A sustainable approach: valorization of cotton fabric wastes via repeated recycling processes for production of yarn and 3-thread fleece knitted fabric

OpenAlex İngilizce

This article demonstrates repeated mechanical recycling processes as a sustainable approach for valorization of pre-consumer cotton (CO) fabric waste. For this purpose, fleecy yarns and 3-thread fleece knitted fabrics were manufactured using virgin CO with once and twice recycled cotton (r-CO) fibers after repeated recycling processes at two different blend ratios (65/35% and 50/50%). Afterwards, performance properties of fleecy yarns and 3-thread knitted fabrics were investigated. As the recycling process number increased, bursting strength, water vapor permeability, and drape coefficient values decreased and unevenness, imperfections, hairiness, and air permeability of samples increased. Additionally, increase recycled fiber ratio from 35% to 65% did not significantly change the yarn and fabric strength, led to higher yarn unevenness, thick places, neps, and hairiness and lower air permeability and drape coefficient. These results show that more sustainable yarns and fabrics produced from twice recycled fibers can be used instead of once recycled fibers.