ARTIFICIAL FIBERS
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NEWSLETTER #7 : ARTIFICIAL FIBERS
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A quick glance at collections in the stores makes clear the massive popularity of viscose, lyocell, cupro and modal. Viscose, ideal in terms of printing, fluidity and comfort, is particularly prevalent in today’s wardrobes, and is currently the 3rd most used fabric in world, after polyester and cotton. So what about these cellulosic materials, situated midway between natural and chemical? And how do we characterize today’s spectrum of sustainable artificial materials?
Cellulosic materials: 2 key elements
Resources These fabrics often ride the wave of the natural, renewable quality of wood, from which most celluloses are currently derived. But it’s precisely those natural characteristics that demand we take a closer look. Over the past 30 years, the production volume of cellulosic materials has tripled, leading to the destruction of primary forests and damaging biodiversity. Old-growth forests are said to be able to absorb 40 times more carbon than industrially planted forests, and are home to many native ecosystems and habitats. According to the non-profit Canopy, half of today’s artificial materials are still derived from these forests, in spite of the significant progress made in this area.
Faced with this alarming fact, new initiatives are constantly emerging to find ways to mitigate the problem.
Transformation processes
Wood undergoes a series of processes to extract the pulp, dissolve it and then transform that pulp into a filament. These processes involve a range of chemical treatments in order to produce these changes. The viscose process, which is still the leading one, involves the use of sodium sulfide, caustic soda, carbon disulfide, sulfuric acid … all of which are toxic and corrosive. Workers are particularly vulnerable to the repeated handling and exposure to these chemicals. When effluents and gaseous emissions are not properly filtered and treated, harmful effects also develop beyond the confines of the factory. Regulations differ from country to country and from production unit to production unit, but the danger to surrounding populations and ecosystems is well known. Managing these transformation processes remains a critical and key issue.
Read more about natural fibers here !
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