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Textile Recycling: Efficient Polyester Recovery from Polycotton Blends Using the Heated High-Ethanol Alkaline Aqueous

Kalliopi Elli Pavlopoulou1, Kateřina Hrůzová1, May Kahoush2

  • 1Biochemical Process Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden.

Polymers
|November 9, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Recycling polycotton textiles is challenging, but a new heated high-ethanol alkaline aqueous (HHeAA) process efficiently breaks down polyester (PET) at lower temperatures. This sustainable method preserves cotton fibers and shows industrial potential for textile waste.

Keywords:
high-ethanol alkaline processhydrolysispolycottonpolyestertextile recycling

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Textile production has doubled, yet only 1% of fibers are recycled, contributing significantly to global pollution and resource depletion.
  • Polycotton blends, common in textiles, pose recycling challenges due to their mixed fiber composition.
  • Current chemical recycling methods for polyester (PET) often require harsh conditions like high temperatures, long reaction times, or catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel, efficient, and sustainable chemical recycling process for polycotton textile waste.
  • To investigate the efficacy of a heated high-ethanol alkaline aqueous (HHeAA) process for hydrolyzing PET in polycotton blends.
  • To assess the feasibility of the HHeAA process for industrial application by evaluating its performance under scaled conditions and its impact on cotton fiber integrity.

Main Methods:

  • Development and application of the heated high-ethanol alkaline aqueous (HHeAA) process for polycotton hydrolysis.
  • Optimization of reaction parameters including temperature, time, and liquid-to-solid ratio.
  • Evaluation of PET hydrolysis efficiency and preservation of cotton fiber properties.
  • Scaling up the process to assess industrial viability.

Main Results:

  • Near-complete PET hydrolysis achieved within 20 minutes at 90 °C using the HHeAA process.
  • Effective hydrolysis also observed at lower temperatures (70-80 °C) with extended reaction times.
  • Successful scale-up demonstrated complete PET hydrolysis with a significantly reduced liquid-to-solid ratio (from 40 to 7 L/kg).
  • Cotton fibers retained most of their properties post-treatment.

Conclusions:

  • The HHeAA process offers a highly efficient and sustainable method for chemical recycling of polycotton textiles.
  • This innovative approach overcomes limitations of conventional methods by operating at lower temperatures and without catalysts.
  • The process's scalability and effectiveness in preserving cotton quality indicate strong potential for industrial implementation in sustainable textile waste management.