Innovative natural fiber products are a growing market due to their functional properties in many applications as textiles, technical applications, lightweight materials. Moreover, the enhanced use of natural fibers can contribute to the achievement of climate targets by the reduction of consumption of fossil resources and energy.

Currently, there are various technologies, upcoming and already on the market, worldwide to process natural fibers.

The congress aims to create a platform for all stakeholders involved in the supply chain – from farmers to users – to get an overview of the different technologies, to share experiences and to provide a decision support for building an effective, economic, and reliable supply chain for natural fibers. The natural fiber extraction congress intends to promote sustainable business, showing solutions to effectively process plant-based raw materials and residues into fibers for clothing, home textiles and technical applications. The focus of the congress is on industrialized fiber extraction, as this is where fiber and textile technology know-how is most needed.

“The Congress – Natural fiber Extraction” will take place under the scientific coordination of PD Dr.-Ing. Thomas Stegmaier and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Milwich (DITF).

Interested parties are cordially invited to submit abstracts with focus on the following R&D fields and areas of expertise:

• Sustainable fiber extraction technologies along the supply chain from agriculture to industrial processes

• Substrate disintegration

• Fibrillation

• Decortication

• Refining Fiber extraction / decortication machinery Methods to farm, harvest and process flax, hemp, hop, kenaf, jute and other biogenic fibers

• Biopolymer to coat natural fibers and textiles and for fiber reinforced compounds

• Test methods, simulation models, industry 4.0 solutions

• Functional testing and product development

• Sustainability assessment of natural fiber production and use

• Consumer and marketing aspects of natural fiber

Lectures from fiber extraction specialists – from farming, harvesting to industrialized processing, also in combination with biopolymers - from research institutes and companies are all welcome. Kindly submit contributions as informal abstracts. We are looking for 15–20-minute contributions on the state of the art and new solutions in the world of fiber extraction.

Deadline call for papers: 31st July 2024!