New gel spinning technology uses supercritical CO2 instead of solvents.
Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) has been awarded the Techtextil 2026 New Production Technology Innovation Award, which it will receive at Techtextil Frankfurt being held from April 21 to 24.
The Leeds-based company, a member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), has developed the FET-500, a small-scale gel spinning system designed to produce ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres without the use of toxic solvents.
UHMWPE is considered one of the strongest fibre materials used in technical textiles, offering strength levels up to 15 times greater than steel. Its applications range from surgical sutures and cut-resistant gloves to body armour and offshore ropes. However, conventional UHMWPE gel spinning has long raised environmental concerns. Traditionally, UHMWPE is mixed with oil to create a gel mass, which is later washed out using solvents such as hexane or dichloromethane. The process is highly solvent-intensive, requiring around 100 kilograms of solvent per kilogram of yarn.
FET’s innovation replaces these solvents with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), a non-toxic medium already used in textile applications such as waterless dyeing and often sourced as a by-product of industrial processes.
“The current systems for manufacturing UHMWPE filament yarns are on a huge scale, with very complex processing routes,” said Jonny Hunter, Research and Development Manager, FET. “This means the supply chain is currently very inflexible with minimal opportunity for new product development. These disadvantages have been fully addressed in the development of our new FET-500 series lab and small scale gel spinning system.”
“The FET-500 is in its first commercial phase and Techtextil 2026 is the first textile trade fair worldwide we are presenting it at,” said Richard Slack, Managing Director, FET.
Commenting on the recognition, Jason Kent, CEO, BTMA, said the award reflects the strength and innovation currently emerging from the UK textile technology sector.