Frequently Asked Questions

No. Fibre52® is designed to be cost-neutral or even at times, cost-saving. It reduces the need for added auxiliaries (like softeners) and increases fabric yield, allowing mills to adopt it without added financial burden.

No. It is a drop-in solution that fits into existing mill infrastructure, requiring no capital expenditure (CapEx) from mills.

The process reduces water and energy usage by up to 50% compared to conventional caustic soda bleaching methods.

The technology is currently validated for knits, towels, and Cold Pad Batch (CPB) dyeing. Trials are underway for continuous processing, denim and nonwovens.

Yes, Fibre52®’s system is applicable for all shades at between 60–75°C. This is a major difference in Fibre52® compared to bioscouring technologies. Bioscouring uses enzymes to breakdown pectin, hemicellulose, and wax molecules. Bioscouring does not whiten the fibers nor remove natural color pigments from cotton. Fibre52® cleans and whitens the fiber with proprietary chemistries that are resource conscious.

Fibre52®’s system works with all types of cotton, but also in cotton-polyester blends. And the neutral pH process is ideal for recycled cotton use and man-made cellulosic fibers such as viscose, rayon, modal, TENCEL® and Naia®. Fibre52® can be applied in cotton yarn form, and research is underway for applications in linen and hemp.

Fibre52® does not negatively affect fabric absorbency or moisture management. The system is tunable by fabric type and end use, allowing mills to reach required absorbency levels for products such as towels. While Fibre52® preserves beneficial natural cotton components in the finished fabric, this does not interfere with dye levelness or processing uniformity during wet-on-wet application, and final fabric performance can meet absorbency and moisture requirements for its intended use.

Yes. Fibre52® is well suited for recycled and circular cotton programs because its neutral-pH, low-severity process minimizes additional fiber damage. This is especially important when working with recycled or shorter fibers. The system supports recycled cotton blends, improves processing stability, and aligns with circularity initiatives by preserving fiber strength while reducing overall environmental impact.

Fibre52®’s system has multiple products that work with hydrogen peroxide. With the appropriate processing, the technology will work at neutral pH, creating gentler processing than what’s conventionally used.

Yes, Fibre52®’s system works well with towel production, as the process is tunable to reach the necessary absorbency levels. The gentle system leads to lofty, fluffy, and fuller towels for consumers.

The process uses proprietary formulations to bleach and scour fabric at neutral pH (6.5 to 7). It consumes most of the peroxides in the system within a short period of time. Therefore, unlike conventional high temperature processes, Fibre52® uses much less steam, electricity and water in the pretreatment process.

Absolutely! Fibre52® processed fabric handles various printing methods.

Fibre52®’s team works with mills to successfully implement our patented bleach and dye system, ensuring all the fastness requirements of prominent fashion brands can be passed.

Our name pays homage to the 52 chromosomes that make up the cultivated cotton grown in the U.S. and other countries around the world. And why did a U.S.-based company use the British English spelling for the word fiber? That’s to honor the impact of our co-founder, Graham Stewart!