Method for manufacturing cellulose pulp from old textiles

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for manufacturing a cellulose furnish (150). The method comprises: i) providing (105) used textiles as raw material (101), wherein the used textiles have cellulose and non-cellulosic foreign matter (especially synthetic plastics and / or metal oxides), ii) at least partially consuming (120) the non-cellulosic foreign matter from the cellulose in order to provide a consumed raw material (110), and iii) forming (170) a cellulose furnish (150) from the consumed raw material (110). Furthermore, a cellulose furnish (150) from recycled used textiles and an application of using used textiles for providing a cellulose furnish (150) are described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing cellulose furnish. The present invention also relates to a cellulose furnish from recycled old textiles. The present invention also relates to an application of old textiles for providing cellulose furnish. The present invention also relates to a method for screening cellulose-containing old textiles and a method for identifying cellulose furnish.

[0002] Thus, the present invention can relate to the technical field of recycling old textiles. In addition, the present invention can relate to the technical field of manufacturing furnish. Background Art

[0003] Paper products such as paper or cardboard are mainly made from raw material wood. However, in terms of resource and environmentally friendly manufacturing methods, this may not necessarily be considered satisfactory. Therefore, as a supplement or alternative thereto, waste paper is recycled. However, when using recycled materials as raw materials for manufacturing cellulose required for papermaking, there are problems with the purity of these recycled materials. These recycled materials are usually contaminated with non-wood materials. In addition, the fibers can only be recycled a few times during papermaking because the chain length (of glucose units) or the fiber length of cellulose becomes too short for the papermaking process due to various processing steps. In addition, there are technical problems in manufacturing furnish with special properties from recycled materials. Therefore, the recycled furnish must be processed (again) in a complex manner to provide the desired properties.

[0004] In the case of toilet paper and newsprint, it is now almost impossible to further increase the proportion of waste paper. Therefore, in order to further improve the utilization rate, more and more waste paper is also used for higher quality (for journals / magazines) paper. However, as described above, during multiple recycling, the fibers are shortened and must be removed from the cycle. For this reason, fresh fibers (wood pulp) from, for example, journals and / or cellulose pulp (Zellstoff) from other sources must be continuously added to the cycle. This avoids a "recycling collapse" during multiple recycling. Therefore, it is necessary to make the known paper manufacturing processes more efficient and at the same time more resource-saving. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide cellulose furnish in an efficient, robust and resource-saving manner.

[0006] This object is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments can be obtained from the dependent claims.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing cellulose furnish is described. The method has: i) providing used textiles as raw materials, wherein the used textiles have cellulose and non-cellulosic foreign matters (especially synthetic plastics), ii) at least partially consuming the non-cellulosic foreign matters from the cellulose so as to provide a consumed raw material, and iii) forming cellulose furnish from the consumed raw material.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cellulose furnish from recycled used textiles is described, and the cellulose furnish has at least one of the following characteristics:

[0009] i) Inherent non-cellulosic foreign matters (especially metal oxides, more especially pigments), wherein the inherent non-cellulosic foreign matters are added to the furnish,

[0010] ii) Synthetic plastics (especially PUR, more especially elastane), wherein the synthetic plastics are added to the furnish,

[0011] iii) Cellulose with an average degree of polymerization in the range of 50 to 200 monomers and a content of 10% or less,

[0012] iv) Cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 300 monomers (intrinsic viscosity of about 175 ml / g) or more monomers, especially 500 monomers or more monomers.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, an application of (prepared) used textiles as raw materials for providing cellulose furnish is described.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for screening cellulose-containing used textiles (especially from used textiles, recycled materials) is described. The method includes: i) determining a quality standard indicating the quality of cellulose (especially the average degree of polymerization), ii) comparing the determined quality standard with a predetermined quality standard, and based on the determined result: a) conveying the first cellulose-containing used textiles that do not conform to the predetermined quality standard to a method for manufacturing furnish, especially to the method for manufacturing the above-mentioned furnish; b) conveying the second cellulose-containing used textiles that conform to the predetermined quality standard to a method for manufacturing regenerated cellulose molded articles (especially by the Lyocell method or the viscose method (especially the carbamate method or the cold alkali method)).

