Abstract
Due to several factors including textile waste accumulation and the use of environmentally harsh chemicals, the textile industry has become the second worst polluting industry worldwide. Therefore, significant effort is currently underway to find solutions to reduce this impact. In this study, coloured waste cotton fabrics were regenerated through a wet spinning process into new coloured fibres, hence recycling not only the fibre materials but also the colour. The impact of pretreatments on the colour retention and degree of polymerization of waste cotton-based fabrics was investigated in terms of the degree of polymerization of the waste cotton, the rheological properties of the spinning dope and the ability to maintain the original colour of the waste fabric. The spun fibres showed mechanical strength similar to commercial viscose fibre. The colour from the original fabric was retained under selected acid pretreatment conditions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 630-638 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of the Textile Institute |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 May 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- colour retention
- Ionic liquid
- upcycling
- waste textile
- wet spinning
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science (miscellaneous)
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- Polymers and Plastics
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering