A byproduct of fermentation, the leftover yeast from making beer or wine, can be reused to make fibers for textiles, according to a study led by Penn State University researchers and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The biomass remaining from the production of alcohol, even pharmaceutical products and consisting of proteins, fatty molecules (lipids) and sugars, is considered waste. In this research, the scientific team found that they could reuse the material to make textile fibers using a process they had previously developed to make fibers from proteins. Thus, he succeeded in the pilot production of the fiber in a factory in Germany.
In an evaluation of the production and the final product, the researchers then found that it is a high-strength fiber, and its production on a commercial scale could compete with wool and other natural materials, but with significantly fewer resources, even when factoring in the land required to grow the plants used in the fermentation process.
Specifically, it is estimated that fiber from fermentation residues can be produced at a cost of less than six dollars per kilogram compared to $10-12 for wool and with significantly less water and land use and almost zero greenhouse gas emissions.
The researchers note in a related release that switching from crop-derived fiber could free up a significant amount of land for food production, solving the food insecurity currently experienced by about one in twelve people worldwide.
The research team then plans to further investigate the commercial viability of fermentation-derived fibers.
