Fabrication of Textile Waste Fibers Aerogels with Excellent Oil/Organic Solvent Adsorption and Thermal Properties

Abstract

In recent years, the treatment of textile waste has attracted more and more attention around the world. The reuse of textile waste can contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable development of the economy. Herein, we proposed a facile and cost-effective approach to fabricating aerogel by using textile waste fibers as the matrix and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glutaraldehyde (GA) as crosslinking agents. After being modified with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) via chemical vapor deposition, both the interior and exterior of the textile waste aerogels exhibit a hydrophobic property with a water contact angle of up to 136.9° ± 2.3°. A comprehensive investigation of the structure, thermal properties, mechanical properties and oil absorption capacity of this aerogel shows its potential for building insulation and oil spill cleanup. The textile waste fibers aerogels have low density and high porosity, good thermal stability and outstanding heat insulation properties (Kavg. = 0.049–0.061 W/m·K). With a maximum oil absorption value of 26.9 ± 0.6 g/g and rapid and effective oil/water mixture separation, the aerogel exhibits competitive commercial application value.

Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Aerogel Composites with and without Crude Oil Filling

“…literature is available about the reuse of aerogels close to real-world conditions, namely the purification of oil from water and the multiple use of aerogels [7][8][9]. Currently, the mechanical properties of aerogels are evaluated using dry samples and only one-time compression [1,10,11].…”

“…Despite the excellent properties of aerogels, which include high porosity, low density, and high surface area [5], the mechanical properties of cellulose-based aerogels still need to be improved for use at high temperatures or organic solvent removal [6]. Little literature is available about the reuse of aerogels close to real-world conditions, namely the purification of oil from water and the multiple use of aerogels [7][8][9]. Currently, the Gels 2024, 10, 135 2 of 14 mechanical properties of aerogels are evaluated using dry samples and only one-time compression [1,10,11].…”

Circularity in Materials: A Review on Polymer Composites Made from Agriculture and Textile Waste

“…Due to climate change and increasing concerns and awareness regarding the environment and sustainability, the problems related to managing solid waste are pain points of modern society [34]. The most rapid way to get rid of textile waste is by incineration, but it produces toxic gases including carbon dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and benzene derivatives [35]. Another method of waste management is dumping into the ground called landfills.…”

“…The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has also established waste regulation directives including hazardous waste management, recycling, atomic energy, clean air, chemical safety, marine protection, oil pollution, pollution prevention, and toxic substances [43]. The regularization of waste management policies is becoming mature and strict especially for organic wastes; for example, in 2016, the European Union's legislation regulated landfilling of organic materials as illegal and almost all textile materials are organic [35].…”

Editorial on Special Issue: “Dynamics of Gels and Its Applications”

“…Dong et al showed composite gel from textile waste fiber and poly(vinyl alcohol), crosslinked first by the formation of hydrogen bonding on the surface of fiber followed by the covalent linkage of the acetal functional group by glutaraldehyde. The merit properties of such aerogels from textile waste fiber expands the application perspectives associated with recycled materials [ 9 ]. Racles et al demonstrated a new method to stabilize the emulsion aqueous phase within toluene sol, followed by the UV-triggered thiolene crosslinking of vinyl-polysiloxane to form emulsion gels [ 10 ].…”