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for identifying a cellulose-containing furnish (especially the furnish as described above) is disclosed. The method has: i) obtaining a data record indicating a plurality of components of the furnish, ii) storing the data record related to the furnish in a database, and iii) comparing the information with the data record in the database. Herein, the plurality of components are related to the inherent non-cellulosic components of the furnish, and the inherent non-cellulosic components are from old textiles.

[0016] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "non-cellulosic foreign matter" can be understood as any substance present in the raw material (especially the mixed textile) but not based on cellulose. It is not only an inevitable impurity, but also a relatively large proportion of, for example, synthetic fibers (man-made fibers) and / or metal oxides present in the raw material (mixed textile).

[0017] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "cellulose" can especially be understood as an organic compound whose constituent parts are the cell walls of plants or can be made synthetically. Cellulose is a polysaccharide (that is, a polysaccharide). Cellulose is unbranched and typically has hundreds to tens of thousands of β-D-glucose molecules (β-1,4-glycosidic bonds) or cellobiose units. Plants build cellulose fibers from cellulose molecules in a controlled manner. Cellulose molecules can be aggregated together by a technical process to form regenerated fibers, such as anti-tear fibers.

[0018] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "old textiles" can be understood as residues and old clothes from clothing manufacturing.

[0019] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "residues from clothing manufacturing" can especially be understood as waste and / or scraps of textiles or yarns having cellulose or consisting of cellulose, where these residues are generated during the method for manufacturing clothing. For example, when manufacturing clothing, a textile having cellulose is used as a raw material, and then flat parts (such as in the form of a half T-shirt) are cut out therefrom. What remains are residues, which according to an exemplary embodiment can be conveyed again to a method for manufacturing a shaped body having cellulose. Thus, residues from clothing manufacturing can be raw materials having cellulose or consisting of cellulose, which can be used for cellulose recovery before the consumer uses the residues as clothing or in other ways. Residues from clothing manufacturing can especially be formed from substantially pure cellulose, especially without separate non-cellulose-containing foreign matter (such as buttons, textile prints, or seams).

[0020] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "used clothing" can in particular be understood as clothing items and household textiles (such as bedding) having cellulose, which have been used (especially worn) by consumers when at least a part of the cellulose is recycled. Thus, used clothing can be raw materials having cellulose, which may (but not necessarily) have a large amount of foreign matter, and are used for cellulose recycling after consumers use the used clothing as clothing or otherwise. Used clothing can in particular be formed from a mixture composed of cellulose and one or more foreign matters, which mixture particularly contains (especially in the case of being commonly used for clothing items) synthetic plastics (such as polyester and / or elastane) and / or separate foreign matters without cellulose (such as buttons, textile prints or seams). Polyester is in particular understood as a polymer having ester functional groups (R-[-CO-O-]-R) in its main chain. Polyester includes polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate. Elastane is in particular understood as a stretchable chemical fiber having high elasticity. A block copolymer based on elastane can contain at least 85% by mass of polyurethane.

[0021] The term "new textile" includes textile raw materials (natural fibers, chemical fibers) and non-textile raw materials processed into linear, flat or spatial products by one or more methods. The term "new textile" can be understood to cover the term "waste from clothing manufacturing" as well as finished products (such as clothing, bedding), where the finished products have basically not been used / worn by users. In one embodiment, used textiles and new textiles are distinguished. In other embodiments, the term used textiles can also include these new textiles (unused textile finished products can also be understood as used textiles or waste from clothing manufacturing).

[0022] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "synthetic plastic" can in particular be understood as a substance composed of macromolecules and produced synthetically. The individual macromolecules of plastics are polymers and are thus composed of repeating basic units (repeat units). The size of the macromolecules of polymers can vary between several thousand and more than a million basic units. For example, the polymer polyethylene (PE) consists of multiple interconnected ethylene units that are repeated multiple times. Here, the polymer can be an unbranched, branched, or crosslinked molecule. Plastics can in principle be divided into three categories in terms of their physical properties: thermoplastics, thermosets, and elastomers. In addition, for example in the case of thermoplastic elastomers, these properties can also be combined into subgroups. The important characteristics of plastics are their technical properties, such as plasticity, hardness, elasticity, fracture strength, heat resistance and heat tolerance, and chemical resistance, which can be varied within a wide range by selecting macromolecules, manufacturing methods, and usually by mixing in additives. Typical reactions for producing synthetic plastics from monomers or prepolymers are: chain polymerization, addition polymerization, or condensation polymerization. Examples of synthetic plastics that are also particularly used in textiles are, for example, polyurethane (PUR), which is especially a component of elastic fibers, polyester (PE, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polyamide (PA, such as nylon, Perlon), and polyether, especially polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is a component of elastic fibers. In this regard, synthetic plastics can form synthetic fibers in textiles or used textiles.

