Process for regenerating post-consumer and post-industrial fibers

Abstract

Processes for producing regenerated fibers from post-consumer and post-industrial waste are disclosed. The process generally involves obtaining a source of post-industrial and / or post-consumer scrap material comprising fibers, cutting the material into a desirable size in the range of from one square inch to thirty square inches, detangling the fibers, removing any finish from the fibers, if present, combing and / or picking the fibers to convert any threads into fibers, humidifying the fibers, and intimately blending the fibers. These regenerated fibers can be blended with other fibers, and intimately blended to provide a uniform blend of fibers. The fibers can then be subjected to a carding process to orient the fibers. The regenerated fibers can be used in any application that would otherwise use virgin fibers, including their use to form woven or non-woven materials.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is generally in the field of regeneration of post-consumer and post-industrial fibers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Roughly a hundred billion pounds of post-industrial waste are landfilled or incinerated each year. While there are processes for recycling or regenerating these materials, such process traditionally provide materials used in lower value products such as carpet padding, automotive acoustic panels, and other items not visually impacted by a “shoddy fiber” technology. While these are good uses for pre or post industrial waste streams, consumers want more sustainable products in their everyday lives. The area of non-wovens, such as personal care products and household wipes, is a rapidly growing industry. There would be a tremendous value associated with using fibers which have been repurposed through a regeneration process into such non-woven products, instead of using virgin materials. This is particularly true for dis...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The process described herein takes us several steps forward relative to other processes, in that it eliminates soft threads and individualizes the fibers, and due to this new process, it can be used to regenerate and upcycle to transform the hundreds of millions of pounds of waste that would have otherwise found its way to a landfill or incinerator.

[0017]Intimate blending involves initially humidifying or treating the fibers, which strengthens the fibers, if they are organic fibers such as cotton, cotton blends or fibers such as rayon or ramie, reduces dust particles for better product performance and, protecting the fibers from tensile elongation, and reduces neps. The fibers can be humidified, for example, by exposing them to steam, contacting them with a hydrophilic compound such as glycerol / glycerine, a surfactant, water, and the like. Ideally, the humidified fibers have a moisture content of between 8 and 20% moisture, more ideally, between about 8 and about 12% moisture. Then, the fibers can be passed through one or more blending stages, where samples from multiple hoppers are blended together to reduce variation between the fibers in the hoppers, or where samples from a single hopper are blended to ensure consistency in the hopper or it could be blended using a traditional cotton / fiber laydown where bales are staged for blending. Multiple hoppers can be used, for example, where blends of different fibers are intended. Examples include using regenerated cotton fibers in combination with one or more virgin or regenerated plant fibers, such as wood, kenaf, and the like, or synthetic fibers, such as polyester or polyolefin fibers. However, the regenerated cotton fibers can be used by themselves, without adding other fibers.

Problems solved by technology

This equipment when used takes textile waste and creates a shorter, weaker and damaged fiber.

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