Preparation and characterization of cotton fiber fragments from model textile waste via mechanical milling and enzyme degradation

Abstract

Rather than land lling or incineration, value exists in textile wastes that should be recovered. Cotton is a major component of apparel and other textile materials that could nd new value by extracting it from textile waste in the form of cotton ber fragments (CFFs). To explore this potential, CFF properties were analyzed and compared after producing them from model undyed and ber reactive dyed textile waste fabrics by mechanical milling or enzymatic degradation. Characterization methods included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (OM), ber quality analysis (FQA), degree of polymerization (DP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Enzyme-treated undyed CFFs exhibited distinct properties of attened ber fragment dimensions, a more uniform ber length distribution compared to other CFFs, a DP comparable to solvent-spun regenerated cellulose bers from cotton, the highest crystallinity of all CFFs tested, greater hydrophobicity than milled cotton reference material, and better thermal stability than milled reference cotton. The effects of mono-functional and bi-functional reactive dyes on enzyme degradation behavior and nal product characteristics were also evaluated and discussed. Both dyed and undyed CFFs show good potential for being utilized in diverse applications. This analysis of the properties of partially degraded cotton bers provides a necessary technical foundation for promoting CFF recycling for use in applications such as composites and regenerated bers, and provides insights on the mechanism by which cotton disintegrates in the presence of enzymes to potentially inspire new strategies for dyeing cotton that takes a designed for recycling perspective into account.

Materials and Methods for All-Cellulose 3D Printing in Sustainable Additive Manufacturing

“…Interest in the development of more mild, environmentally friendly processing techniques has resulted in the use of enzymatic methods to mimic the natural processes of breaking down biomass such as wood pulp into useful cellulosics such as cellulose nanofibers, as reported in the work by Henriksson et al [26]. Enzyme-mediated processes have also been explored for the extraction of microcrystalline cellulose fragments from cotton-containing apparel materials to promote more circular methods of sourcing cellulose for industrial applications [27,28]. The specifics of a required extraction treatment (i.e., agents, concentration, time) are governed by the desired properties of the cellulose and, in the context of additive manufacturing applications, vary based upon the target printing methods and applications.…”

A greener approach to transform consumer-waste recycled fibers into grindle yarn employing 2-ply compact-Siro spinning

“…The majority of the remaining waste is either sent to landfills or incinerated. Value can be found in the recovery of textile wastes, as opposed to disposing of them in landfills or through incineration [Wang et al, 2023, Bågenholm-Ruuth et al, 2023. Notably, well-known global brands such as H&M, UNIQLO, and Zara have recently mandated the incorporation of 30% recycled fiber into their clothing products by 2025 to benefit from concessional duty advantages.…”