[0023] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "elastic fiber" can in particular be understood as a synthetic plastic having thermoplastic and elastic properties. Thus, elastic fibers can be referred to as thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Elastic fibers can exist as block copolymers, which are characterized in particular by the following two blocks: polyurethane (PUR) and polyethylene glycol ether (PEG). Here, the PUR blocks can form rigid segments that alternate with the soft, elastic PEG segments. The PUR can form rigid stretching segments that are longitudinally connected to each other and enable, for example, the fibers to hold together by forming secondary valence forces. In contrast, the rubber-like PEG blocks (for example, about 40 to 50 monomer units each) can be tightly coiled, yet they can also be stretched. Here, the elastic fibers can exist as a coiled structure with very high ductility (greater than 100%, for example 700%). The density can be, for example, between 1.1 and 1.3 g / cm 3 and the strength can be, for example, 5 to 12 cN / tex. The elasticity can be temperature-dependent. In addition, the term "elastic fiber" can be understood as the elastic fiber itself and related thermoplastic elastomers (such as Elastollan, Desmopan, Texin, and Utechllan).

[0024] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "papermaking" can in particular be understood as forming a cellulose furnish from cellulosic and prepared raw materials, and then further processing it into a paper product. Thus, all processing steps from the cellulosic raw materials to the furnish can be referred to as the papermaking process. In addition, all processing steps from the furnish to the paper product can also be referred to as papermaking.

[0025] In the present disclosure, "furnish" can be understood as paper raw material from which paper products such as paper, cardboard, filters, or the like can then be formed. The furnish can be a composite material containing at least cellulose pulp (cellulose) and a binder. The furnish can exist in solid form or as a suspension, for example, in water. In a broad sense, "furnish" can also include the paper product itself. In addition, the furnish can also include paper or paper-like materials, as well as cardboard, filter materials, insulating pads, water-absorbent nonwovens, fiber-reinforced flat materials, and the like. The furnish can be formed by dewatering a fiber suspension, for example, on a wire mesh. The furnish can be further compressed and dried in subsequent working steps. However, the furnish can also be a flat material (fiber nonwoven) consisting essentially of (cellulose) fibers.

[0026] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "consumption" can in particular be understood as a process that at least partially removes one component from a mixture consisting of at least two components. For example, old textiles can have components of cellulose and a polyester such as PET. If the share of the PET component is now reduced, this can be referred to as consuming PET. It is known that there are various possibilities to perform such consumption. First, consumption can be carried out mechanically, for example, by density separation. Additionally or alternatively, consumption can be carried out by means of chemical separation. Examples in this regard are hydrolyzing or derivatizing the component to be consumed. In addition, the component to be consumed can be removed by means of a solvent. During consumption, the component to be consumed degrades or is destroyed. In addition, the component to be consumed can exist in its original form, i.e., without being degraded. In other words, the term "consumption" can in particular be understood as processing (consuming) the input raw material in such a way that the output consumed raw material is at least partially different from the input raw material in terms of its chemical / physical properties or its material composition, especially having at least one component with a lower concentration. For example, during a chemical consumption process, a cooking process, especially an alkaline cooking, can be carried out. In addition, for example, synthetic fibers such as polyester can be consumed from cellulose during the consumption process (by means of cooking).

