Several million tonnes of sugar beet pulp (SBP) is produced each year as a biproduct of sugar production from sugar beet (1). This cellulose dense material has been shown to produce a high quality cellulose nanofiber (CNF) gel when processed with one-pot enzymatic treatment (2). We now present a SBP CNF wet spinning workflow for production of bio-based filaments. We assess how harnessing the strength of native cellulose I by opting for swelling rather than full dissolution system affects material properties of CNF gels and spun materials. Material properties of CNF-solvent suspensions are characterised with rheology, and spinnability is assessed for the design of a SBP CNF spinning system. 

1. Stenmarck Å, Jensen C, Quested T, Moates G, Buksti M, Cseh B, et al. Estimates of European food waste levels [Internet]. IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute; 2016 [cited 2026 Mar 14]. Available from: https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/estimates-of-european-food-waste-levels/

2. Perzon A, Jørgensen B, Ulvskov P. Sustainable production of cellulose nanofiber gels and paper from sugar beet waste using enzymatic pre-treatment. Carbohydrate Polymers. 2020 Feb;230:115581. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115581