BioMatNet Item: FAIR-CT98-9615 - Nettle - reintroduction of stinging nettle cultivation as a sustainable raw material for the production of fibres and cellulose

FAIR-CT98-9615
Nettle - reintroduction of stinging nettle cultivation as a sustainable raw material for the production of fibres and cellulose

Contacts
Website: www.telesis.at/nettle

To find similar Items, click on a keyword below:
Crops for Textiles/Fabrics/Cordage : FAIR Area 1.2 - Green Chemicals and Polymers Chain : Fibre : Textiles/Fabrics/Geomembranes

	Type of Project	Cooperative Research
	Contract No	FAIR-CT98-9615
	Total Cost
	EC Contribution
	Start Date
	Duration	24 months

Nettle - reintroduction of stinging nettle cultivation as a sustainable raw material for the production of fibres and cellulose

Objectives

This project forms phase II of the exploratory project FAIR-ST-8356.

The main goal of this project is to reintroduce the cultivation of the stinging nettle Urtica dioica as a sustainable raw material for the production of textile fibres.

This project appears to be interesting based on the following considerations:

Innovative products made of natural fibres are very trendy. Textiles made of nettle fibres are a useful alternative or complementary product to other natural fibres such as hemp, linen and cotton and will play an increasingly important role in the next 5 to 7 years.

Existing problems in the agricultural sector such as overproduction in the dairy industry, over-fertilisation of the soil, problems due to monocultures as well as the lack of financial opportunities also underline the need for alternative cultivation methods. The stinging nettle, which thrives on nitrogenous and over-fertilised soil, would be a very interesting alternative that could add a completely new aspect to agriculture in Central Europe, provided that it is accepted on the market. As a logical consequence, additional jobs would be created; we would be independent of imports and have reduced transport distances.

Within the framework of the project, it is planned to grow stinging nettles on trial fields of a total of 10 hectares over a period of two years and to carry out further research with regard to their growth, yield capacity as well as their resistance to environmental impact. Furthermore, their impact on the reduction of harmful substances in the farmland shall be examined.

Subsequently, different ways of fibre extraction will be researched and tested. Furthermore, different methods of spinning the fibres into yarns and weaving them into fabrics will be tested. It is planned to weave different kinds of fabrics and to manufacture clothes and other textiles. The results obtained with regard to wear resistance, fineness and effects on the skin will then serve as a basis to take a decision on possible fields of application.

The fibre nettle Urtica dioica

Contacts

Coordinator

PAPTEX Papier und Textil AUSTRIA

Participant

RTD Performer