[0027] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "degree of polymerization" can be understood as the number of basic structural units (monomers) of each polymer molecule (e.g., cellulose molecule). The degree of polymerization can be equivalent to the quotient of the average molar mass of the polymer and the molar mass of its repeating unit (monomer unit). Except for proteins, the exact number is usually only the average value of the sample under consideration. This average value is called the average degree of polymerization (DP). The degree of polymerization and the spatial geometric distribution of the monomers in the molecule (i.e., the stereochemical arrangement of the molecular branches) have a great influence on the physical properties of the polymer and especially on the mechanical properties. For example, for cotton, the DP is about 3000 or more, for viscose fiber, the DP is about 250 to 700, for polyamide the DP is about 100 to 180, and for polyester the DP is about 130 to 220.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for manufacturing cellulose pulp that is particularly efficient, robust, and resource-saving is provided by using (cellulose-containing) old textiles as raw materials, and after at least partially consuming non-cellulose foreign substances from the cellulose, a cellulose pulp can be formed. Wood is commonly used as a raw material for manufacturing pulp, or in the case of recycling, waste paper is used. The problem in the case of wood is that new trees must ultimately be continuously cut down, which is both costly and not resource-saving. On the other hand, the problem with waste paper is that, as mentioned above, the fibers and chain lengths (glucose units) of cellulose become shorter and shorter after multiple recycling cycles, so it must be removed from the recycling cycle. When specific properties are to be achieved in the pulp, this has hitherto only been possible with very high additional costs. However, it has now surprisingly been found that old textiles (which contain cellulose and other foreign substances) are excellent raw materials for papermaking.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, high-quality cellulose can be provided or mixed during the manufacturing process of the pulp. This high-quality cellulose can include the purity mainly used in processes related to the textile industry because especially high-quality cellulose is usually required when processing fibers to form yarns or non-woven fabrics. The cellulose of old textiles can obtain a very high percentage from cotton and thus, compared with ordinary wood cellulose, is naturally of particularly high quality, especially in terms of tear resistance, tensile strength, elongation, etc. These special quality characteristics can be particularly attributed to the relevant chain lengths of cotton.

[0030] So far, old textiles have not been considered as a source of cellulose for papermaking because today's old textiles may be severely contaminated with foreign substances such as plastics (synthetic fibers) or metal oxides such as pigments. On the one hand, this is because textiles are constructed of plastics (which can be sorted as a whole), but on the other hand, this is because many old textiles made mainly of natural fibers are now partially contaminated with plastic components or plastics are applied to natural fibers to change their properties. However, it has now surprisingly been found that the residual components in old textiles, especially metal oxides and certain plastics, can be used as positive property modifiers within the scope of cellulose pulp preparation.

[0031] In summary, it has been found that old textiles are an extremely efficient and resource-saving raw material for papermaking, which offers many unexpected and flexibly usable advantages.

[0032] Additional embodiments and applications of the method are described below.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the consumption further has: i) mechanically separating at least a part of the non-cellulose foreign substances, and / or ii) chemically separating at least a part of the non-cellulose foreign substances. The advantage of this can be that thorough consumption can be carried out using known and established methods.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the non-fiber components can be separated from the fiber components based on different physical properties, especially by means of metal deposition and / or gravitational deposition. For example, metal parts (such as zippers, rivets, etc.) can be separated based on their magnetic properties. The different effects of gravity on different components can also be used for separation.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the mechanical separation can be carried out based on the density difference between non-cellulose fibers and cellulose fibers. For example, based on centrifugal forces of different intensities, materials of different densities can be separated in a centrifuge. After the components are transferred to a liquid medium, due to their different densities, some of these components can accumulate on the surface, while other components can float or settle at the bottom.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the mechanical separation can be carried out based on the different electrostatic properties between non-cellulose fibers and cellulose fibers. Due to the different electrostatic properties, different fibers can respond to the applied electric field in different ways. This in turn allows the separation of cellulose fibers from non-cellulose fibers.

[0037] According to one embodiment, mechanical separation may include suspending the fibrous components in a liquid medium, especially an aqueous medium (i.e., transferring them into a suspension), and separating non-cellulose fibers from cellulose fibers due to different physical properties in the liquid medium (especially different gravitational properties, properties related to centrifugal force, floating and / or electrostatic properties). When different fibers in the liquid medium exhibit different behaviors due to their different compositions, this also allows for the separation of different fibrous components.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the liquid medium may include at least one additive for enhancing different physical properties, especially a dispersant and / or a swelling agent. A dispersant or multiple dispersing aids may in particular be understood as additives capable of achieving or stabilizing dispersion, i.e., additives for the fine distribution of substances (such as fibers) in a continuous medium (such as in a liquid). A swelling agent may in particular be understood as an additive that promotes the swelling of a substance. Swelling can be understood as the process in which a substance (especially a liquid) penetrates into a solid and causes an increase in the volume of the latter. When one or more such additives are added to the medium, the differences in the properties of the various fibers that cause the mechanical separation of different fibers are increased. This improves the efficiency of the separation.

