Chitin-based fibers move closer to sustainable textile production

The textile industry is searching for alternatives to petroleum-derived synthetic fibers as concerns over microplastic pollution and the environmental burden of fiber production continue to grow. Against this background, chitin, an abundant biodegradable polymer found in crustaceans, insects and fungi, has attracted increasing attention as a potential feedstock for textile fibers. Yet its strong intermolecular interactions and poor solubility have historically limited direct fiber production.

The review brings together recent developments in converting chitin and its derivatives into fibers and shows how processing strategies have changed their performance. Wet spinning remains the most widely investigated approach, while dry-jet wet spinning and gel spinning have provided additional routes to improve molecular orientation and strength. Ionic liquids have been particularly important because they can dissolve highly crystalline chitin and, in some cases, enable direct spinning without prior derivatization. Recent gel-spinning studies have produced chitin fibers with tensile strength comparable to several natural fibers.

The review also highlights the role of drawing, polymer blending, nanostructured additives and crosslinking in improving mechanical performance and wet stability. However, these approaches do not remove all barriers to commercialization. High material and processing costs, limited industrial-scale validation, solvent recovery, residual solvent removal, and insufficient washing durability remain important concerns. The environmental advantages of chitin also depend on its source and processing route: fungal chitin can have a lower carbon footprint than conventional marine sources, while seafood-derived chitin may involve substantial energy and water consumption.

The review concludes that future progress will depend on greener extraction and spinning processes, lower-cost solvent systems, improved mechanical and washing durability, and pilot-scale validation. It also points to functional chitin-derived fibers, including conductive and responsive fibers for wearable technologies, as an emerging direction for sustainable textiles.

See the article:

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2026.100300

Original Source URL

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2369969826000721

Journal

Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts