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High-Quality Cellulosic Fibers Engineered from Cotton-Elastane Textile Waste
Lorena Villar1, Inge Schlapp-Hackl2, Pablo B Sánchez1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Vigo 36310, Spain.
Biomacromolecules
|February 22, 2024
Summary
This study presents a method for selectively degrading elastane in cotton blends using aminolysis. This process enables efficient fiber-to-fiber recycling of textiles, recovering high-quality cellulose for new fiber production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Textile recycling is crucial for sustainability.
- Elastane presence in cotton blends hinders fiber-to-fiber recycling.
- Selective separation of elastane is needed for effective recycling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for selective elastane degradation in cotton blends.
- To recover high-quality cellulose from these blends.
- To enable the production of new fibers from recycled cellulose.
Main Methods:
- Aminolytic degradation of elastane using dimethyl sulfoxide, diethylenetriamine, and 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene.
- Reaction conditions: 80 °C for 2 hours.
- Recovery of degraded elastane via precipitation.
- Regeneration of cellulose fibers using dry-jet wet spinning.
Main Results:
- Selective removal of elastane to below 0.08% content.
- Preservation of cellulose macromolecular properties and crystal structure.
- Successful production of new cellulose fibers with excellent tensile properties.
- Degraded elastane products were recovered.
Conclusions:
- Aminolytic degradation offers an effective route for elastane removal from cotton blends.
- This method facilitates high-quality cellulose recovery for textile recycling.
- The process supports a circular economy in the textile industry.
