China Breaks Seaweed Fiber Mass Production Barrier! Donghua University Launches World’s First 10,000-Ton Facility
Shanghai, 2025 — Donghua University today announced that a team led by academician Zhu Meifang has overcome global industrialization challenges for seaweed fiber, commissioning the world’s first 10,000-ton annual production line with stable continuous operation. This breakthrough slashes production costs from the international average of $30+/kg to $8.5/kg, unlocking the material’s commercial potential across medical, apparel, and packaging industries.
Three Technical Breakthroughs
The team pioneered a "dual-ion membrane purification + nanocrystalline whisker enhancement" system:
- Purity leap: Alginate impurities controlled below 50ppm (medical-grade), eliminating mold risks
- Strength doubled: Tensile strength reaches 2.8 cN/dtex, surpassing regular viscose, enabling pure spinning as cotton substitute
- Energy consumption plummeted: Residual heat recycling cuts power use to 4.3 kWh/kg (82% reduction from pilot lines)
Eco-Performance Dominance
Third-party certifications confirm:
- Carbon-negative production: Each ton of fiber sequesters 2.1 tons of CO₂ (equivalent to 100 trees’ annual absorption)
- Marine biodegradability: Fishing nets decompose naturally in 45 days, solving "ghost gear" pollution
- Zero-pollution manufacturing: Acid/alkali-free process; wastewater treated to drinking standards
Post time: Jul-23-2025