We study the use of papermaking wood fibres in the manufacturing of textile yarn. Our hypothesis is that it is technically feasible to manufacture thin yarns from ordinary paper cut into strips by spinning and drawing. Chemical additives will be considered in order to ease spinning and enable drawing.

Our plan is to test this concept in laboratory. If spin drawing of paper yarn proves possible, it will be a relatively simple method. Paper yarn from softwood pulp that is thin enough, strong and stretchable can take market shares from synthetic fibres made from fossil based resources. Today the production of synthetic fibres is larger than that of cotton fibres and the market for green textile fibres grows.

Paper yarn is environmental friendly and produced from softwood fibres that are available in large volumes. It is recyclable and biodegradable. Environmental unfriendly chemicals are not needed in the production of paper yarns in contrast to e.g. the common viscose process for making regenerated cellulose fibres.

The participating companies have competences along the value chain from wood fibre to yarn. The two participating paper companies, Svenska Pappersbruket and Mondi Dynäs, produce flexible tissue and sack paper, respectively. One company spins yarn, Svenskt Konstsilke, and another develops machine equipment, Swema Industriteknik. Research experience to the project comes from The University of Borås and Smart Textiles who know textiles and spinning technologies and Mid Sweden University who knows fibre chemistry and mechanics. If the hypothesis proves correct there are possibilities to have speed to market through the project partners Åkroken Science Park/BioBusiness Arena and IUC Sjuhärad.