Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters

Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters

The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the polymer...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same authorSame journal

DES formulation for recycling synthetic fibre textile waste containing elastane.

Waste management (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Upcycling sounds better than recycling: But what does it actually mean in science?

Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·2026

Same author

Joint modeling of whole-genome sequencing data for human height via approximate message passing.

Cell genomics·2026

Same author

A tsunami in the textile industry: How Europe's lawmakers are re-threading fashion.

Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·2025

Same author

Recycling rigid polypropylene from mixed waste: Does the origin affect mechanical recyclate quality?

Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·2025

Same author

Recovery of pure PET from wool/PET/elastane textile waste through step-wise enzymatic and chemical processing.

Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer

Published on: November 30, 2020

Deep eutectic solvent as a solution for polyester/cotton textile recycling.

Nika Depope¹, Al Depope², Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki³

¹Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria; JR Centre for Recovery Strategies for Textiles (ReSTex), Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria.

Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)

|October 9, 2025

Summary

This study introduces a sustainable method for recycling polyester/cotton blends using deep eutectic solvents (DESs). The process efficiently recovers both PET and cotton fibers, offering a greener alternative for textile waste management.

Keywords:

Deep eutectic solvents PET dissolution Polyester/cotton Polymer recovery Textile recycling

More Related Videos

Deposition of Porous Sorbents on Fabric Supports

Deposition of Porous Sorbents on Fabric Supports

Published on: June 12, 2018

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Published on: December 16, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer

Published on: November 30, 2020

Deposition of Porous Sorbents on Fabric Supports

Deposition of Porous Sorbents on Fabric Supports

Published on: June 12, 2018

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

Published on: December 16, 2022

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Chemical Engineering
Environmental Science

Background:

Global textile production, dominated by polyester (PET) and cotton (CO), generates significant waste.
There is a growing demand for sustainable recycling solutions in the textile industry.
Current recycling methods often involve toxic chemicals or are inefficient for blended fabrics.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop an innovative and sustainable method for recycling polyester/cotton (PET/CO) blends.
To utilize hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for efficient and selective separation of PET and CO.
To assess the quality and properties of the recovered materials for potential reuse.

Main Methods:

Dissolution of PET/CO blends using hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs).
Selective recovery of PET and CO components.
Characterization of recovered materials using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and mechanical testing.

Main Results:

Complete dissolution of PET within 5 minutes using DESs.
High recovery yields: 97% for PET and 100% for CO.
SEM confirmed no morphological damage to cotton fibers.
DSC, TGA, and ATR-FTIR indicated no significant chemical or thermal degradation of recovered polymers.
Recovered cotton showed a decrease in tenacity (28%) and elongation (34%) but remained within usable ranges.

Conclusions:

The proposed DES-based process offers an efficient, rapid, and sustainable method for recycling PET/CO textile blends.
This method avoids toxic chemicals and recovers both polymers with properties suitable for manufacturing.
The process presents a viable solution for reducing textile waste and promoting a circular economy in the fashion industry.