PET RECYCLING | TECHNOLOGY
the fibres can be used in the production of new polyester. “Specifically, it has been possible to spin new polyester filament with 40% rPET,” derived from the dissolution process, said Holmehave.
Chemical process The second process development stemming from the ReSuit project is a potential solution to recy- cling sophisticated clothing waste textiles that are so complex they are currently considered unsuit- able for recycling. The ReSuit project successfully conducted experiments in which textile waste undergoes a hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process converting it into oil products that can be used as feedstock to produce plastic, fuel, or synthetic textile fibres. Certain components processed by HTL can be upgraded into chemical building blocks for fuel and naphtha production. The fact that the HTL process can be used to
convert the most difficult-to-recycle textile waste into new raw materials is a breakthrough, said ReSuit. “We expect that further upscaling and improvement of the technologies will pave the way for circular raw materials that can compete in the market,” said Patrick Biller, Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineer- ing at Aarhus university. The HTL technology will be further developed in collaboration with Cross- bridge, which has successfully tested the possibility of refining bio-oil products and sees opportunities for the recycling of other oil-based products. Centexbel, a Belgian research centre for textiles and plastics, is leading Cisutac, a new Horizon Europe project co-funded by the EU that aims to minimise the textile and fabrics sector’s total environmental impact by developing sustainable strategies and novel approaches that increase textile circularity in Europe. The 48-month Cisutac project, which started in September 2022, focuses its efforts on two material groups that represent almost 90% of all textile fibre materials: polyester and cotton/ cellulosic fibres. The Cisutac project is looking at products from three sub-sectors that are experienc- ing varying circularity bottlenecks: fashion garments, workwear and sports and outdoor goods. The Cisutac project areas are: testing textile
repair and disassembly which will extend the product life of the fabric or garment and facilitate recycling when repair is no longer possible; sorting for reuse and recycling; and the creation of circular garments through fibre-to-fibre recycling and design for circularity. The project partners will develop semi-automat-
ed workstations to disassemble the textiles, analyse the infrastructure and material flows, digitally
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
enhance sorting operations, and promote aware- ness among consumers and the textile industry.
Decontamination Aimplas, the Spanish plastics technology centre, has joined the Cisutac consortium and will contrib- ute its expertise in the extraction technology for the removal of inks, dyes, and other surface contamina- tion. Implementing an integrated purification and decontamination step will enable large scale thermoplastic recycling for polyester textile and allow a wider range of textile waste to be used as input material, according to Aimplas. Aimplas was also a participant in the Recimap
project to recycle polyester and blended cotton contained in multi-material fabric waste. Recimap’s research focused on an innovative recycling pathway that could transform complex textile waste into high-quality recycled materials and lactic acid. The work landed upon selective separation of cotton and polyester blends through the synthesis and use of ionic liquids, which offers a more environmentally sustainable alternative to tradi- tional solvents. The polyester fraction is recycled using mechanochemical techniques, while the cotton fraction is used in the production of lactic acid through a lactic acid fermentation process.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.gneuss.com �
www.erema-group.com �
www.pureloop.com �
www.radicigroup.com �
www.erdotex.com �
https://sportstex.eu �
www.starlinger.com/en/recycling �
www.designskolenkolding.dk (ReSuit) �
www.centexbel.be �
www.cisutac.eu �
www.aimplas.es
March/April 2024 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 21
Above:
Aimplas is a partner in the Recimap and Cisutac collaborative projects
IMAGE: AIMPLAS
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42
