Man-made elastic fibers from mussel byssus
The project aims to create a proof of concept for a viable bio-based replacement to elastane as a textile additive.
A fossil-based, difficult-to-recycle, and environmentally problematic material, elastane is used on a global scale but prevents effective textile recycling, contributes to microplastic pollution. At the same time, there are currently no realistic sustainable alternatives available.
The project seeks to explore the possibility of using byssus threads from mussels as a raw material to make elastic textile fibers. These protein-based threads, which mussels use to attach themselves to various surfaces, possess excellent elastic properties and currently constitute a costly residual waste stream for the Swedish mussel industry. The fibers will be produced using wet spinning, and their mechanical properties will be directly compared to those of elastane. The project will also assess scalability, cost-effectiveness, supply chains, and environmental impact. The goal is to achieve a laboratory-verified technology readiness level (TRL) of 4, validated scalability and supply chains at TRL 6, and to conduct an initial market analysis.
The project is a collaboration between the research institute RISE and the company Scanfjord and will include raw material collection, fiber development, testing, and sustainability and business analysis. The project has the potential to create new sustainable textile materials, enable textile recycling, and open up a new material value chain.