[0039] According to one embodiment, chemical separation may include selectively dissolving at least a part of the non-cellulose fibers or at least a part of the cellulose fibers only in a solvent, and separating out, especially filtering out, at least a part of the undissolved fibrous components. In other words, different fibers can be conveyed into a medium (such as a liquid, especially an aqueous medium) in which only specific fibers among them, especially selectively polyester fibers, dissolve significantly, while other fibers, especially cellulose fibers, do not exhibit a dissolution behavior or only exhibit a weak dissolution behavior. The non-dissolved or not significantly dissolved or weakly dissolved fibers (especially cellulose fibers) can be filtered out or separated out, and then can be separated from the dissolved fibers for further processing.

[0040] According to one embodiment, mechanical separation and / or chemical separation may involve separating synthetic fibers as non-cellulose fibers. Non-cellulose fibers of synthetic origin are usually present in recycled textile materials, especially old clothes and / or textile waste residues. Polyester, polyamide, and / or elastane fibers may be considered examples of such synthetic fibers. These fibers can be efficiently separated from cellulose fibers using the methods described herein.

[0041] According to one embodiment, chemical separation may include delivering an alkaline solution, especially in the case of using an oxidizing agent, especially alkaline cooking. In particular, an alkaline solution may be delivered for degrading non-cellulosic fibers, especially synthetic fibers, and more especially polyester fibers. Thereby, in particular, polyester can be decomposed into water-soluble components, and the water-soluble components can be separated from the cellulose fibers by means of the wastewater generated in the process.

[0042] According to a further embodiment, chemical separation further includes: performing a cooking process, especially by means of an alkaline cooking solution. This has the advantage that the consumption is carried out in an efficient manner by means of a given method, and thus can be implemented in a simple manner.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment, the alkaline cooking of the pre-treated cellulose-containing (especially cotton-based) textile material enriched with cellulose fibers (i.e., mainly obtaining cellulose fibers) is further processed to produce a further purified cellulose pulp: The fibers, especially cellulose-rich (or mainly cellulose) fibers, can be treated with an alkaline solution (such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) together with a gaseous oxidizing agent (such as O2) in, for example, a pressure cooker (preferably at a pH value of at least 9), more precisely according to an exemplary embodiment:

[0044] a) at a temperature between 90 °C and 185 °C;

[0045] b) with a holding time of 45 minutes to 270 minutes;

[0046] c) in the presence of a cellulose stabilizing additive (such as a magnesium salt, preferably magnesium sulfate; or a transition metal-based chelating compound, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)), preferably in a concentration range between 0.01 weight percentage and 5 weight percentage of the delivered fibers;

[0047] d) with an alkali concentration between 1 weight percentage and 35 weight percentage of the delivered fibers;

[0048] e) with an initial air pressure ranging from 1 bar to 21 bar (corresponding to approximately 0.1 MPa to approximately 2.1 Mpa).

[0049] Then, the resulting cellulose pulp can be subjected to a washing process.

[0050] According to one embodiment, chemical separation can convert at least a portion of the non-cellulose fibers into soluble, especially water-soluble substances, dissolve the soluble substances in a solvent, especially an aqueous solvent, and separate out, especially filter off, the undissolved cellulose fibers from the dissolved substances. Thus, various fibers can be fed into (e.g., an aqueous) solvent, in which only the non-cellulose fibers dissolve significantly. Fibers that do not dissolve or dissolve insignificantly or weakly (especially cellulose fibers) can be filtered off or separated out and then can be further processed separately from the dissolved fibers.

[0051] According to a further embodiment, the Kraft process is carried out such that the degree of polymerization of the cellulose of the raw material is within a predetermined range. This has the advantage that cellulose of particularly high quality can be provided for papermaking.

[0052] Partial degradation of cellulose fibers in a chemical environment can be advantageously controlled by influencing the chemical environment such that the resulting degree of polymerization of the cellulose is within the desired range. In particular, the cooking can be carried out within the shortest possible time frame so that the degree of polymerization of the cellulose is reduced to the least possible extent.

