China has achieved a manufacturing breakthrough with the world's first commercial-scale ionic liquid-based regenerated cellulose fibre plant, officially launching operations in Henan Province and establishing new benchmarks for sustainable textile production.
- The Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed this pioneering technology after more than a decade of research.
- The facility eliminates toxic chemicals like carbon disulfide and N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) traditionally used in cellulose fibre manufacturing processes.
- The plant operates with zero discharge of wastewater, waste gas, or solid waste while maintaining international quality standards.
KEY TAKEAWAY: This breakthrough transforms textile manufacturing by eliminating reliance on hazardous solvents through stable ionic liquid technology, delivering environmentally sustainable production while meeting international standards for fineness, tensile strength, and uniformity. The achievement positions ionic liquids as viable replacements for conventional toxic chemicals in large-scale industrial applications.
HOW WE GOT HERE: The 1,000-tonne annual capacity facility commenced operations following successful validation through laboratory trials, pilot-scale testing, and 100-tonne demonstrations, marking the first commercial deployment of ionic liquid spinning technology at industrial scale globally.
CONTEXT FRAME: Traditional cellulose fibre production depends on volatile organic solvents that pose environmental and safety hazards. Ionic liquids represent a novel class of salts remaining liquid at room temperature, composed of organic cations and anions with superior properties including high polarity, oxidation resistance, and structural tunability for dissolving cellulose without harsh reagents.
DATA SNAPSHOT: Key performance metrics demonstrate the technology's environmental and operational advantages:
- Annual carbon dioxide emissions reduced by approximately 5,000 tonnes compared to traditional fossil fibre production methods.
- Solvent recovery system achieves over 99% efficiency rates during manufacturing operations.
- Production capacity reaches 1,000 tonnes annually following successful scaling from laboratory to commercial deployment.
- Development timeline spanned more than a decade from initial research to commercial operations.
STRATEGIC SUBTEXT: This development positions China as a global leader in sustainable manufacturing innovation while advancing national policy objectives through technological breakthrough rather than regulatory compliance alone:
- Professor Zhang Suojiang, the lead scientist of the IPE ionic liquids team that developed the technology, described the achievement as transforming cutting-edge laboratory research into industrial reality.
- Duan Xiaoping from China's Textile Industry Federation emphasised the project's role in achieving dual carbon goals.
