RESUMEN
Polyester/cotton fabrics with different proportions of Tetron Cotton, TC (35% Cotton/65% PET), and Chief Value Cotton, CVC (60% Cotton/40% PET), were investigated by removing the cotton component under various phosphoric acidic conditions including the use of cellulase enzymes. The remaining polyethylene terephthalate (PET) component was spun using the melt spinning method. Only 85% H3PO4-Enz_TC could be spun into consistent filament fibers. The effects of Acid-Enz TC (obtained from a powder preparation of 85% H3PO4-Enz_TC) at different weight amounts (1, 2, 5, and 10 %wt) blending with WF-rPET powder prepared by white recycled polyester fabric were evaluated for fiber spinnability at different winding speeds of 1000 and 1500 m/min. The results revealed that recycled PET fiber spun by adding Acid-Enz_TC up to 10 %wt gave uniformly distributed filament fibers. A comparative study of the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties also investigated the relationship between the effect of Acid-Enz_TC and the structure of the obtained fibers. Acid-Enz_TC:WF-rPET (5:95) was the optimal ratio. The thermal values were analyzed by DSC and TGA and crystallinity was analyzed by XRD, with mechanical strength closed to 100% WF-rPET. The FTIR analysis of the functional groups showed the removal of cotton from the blended fabrics. Other factors such as the Acid-Enz_TC component in WF-rPET, extraction conditions, purity, thermal, chemical, and exposure experiences also affected the formability and properties of recycled PET made from non-single-component raw materials. This study advanced the understanding of recycling PET from TC fabrics by strategically removing cotton from polyester-cotton blends and then recycling using controlled conditions and processes via the melt spinning method.
RESUMEN
This work aimed to study the influence of the polybutylene succinate (PBS) content on the physical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties of the obtained polylactic acid (PLA)/PBS composite fibers. PLA/PBS blend fibers were prepared by a simple melt-blown process capable of yielding nanofibers. Morphological analysis revealed that the fiber size was irregular and discontinuous in length. Including PBS affected the fiber size distribution, and the fibers had a smoother surface with increased amounts of added PBS. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC) revealed that the crystallization temperature of the PLA sheet (105.8 °C) was decreased with increasing PBS addition levels down to 91.7 °C at 10 wt.% PBS. This suggests that the addition of PBS may affect PLA crystallization, which is consistent with the X-ray diffraction analysis that revealed that the crystallinity of PLA (19.2%) was increased with increasing PBS addition up to 28.1% at 10 wt% PBS. Moreover, adding PBS increased the tensile properties while the % elongation at break was significantly decreased.
RESUMEN
This research aimed to prepare nonwovens from polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate using the melt-blown process while varying the melt-blown process parameters, including air pressure (0.2 and 0.4 MPa) and die-to-collector distance (15, 30, and 45 cm). Increasing the air pressure and die-to-collector distance resulted in the production of smaller fibers. Simultaneously, the tensile strength was dependent on the polymer, air pressure, and die-to-collector distance used, and the percentage elongation at the break tended to increase with an increasing die-to-collector distance. Regarding thermal properties, the PBS nonwovens exhibited an increased level of crystallinity when the die-to-collector distance was raised, consistent with the degree of crystallinity obtained from X-ray diffraction analysis. Polylactic acid could be successfully processed into nonwovens under all six investigated conditions, whereas nonwoven polybutylene succinate could not be formed at a die-to-collector distance of 15 cm. However, both polymers demonstrated the feasibility of being processed into nonwovens using the melt-blown technique, showing potential for applications in the textile industry.
RESUMEN
PET knitted fabric was melted and cooled by hot pressing at 250 °C to obtain a compacted sheet. Only white PET fabric (WF_PET) was used to study the recycling process by compression and grinding to powder and then melt spinning at different take-up speeds compared to PET bottle grade (BO_PET). PET knitted fabric had good fiber formability and was better suited for melt spinning of recycled PET (r-PET) fibers than the bottle grade. Thermal and mechanical properties of r-PET fibers improved in terms of crystallinity and tensile strength with increasing take-up speed (500 to 1500 m/min). Fading and color changes from the original fabric were relatively small compared with PET bottle grade. Results indicated that fiber structure and properties can be used as a guideline for improving and developing r-PET fibers from textile waste.