Finnish Infinited Fiber Company aims to reduce the environmental footprint of the textile industry by turning textile waste into high-quality regenerated fiber suitable for replacing virgin cotton. Sold under the Infinna™ brand, the fiber has already been featured in the collections of several major international fashion brands, including Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Zara. The company is now planning a €400 million factory investment with the aim of scaling up production capacity.
Recycling textiles is notoriously challenging, as post-consumer textile waste often contains a mix of fibers, dyes, and finishing agents etc. that make direct reuse impossible. Infinited Fiber has developed a chemical recycling process where cotton fibers are separated from used garments, converted into cellulose carbamate powder, and dissolved into a cellulose solution before being spun into new fibers. These process stages enable the efficient removal of impurities and ensure uniform quality in the final product.
Laboratory testing plays a critical role in production process optimization and development, as well as quality assurance, since the properties of the cotton-rich cellulose pulp, carbamate, cellulose carbamate dope, and Infinna™ fibres must be confirmed using high-performance analytical techniques. Measurlabs has supported Infinited Fiber’s process development with high-quality analysis services for several years.
Comprehensive analysis selection for all types of process samples
Meeting Infinited Fiber’s analysis needs requires a considerable degree of expertise, as the various stages of the production process generate samples that vary widely in composition and properties. The physical form ranges from fine powders and process liquids to fibrous materials; some matrices are acidic, others strongly alkaline. Obtaining reliable results requires selecting the most appropriate sample preparation and analytical methods for each sample type.
"Measurlabs offers a wide range of methods for elemental analysis of different kinds of samples, which is extremely important to us," says Maija Nenonen, Laboratory Supervisor at Infinited Fiber. "Their experts are also highly accessible and respond quickly to changes in testing needs – for example, by arranging expedited analyses when results are required sooner than we originally expected."
One of the most significant analytical challenges Measurlabs has helped solve is the precise determination of elemental concentrations in process samples, particularly at low levels.
"Together with Infinited Fiber’s product development and quality control teams, we have tested several combinations of sample preparation and analytical methods to reach the desired detection limit. For now, ICP-SFMS, one of the most sensitive techniques available for elemental analysis, has proven to be the best option," says Mirva Hirvi, Testing Expert at Measurlabs.
In addition to elemental analysis, Infinited Fiber has commissioned Measurlabs to provide, for example, particle size and microplastic content analyses. The broad range of analytical services and expert support enable process optimization and development of Infinna™ fiber production in preparation for industrial-scale manufacturing.
"Having the reliable specialty analyses we need readily available significantly speeds up our R&D work and allows the product development team to shift their focus from analytical challenges to advancing our core processes," Maija Nenonen concludes.