and flax are also being investigated for their suitability as raw material inputs for the HighPerCell process.
- A first prototype T-shirt, produced from the spun and dyed yarns at DITF, is designed to be extremely comfortable and carry an excellent environmental footprint.
