Brands & technologies · Cupro brand

Bemberg™

Cupro brand · understand the name behind the label.

Reviewed 2026-09-22. Evidence level: verified. Open the interactive profile.

Key figures

Owner
Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan)
Generic fiber
Cupro (EU); rayon family (US)
Feedstock
cotton linter
Production site
Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, since 1931
Stretch spinning
developed by Edmund Thiele for J. P. Bemberg, 1901

Approximate values under the stated conditions.

Overview

Asahi Kasei’s cupro fiber brand, associated with regenerated cellulose from cotton linters.

Feel and behavior

Depends on the specified fiber grade, yarn and fabric construction.

Where you find it

See the linked underlying material and the producer’s product-specific documentation.

Source and geography

Bemberg is the cupro fiber brand of Asahi Kasei Corporation of Japan, produced at its plant in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, since 1931. The generic fiber is cupro: regenerated cellulose made by the cuprammonium process. Its feedstock is cotton linter, the short fuzz left on cottonseed after ginning and a by-product of cottonseed-oil processing. Asahi Kasei presents its Bemberg operation as a rare, possibly sole, commercial source of cupro, which buyers can confirm with the producer.

Advantages

  • Smooth, round filaments make it one of the most comfortable lining yarns, breathable and low in static.
  • Asahi Kasei states that its feedstock is 100% pre-consumer cotton linter, certified under the Global Recycled Standard.
  • The producer reports biodegradability and compostability, including certification for marine biodegradation of the filament.
  • Asahi Kasei describes a closed-loop system that recovers and reuses copper and ammonia.

Drawbacks

  • Cupro is much weaker when wet, so it can shrink, distort or tear with rough washing.
  • It water-spots and shows creases more readily than polyester.
  • Linings usually cost more than polyester alternatives.
  • Supply depends largely on a single producer, which concentrates risk.

Worth knowing

  • Asahi Kasei says Bemberg's raw material is 100% cotton linter, the short fuzz left on cottonseed after ginning, which it classes as pre-consumer recycled material.
  • The same cuprammonium process that makes Bemberg yarn also makes Bemliese, a cupro nonwoven.

Types, grades and fabrics

Types and grades

Bemberg is made as continuous filament cupro yarn, available in a range of deniers and lusters, and sold to weavers and knitters rather than to consumers. Its traditional product is lining yarn, woven into taffeta, twill and satin linings for tailored jackets and coats. Asahi Kasei has been extending the brand into outer apparel fabrics, with knitted and woven Bemberg fabrics using new finishing, knitting and weaving methods. The same cuprammonium chemistry also produces Bemliese, a cupro nonwoven sold under its own name. Asahi Kasei states that Bemberg uses 100% cotton linter, a pre-consumer by-product of cottonseed oil production, and holds Global Recycled Standard certification on that basis.

Fabrics and products

Bemberg's best-known role is as suit, coat and jacket lining, where its smooth filaments slide over shirts and knitwear and its moisture uptake reduces static and clamminess compared with polyester linings. It is also woven into satins, georgettes and twills for blouses, dresses and trousers, and knitted into jersey for tops, underwear and sleepwear. Blends with polyester, wool, silk or elastane appear in fashion fabrics. Retailers often use 'Bemberg lining' as a quality cue in tailoring.

Buying and care

How to judge quality

The label should say cupro (EU) or rayon (US) with Bemberg as a trademark; beware 'Bemberg' used as a generic word for any smooth lining. A good cupro lining feels cool, dry and slippery, with a soft sheen rather than the hard glint of polyester, and does not crackle with static. Check that lining seams are generously allowed and pleated at the back, because cupro is weaker than polyester and tears under strain. In fashion fabrics, even luster and no seam slippage are the key signs. Burn and microscopy tests can distinguish cupro from polyester but not the Bemberg brand from other cupro.

Care in detail

Most garments lined with Bemberg should be dry cleaned as a whole, because the lining and shell may shrink differently. Washable cupro garments should be hand washed or machine washed cold on a delicate cycle in a mesh bag, with mild detergent. Never wring; roll in a towel and hang to dry away from direct heat. Water drops can leave marks on cupro satins, so steam or press evenly rather than spot-dampening. Iron on a medium-low setting on the reverse with a press cloth. Store on padded hangers, clean and dry. Avoid chlorine bleach, which damages cellulose.

Care at a glance

Follow the finished product’s care label. A trademark does not specify the care needs of every blend or construction.

Environmental and social footprint

Asahi Kasei's claims center on its feedstock and process: cotton linter, a by-product of cottonseed oil milling, is used instead of wood pulp, and copper and ammonia are recovered and reused in a closed loop. The company reports Global Recycled Standard certification and biodegradability certifications, including marine biodegradation for the filament. Plant-level data on energy, water and copper discharge should be requested from the producer, since public independent audits were not found for this entry. As regenerated cellulose, cupro's shed fibers are expected to behave like other cellulose; a 2019 study (Zambrano and colleagues) found rayon microfibers biodegraded in aerobic aquatic tests while polyester persisted. Replacing a polyester lining with cupro therefore removes one persistent microfiber source from a garment, though the effect has not been measured specifically.

Tradeoffs

Producer claims apply to defined products and comparisons. This atlas does not independently certify performance, sourcing or environmental claims.

A useful question to ask: Which exact grade, composition and current producer documentation apply to this product?

Science

Data sheet

PropertyValueConditionsSource
Cotton linter feedstock100 %pre-consumer cotton linter, certified under the Global Recycled Standard; producer data [2]

Manufactured cellulose family

Regenerated cellulose or a cellulose derivative, depending on the fiber.

Structure and chemistry

Cupro is regenerated cellulose (cellulose II), chemically the same polymer as viscose and lyocell, but its filaments can be made very fine and its cross-section is nearly round and smooth, without the serrated skin of viscose. Cotton linter pulp provides cellulose of high purity. Stretch spinning draws the filaments while they are still plastic, giving fine deniers and a uniform, lustrous surface that suits linings and fluid woven fabrics.

From source to yarn

In outline, purified cotton linter is dissolved in a cuprammonium solution, an aqueous complex of copper(II) ions and ammonia that dissolves cellulose directly. The solution is filtered and extruded through spinnerets into flowing water that stretches the coagulating filaments (the stretch-spinning method associated with Bemberg), and the fiber is then treated with acid to remove copper and complete regeneration. Figures on copper and ammonia recovery should be taken from the producer's own sustainability information rather than assumed.

Performance in use

Cupro is highly absorbent and, like other regenerated cellulose, loses strength when wet, so gentle handling matters. Its smooth, round filaments give low friction and good slip in linings, and the fiber dissipates static better than synthetic lining yarns because it holds moisture. It chars rather than melts, and dyes with reactive and direct dyes. Comfort and sustainability attributes in Asahi Kasei's marketing are producer statements whose test conditions should be checked.

How it is identified

Burn tests (indicative only) show cellulose behavior: fast burning, afterglow, paper-like odor, soft grey ash. Under the microscope cupro shows smooth, fine filaments with a round cross-section and no striations, which helps distinguish it from viscose. FTIR confirms cellulose but not the process. Cupro is often confused with silk or sold under the loose term 'Bemberg lining' for any smooth lining.

History

Timeline

  1. 1897J. P. Bemberg in Germany began commercial production of artificial textile fiber by the cuprammonium process. [1]
  2. 1901Edmund Thiele developed a stretch-spinning system for J. P. Bemberg. [1]
  3. 1908J. P. Bemberg began selling fine-filament artificial silk under the Bemberg name. [1]
  4. 1931Asahi Kasei began commercial production of Bemberg cupro at Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. [1]

Bemberg belongs to the history of cuprammonium cellulose and fine lining materials. The brand name identifies a producer’s product, while cupro names the fiber type.

The deeper record

The German company J. P. Bemberg began commercial production of artificial textile fiber by the cuprammonium process in 1897. In 1901 Edmund Thiele developed a stretch-spinning system for the firm, which from 1908 sold fine-filament artificial silk under the Bemberg name. Asahi Kasei took up this technology and scaled it to commercial production at its Bemberg plant in Nobeoka in 1931. Over the following decades the Bemberg name became closely identified with cupro itself, especially in fine suit and coat linings, which is why the trademark is often misused as a generic term.

Labeling and law

Bemberg is a trademark, not a generic name. In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 lists cupro as a fiber name for cellulose regenerated by the cuprammonium process. In the US, the FTC generic names at 16 CFR 303.7 do not list cupro separately; regenerated cellulose falls under rayon, so US labels generally use rayon. The trademark may appear only alongside the generic name.

This describes what rules and standards cover. It is not legal advice; jurisdiction, product form and current rule text control.

Frequently asked

What is Bemberg lining?

It is a lining woven from Bemberg, Asahi Kasei's brand of cupro, a regenerated cellulose made from cotton linter. It is smoother and more breathable than polyester lining and reduces static, which is why it is used in higher-end tailoring.

Is Bemberg the same as silk?

No. Cupro is regenerated cellulose, not a protein fiber. It shares silk's smooth, fine filaments and sheen, and is sometimes called 'vegan silk' in marketing, but it behaves like a cellulose: absorbent, weaker when wet, and prone to water spots.

Can I wash a Bemberg-lined jacket?

Usually not. Linings and shell fabrics can shrink at different rates, which distorts tailored garments. Follow the label; most jackets and coats with cupro linings are labeled dry clean. Unlined cupro garments may be washable by hand.

Sources

Cite this page

Chaos. (2026). Bemberg™. In Fibers of Earth: An independent textile atlas. https://www.hendrickresearch.com/fibers/materials/bemberg/