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   Message 7,861 of 8,931   
   ScienceDaily to All   
   Recycling: Researchers separate cotton f   
   20 Mar 23 22:30:24   
   
   MSGID: 1:317/3 641932e1   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Recycling: Researchers separate cotton from polyester in blended fabric   
      
      
     Date:   
         March 20, 2023   
     Source:   
         North Carolina State University   
     Summary:   
         Researchers found they could separate blended cotton and polyester   
         fabric using enzymes -- nature's tools for speeding chemical   
         reactions.   
      
         Ultimately, they hope their findings will lead to a more efficient   
         way to recycle the fabric's component materials, thereby reducing   
         textile waste.   
      
      
         Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email   
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers found they   
   could separate blended cotton and polyester fabric using enzymes --   
   nature's tools for speeding chemical reactions. Ultimately, they hope   
   their findings will lead to a more efficient way to recycle the fabric's   
   component materials, thereby reducing textile waste.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   However, they also found the process need more steps if the blended fabric   
   was dyed or treated with chemicals that increase wrinkle resistance.   
      
   "We can separate all of the cotton out of a cotton-polyester blend,   
   meaning now we have clean polyester that can be recycled," said the   
   study's corresponding author Sonja Salmon, associate professor of textile   
   engineering, chemistry and science at NC State. "In a landfill, the   
   polyester is not going to degrade, and the cotton might take several   
   months or more to break down. Using our method, we can separate   
   the cotton from polyester in less than 48 hours."  According to the   
   U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, consumers throw approximately 11   
   million tons of textile waste into U.S. landfills each year.   
      
   Researchers wanted to develop a method of separating the cotton from   
   the polyester so each component material could be recycled.   
      
   In the study, researchers used a "cocktail" of enzymes in a mildly   
   acidic solution to chop up cellulose in cotton. Cellulose is the   
   material that gives structure to plants' cell walls. The idea is   
   to chop up the cellulose so it will "fall out" out of the blended   
   woven structure, leaving some tiny cotton fiber fragments remaining,   
   along with glucose. Glucose is the biodegradable byproduct of degraded   
   cellulose. Then, their process involves washing away the glucose and   
   filtering out the cotton fiber fragments, leaving clean polyester.   
      
   "This is a mild process -- the treatment is slightly acidic, like using   
   vinegar," Salmon said. "We also ran it at 50 degrees Celsius, which is   
   like the temperature of a hot washing machine.   
      
   "It's quite promising that we can separate the polyester to a clean   
   level," Salmon added. "We still have some more work to do to characterize   
   the polyester's properties, but we think they will be very good because   
   the conditions are so mild. We're just adding enzymes that ignore   
   the polyester."  They compared degradation of 100% cotton fabric to   
   degradation of cotton and polyester blends, and also tested fabric that   
   was dyed with red and blue reactive dyes and treated with durable press   
   chemicals. In order to break down the dyed materials, the researchers   
   had to increase the amount of time and enzymes used. For fabrics treated   
   with durable press chemicals, they had to use a chemical pre-treatment   
   before adding the enzymes.   
      
   "The dye that you choose has a big impact on the potential degradation   
   of the fabric," said the study's lead author Jeannie Egan, a graduate   
   student at NC State. "Also, we found the biggest obstacle so far is the   
   wrinkle-resistant finish. The chemistry behind that creates a significant   
   block for the enzyme to access the cellulose. Without pre-treating it,   
   we achieved less than 10% degradation, but after, with two enzyme doses,   
   we were able to fully degrade it, which was a really exciting result."   
   Researchers said the polyester could be recycled, while the slurry of   
   cotton fragments could be valuable as an additive for paper or useful   
   addition to composite materials. They're also investigating whether the   
   glucose could be used to make biofuels.   
      
   "The slurry is made of residual cotton fragments that resist a very   
   powerful enzymatic degradation," Salmon said. "It has potential value   
   as a strengthening agent. For the glucose syrup, we're collaborating on   
   a project to see if we can feed it into an anaerobic digester to make   
   biofuel. We'd be taking waste and turning it into bioenergy, which   
   would be much better than throwing it into a landfill."  The study,   
   "Enzymatic textile fiber separation for sustainable waste processing,"   
   was published in Resources, Environment and Sustainability. Co- authors   
   included Siyan Wang, Jialong Shen, Oliver Baars and Geoffrey Moxley.   
      
   Funding was provided by the Environmental Research and Education   
   Foundation, Kaneka Corporation and the Department of Textile Engineering,   
   Chemistry and Science at NC State.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Biology # Fisheries # Biochemistry_Research   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Textiles_and_Clothing # Wearable_Technology #   
                   Materials_Science   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Hazardous_Waste # Recycling_and_Waste #   
                   Environmental_Issues   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Enzyme o Parachute o Cotton o Antioxidant o Asbestos o   
             Autocatalysis o Recycling o Hazardous_waste   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided   
   by North_Carolina_State_University. Original written by Laura   
   Oleniacz. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Jeannie Egan, Siyan Wang, Jialong Shen, Oliver Baars, Geoffrey   
      Moxley,   
         Sonja Salmon. Enzymatic textile fiber separation for sustainable   
         waste processing. Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 2023;   
         13: 100118 DOI: 10.1016/j.resenv.2023.100118   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230320143826.htm   
      
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