Partnership to develop algae-based performance textiles
Norwegian outdoor brand Norrøna is working with Australian company Uluu to develop a seaweed-based fibre suitable for outdoor apparel. The partners intend to create prototype waterproof and windproof apparel from PHA, a biodegradable polymer that is part of the polyester family. Uluu said that it had already tested the material, through a melt-spinning process, and created different types of filaments and fabrics.
“The outdoor industry has relied on fossil fuel-derived materials for more than half a century. We’re working with Norrøna to prove the next generation of performance textiles can come from the ocean instead. It’s a powerful signal about where the industry is heading,” commented co-founder and co-CEO Michael Kingsbury.
Founded in 2021, and headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, Uluu has developed a multistage process that can turn various types of seaweed into PHA. After screening different varieties, it chose to launch production with a red seaweed called Gracilaria, which is grown in Indonesia.
The production process starts with a hydrolysis stage in which enzymes break down the seaweed carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. These are then fed to PHA-producing microbes in a saltwater environment. The extraction of the PHA nurdles produced by the microbes is done without solvents, but by transferring the microbes into a freshwater environment. Once dried, the PHA powder is pelletised, various natural ingredients are added to achieve properties required for different applications such as packaging or fabrics.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, is considered a natural polymer.
Read up on PHA and other next-generation biopolyesters in our feature here.
Photo shows Uluu co-founder and co-CEO Michael Kingsbury examining seaweed in Norway
