Innovation


Axens, IFPEN and Jeplan complete chemical recycling loop for polyester textiles


Chemical recycling developer Axens Group says an important step in scaling its textile-to- textile (T2T) recycling technol- ogy has taken place. With its partners, Japanese recycler Jeplan and French R&D organisation IFPEN, France- based Axens has been operating a semi-industrial demonstra- tion unit located in Japan, and has produced the BHET base monomer required in the process for 100% recycled polyester production. They announced the success of a major industrial test for recycling post-consumer textile waste rich in polyester (PET) using their Rewind PET technology. This test was carried out in the demonstration unit, with capacity of 1,000 tonnes/ yr, operated by Jeplan.


The trial used several tens of tonnes of post-consumer, polyester-rich, European textile waste, sorted and prepared in France by Nouvelles Fibres Textile and Mapea. The trial resulted in production of several tens of tonnes of BHET, which will be converted into polyester yarns, fabrics and garments. Axens said: “This industrial


textile-to-textile recycling test of several tons of post-consumer PET is one of the first of its kind under representative industrial conditions. It paves the way for large-scale industrial chemical recycling of textile polyester, offering textile stakeholders a building block that can be integrated into a global strategy across the entire value chain committed to reduction, reuse,


The T2T recycling chain led to recycled fibres being spun and reintroduced into denim production. Image: Garcia/Denim Deal


and textile recycling.” The T2T process can be installed at industrial sites around the world that produce polyester for the textile industry, said Axens. The technology, already proven and commercialized for recycling PET packaging, including food-contact applications, is now validated for textile use under an exclusive licence granted by IFPEN/Jeplan to Axens worldwide to any


industrial player wishing to develop local or regional T2T loops. Target markets include:


sportswear and outdoor (heavy consumers of polyester); home furnishings (upholstery fabrics, curtains, covers); and certain luxury applications that incorporate polyester in a controlled manner. • www.axens.net • www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.fr •www.jeplan.co.jp


Fibre line starts up in


Turkey Recycling technology company Boretech, based in Pinghu City, China, has built a high-tenacity and low-elongation polyester staple fibre production line for Kipa˛


s Textiles in Turkey. Using


PET bottle flakes or recycled PET chips as raw materials, the single line has a designed capacity of 100 tonnes per day. The new line produces fibres


“rivalling” virgin polyester in tenacity, elongation, thermal shrinkage, defect control, and colour stability, said Boretech. • www.bo-re-tech.com


Leather made from


mycelium A research project in Spain is investigating the potential to develop vegan leather for the textile sector. The Vegancelio project, led


by plastics research organisa- tion Aimplas, is using fungal mycelium to develop vegan leather for the textile sector, and also chitosan to create microcapsules for cosmetic applications.


Aimplas said organic waste


accounts for around 50% of municipal waste in Spain and this will be the source of


feedstock for the project. The Vegancelio team plans to produce fungal mycelium from organic waste, extract chitosan from fungal biomass using chemical and enzymatic methods, manufacture vegan leather by optimising plasticis- ers and extrusion, and develop chitosan and hybrid microcap- sules for dermocosmetic applications. The project involves


collaboration with textile recycler and material producer Tejidos Royo. This research is funded by the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation through ERDF funds. •www.aimplas.es


LSP tech improves


cleaning Austrian group Next Genera- tion Recycling (NGR) has revealed the role it has played in Sanko’s adoption of recycling technology, including the incorporation of RE&UP technologies Sanko is now underlining this commitment with a significant investment in NGR’s liquid state polycondensation (LSP) technology, which uses a continuous melt filtration process to remove impurities from recycled PET. •www.ngr-world.com


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