Innovative Methods for Secondary Material Development in Mechanical Textile Recycling

Author(s)Yatvitskiy, Michelle
Author(s)Ludwig, Kendall
Author(s)Gupman, Sophia
Author(s)Cobb, Kelly
Author(s)Cao, Huantian
Author(s)Clarke-Sather, Abigail
Date Accessioned2025-01-31T20:47:13Z
Date Available2025-01-31T20:47:13Z
Publication Date2025-01-20
DescriptionThis article was originally published in International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.18903. © 2024 The author(s). Published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
AbstractThe textile and apparel industry generates significant waste, with only 14.7% of the 17 million tons produced in 2018 being recycled. Current mechanical recycling efforts often result in downcycled products and lack scalability for commercial viability. This research explored innovative methods for developing yarns and nonwoven fabrics using mechanically recycled fibers ("Respool fibers") to address these challenges. End-of-use 100% denim cotton and polyester fabrics were shredded into fibers and blended with new fibers at 65% and 85% recycled-to-new ratios. The fibers were processed into yarns and nonwoven fabrics, and their durability (tensile strength, elongation) and comfort (thickness, air permeability) properties were analyzed. Results showed that yarns with 65%, 85%, and 100% recycled polyester exhibited comparable tenacity, demonstrating potential for high recycled fiber content without sacrificing strength. Nonwoven fabrics with higher recycled content were more breathable, suggesting suitability for applications prioritizing air permeability. These findings advance circularity in textile production.
CitationYatvitskiy, M., Ludwig, K., Gupman, S., Cobb, K., Cao, H. & Clarke-Sather, A., (2025) “Innovative Methods for Secondary Material Development in Mechanical Textile Recycling”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 81(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.18903
ISSN2769-0512
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/35781
Languageen_US
PublisherInternational Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywordsmechanical recycling
Keywordsyarn development
Keywordsnon-woven textile development
Keywords: mechanical recycling
TitleInnovative Methods for Secondary Material Development in Mechanical Textile Recycling
TypeArticle
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