Milk
fibre
Although milk fibre has been in existence for almost 100 years, it is a material that not many of us are familiar with and would assume was a new invention within the sustainability industry. However, this soft and silky fabric has been used as a substitute for wool since the 1930s.
Milk fibre is made using the casein powder from waste milk that is not fit for human consumption. It is collected from the dairy farm, skimmed to remove the fat, then dewatered to leave behind the milk powder. This is then dissolved and purified to extract the casein powder.
The final steps involve immersing the casein powder in alkali, passing it through a spinneret and then submerging it in sulfuric acid to create a fibre that can be stretched and spun into yarn.
When this yarn is mixed with other substances, most commonly acrylonitrile, it can be used to make clothing and home textiles.
