TEXTILES.ORG
The Swiss-based HeiQ textile company has introduced a high-performance cellulose yarn based on a new fiber derived from carbon negative materials.
The fiber, called AeoniQ, is made of cellulose biopolymer, which can be sourced from a range of natural materials like algae, bacteria or coffee grounds—resources that don’t require fossil fuels and use just a fraction of the water needed by conventional processing.
AeoniQ yarn is made of cellulosic biopolymers that bind carbon from the atmosphere while generating oxygen. With further development, AeoniQ could potentially replace many of the synthetic filament yarns that make up more than 60 percent of global annual textile output. Further, when compared to conventional cellulosic products, AeoniQ yarns do not draw on arable land, pesticides or fertilizer in their production.
HeiQ’s challenge will be to grow to where it can compete with synthetic rivals. It is inviting a maximum of 20 sustainability-driven brand partners to be the first to market with products made of this game-changing yarn. HeiQ announced in October that the LYCRA Co. has signed on as the first development partner. LYCRA’s agreement gives it exclusivity for AeoniQ yarn that can be used in its stretchable fabrics.