[0053] According to a further embodiment, the consumption further includes: feeding an oxidizing agent, especially oxygen, into the cooking process. This has the advantage that the method can be carried out particularly time-saving and at the same time efficiently, since no additional bleaching process is required. It has been proven that the (gaseous) oxidizing agent fed into the alkaline cooking process results in a specific brightness of the consumed raw material (and thus also the furnish). Thus, for example, during cooking, the ISO brightness of the furnish can reach 90% or higher without an additional bleaching process.

[0054] According to a further embodiment, the consumption further includes: controlling process parameters such that the degree of polymerization of the cellulose of the consumed raw material is essentially within a predetermined range. The cellulose then especially has an average degree of polymerization of 200 monomers or more, especially 300 monomers or more, more especially 500 monomers or more. Even more especially, the cellulose comprises 10% or less of cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 50 to 200 monomers. This has the advantage that cellulose of particularly high quality can be provided for papermaking.

[0055] As already mentioned above, cellulose with long chains, i.e., with a high average degree of polymerization, is particularly advantageous for the recycling process. A disadvantage of recycling is that the chain length will shorten during multiple recycling cycles. This disadvantage can be overcome by using old textiles as the cellulose source, which naturally contain cellulose with a very long chain length. Thus, for example, the average degree of polymerization of cotton is about 3000. During the consumption process, an attempt is now made to provide cellulose with the highest possible average degree of polymerization. The process parameters can be controlled accordingly. For example, a cooking process is carried out (e.g., by shortening the cooking time, low temperature, cellulose stabilizer...) so that the degradation of the cellulose polymer is as little or not at all. In addition, old textile mixtures can be combined so that they contain as much high-quality cotton as possible.

[0056] According to a further embodiment, the consumption further comprises: consuming (especially selectively consuming) cellulose with a degree of polymerization deviating from a predetermined range. In particular, the cellulose has an average degree of polymerization of 200 monomers or more, more particularly 300 monomers or more, more particularly 500 monomers or more. The cellulose comprises 10% or less of cellulose with an average degree of polymerization in the range of 50 to 200 monomers. This has the advantage that particularly high-quality cellulose can be provided for papermaking.

[0057] In the case of selective consumption, cellulose with a short chain length can be deliberately removed from the raw material, so that the cellulose of the raw material has an average degree of polymerization within a predetermined range. For example, mechanical separation can be carried out, such as size separation (filtering out cellulose fines), in order to separate shorter (lighter) cellulose polymers from longer (heavier) cellulose polymers.

[0058] According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises: mixing the consumed raw material with additional raw material for obtaining a mixed raw material. This especially enables the mixed raw material to have predetermined properties. This has the advantage that the properties of the consumed raw material can be controlled in a targeted and simple manner, and thus also the properties of the paper stock to be manufactured.

[0059] The additional raw materials may equally be old textiles or may be additional materials, such as cellulose, (paper) cellulose pulp, waste paper, plastics or other foreign substances. The additional raw materials may be mixed with the raw materials during consumption (e.g., during cooking), but may also be mixed with the raw materials before or after consumption. The additional raw materials may have the same or different composition as the raw materials. Preferably, the additional raw materials have a predetermined composition so as to purposefully produce desired properties in the mixed raw materials or in the furnish to be manufactured. For example, the additional raw materials may comprise high-quality cellulose, such that the furnish has particularly long cellulose polymers. In addition, the additional raw materials may, for example, comprise elastic fibers, which ensure an improved oil-binding capacity in the furnish. Thus, the additional raw materials can purposefully influence the composition of the furnish.

[0060] In one embodiment, the desired proportion of these plastics (e.g., PET and / or PUR) is adjusted by selectively consuming the residual plastics present in the raw materials. The prepared raw materials are then mixed with additional raw materials having a different composition (e.g., cellulose or a mixture of old textiles), whereby the final properties of the paper product according to the method can be significantly controlled or adjusted.

[0061] In one embodiment, various mixtures of old textiles of different compositions are mixed in such a way that a desired proportion of different plastics is obtained. This chemical-free / less-chemicals implementation variant (achieved solely by mixing the raw materials) is attractive in terms of resource consumption and ecology. Thus, paper products made from such mixtures according to the invention have a constant quality in terms of the resulting final properties, despite the variable quality of the raw materials.

[0062] According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises: partially consuming (in particular selectively consuming) non-cellulose foreign substances from the cellulose such that at least one predetermined synthetic plastic is at least partially retained in the consumed raw materials (in particular such that the formed furnish has predetermined properties). This has the advantage that the properties of the consumed raw materials can be purposefully and simply controlled, and thus also the properties of the furnish to be manufactured, while the consumption process can be carried out in a less complex manner.

[0063] According to a further embodiment, the predetermined synthetic plastic at least partially retained in the consumed raw materials comprises PUR, in particular elastic fibers. This has the advantage that positive properties, such as an improved oil-binding capacity, are obtained without additional expense, while the consumption process is simplified.

[0064] For the production of paper-like products, recycled materials from non-paper-based recycling circuits, such as old textiles, can be used in the production of cellulose pulp. When preparing these recycled materials (textile recycling), various unwanted foreign substances that must be removed in fiber production are generated in the case of a closed material circuit, so that the technical / physical properties are sufficiently similar to those of non-recycled fibers. Usually, such foreign substances, especially polyurethanes, are removed as completely as possible.

[0065] Now it has surprisingly been found that new properties can be achieved in the resulting cellulose or its subsequent products based on binders by targeted control of the residual concentration within the preparation process, i.e., the preparation of old textiles. Based on the conversion control of thermoplastics, the functionalization and / or consumption of the residual components from the recycled materials in this way allows overcompensation of the fiber length problem (or the accompanying strength problem) from pure paper recycling in papermaking.

[0066] In particular, by a targeted proportion of residual polymers (especially polyurethanes, such as elastane), it is possible to achieve a compensation (increased by the elastane fraction and decreased by the old cellulose) of the strength value, which would otherwise be significantly reduced due to the incorporation of recycled cellulose, since the recycling process leads to a reduction in the average chain length.

[0067] At higher temperatures (e.g., this high temperature can be achieved by drying in papermaking), the thermoplastic effect of elastane (or TPE) can be utilized: figuratively speaking, this will result in a certain controllable viscosity in the area between the cellulose fibers and / or when interacting with the binder, which can be used accordingly for thermoplastic adhesion effects.

[0068] The preparation of the raw materials according to the invention ensures that the residual polymers, such as those composed of PU, PA, polyester, etc., that are retained are retained in an appropriate concentration for further processing based on binders. When this is achieved, the plastic components in the paper stock have an effect similar to that of a fiber thermoplastic composite system.

[0069] In a further embodiment, the (residual) polymer from the old textile is used as an adhesion enhancer under the cellulose fibers or as a property enhancer for thermoplastics during the manufacture of paper products (such as flat paper materials). This application as a hot melt adhesive and / or interaction with binders and / or substitute for hemicellulose is exemplary based on the substance fractions present in the old textile. For example, in a non-iron shirt, these substances and the pre-treated cellulose components are substantially inert until a specific step in the manufacturing process is completed. In particular, subsequent hardening of the successor product can thus be achieved by heating (similar to a hot melt adhesive). To manufacture composite materials with high shape stability (such as folded paper filters), complex treatments that are otherwise used in the textile industry are typically employed: by combining very complex chemical treatments, such as treatment with liquid ammonia. It can make the shirt look new for a long time. More importantly, so-called "wet crosslinking" is involved, where elastic bridges are established between the cotton cellulose molecules. After washing, this bridge pulls the fabric back into shape. Wet crosslinking using "synthetic resins" requires a very precise working method.

[0070] By targeted control of the proportion of residual plastics (such as elastic fibers from old textiles), a certain thermoplasticity can be imparted to the resulting composite material, so that new properties are generated in the composite material through the corresponding proportion of the residual plastics of the old textile produced by the consumption and reorganization process according to the invention and the new implicit properties of the cellulose according to the invention.

[0071] According to a further embodiment, the consumption of the method also has the feature of at least partially retaining the synthetic plastic in the raw material. Here, the synthetic plastic can in particular be one from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, and elastic fibers. This can have the advantage that the synthetic plastic no longer needs to be consumed particularly thoroughly or completely. Consuming small residual concentrations can be very technically challenging and resource-consuming.

[0072] Alternatively, the synthetic plastic, such as polyurethane, can be retained in the raw material, whereby complex and costly consumption processes can be reduced or even no longer required. Additionally, when at least a part of the polyurethane belongs to the elastic fibers, further advantages, such as improving the strength value and / or elasticity of the molded body to be manufactured, can also be achieved.

[0073] Small amounts (such as less than 2%) of polyamides and polyesters can be processed together in the recycling method to achieve good integration with cellulose. In the recycling method, this can be a significant advantage because removing especially lower concentrations of other synthetic polymers would be too costly. The other synthetic plastics mentioned above are often widely contained in raw materials such as textiles. Therefore, accepting small residues will make the recycling method more straightforward.

[0074] According to a further embodiment, the old textile has a first synthetic plastic, in particular polyamide and / or polyurethane. The old textile also has a second synthetic plastic, in particular polyester, more particularly polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Furthermore, the consumption also includes: i) at least partially consuming the first synthetic plastic to a first concentration value, ii) at least partially consuming the second synthetic plastic to a second concentration value. Here, the first concentration value is different from the second concentration value, in particular greater. This has the advantage that the technically complex and costly consumption of additional plastics is at least partially eliminated. Alternatively, at least one additional synthetic plastic can even advantageously influence or control the properties of the papermaking stock to be produced.

[0075] According to a further embodiment, the consumption also includes: at least partially (selectively) retaining the metal oxide, in particular titanium dioxide, such that the metal oxide can act as an oxidation catalyst for organic impurities. This has the advantage that (residual) impurities that would otherwise be difficult to remove can be eliminated in a simple and controllable manner.

[0076] Metal oxides such as titanium dioxide, which are usually very finely distributed, can be used, for example, in combination with UV light (for outdoor use) as an oxidation catalyst to degrade organic impurities containing in particular the following groups: -OH, -O, COOR, -C=C-. Examples of these organic impurities can be: oils, fats, solvents, ointments, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), biodiesel. The oxidation catalyst can produce advantages especially in cases where low pollution is required.

[0077] According to a further embodiment, the use of a metal oxide (in particular titanium dioxide) as a consumed raw material and / or as an oxidation catalyst for organic impurities in the papermaking stock (in particular in combination with UV light) is described.

[0078] According to a further embodiment, the method also has: partially (in particular selectively) removing non-cellulosic foreign substances from the cellulose such that the inherent foreign substances (in particular metal oxides, more particularly pigments) remain in the consumed raw material. This has the advantage that effective coding (fingerprinting) of the papermaking stock can be achieved without additional costs.

[0079] According to a further embodiment, the consumption also includes: (substantially) completely consuming the inherent non-cellulosic foreign substances (in particular synthetic fibers) from the cellulose such that high-purity cellulose fibers are provided as the consumed raw material. This has the advantage that high-purity cellulose for papermaking can be obtained in a simple manner from large amounts of raw materials (i.e., old textiles) that are inexpensively available.

[0080] In this regard, the term "complete removal" involves an attempt to remove as many foreign substances as possible. In other words: no foreign substances should remain. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that it is extremely difficult to completely consume any foreign substances technically, because very small amounts of dirt may remain. For this reason, the expression "substantially" is chosen, so it can be understood that complete removal (if technically feasible) is desirable.

[0081] According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises: i) conveying the consumed raw material (in particular as an aqueous cellulose suspension) to the pulp, and forming a cellulose furnish from the pulp. This has the advantage that the consumed raw material can be converted into a cellulose furnish using proven techniques particularly efficiently.

[0082] In context, the term "pulp" can be understood as a mixture of water, cellulose and a binder present in typical papermaking, from which paper is made. For simplicity, within the scope of the present disclosure, "pulp" is understood as any form of aqueous intermediate solution that contains a certain proportion of cellulose and a binder. Atypical paper binders can also be used as the binder.

[0083] In one embodiment, the aqueous intermediate product obtained in the consumption process of the used textiles is not dried into the common dry cellulose form, but is further processed in the undehydrated state. For example, this allows the aqueous cellulose suspension to be mixed into the liquid stream for conveyance to the pulp production section.

[0084] According to an exemplary embodiment, efficient pulping of the recycled raw material (used textiles) can be achieved by the above-described method for selecting used textiles: the part of the used textiles that produces the highest quality recycled cellulose can be used in textile-related manufacturing processes, while those used textiles that are not ideally suitable for these quality levels are used for papermaking. The quality standard can be, for example, the average degree of polymerization of cellulose, where a high average degree of polymerization can represent high quality. The selection can occur during the consumption process or can be performed on the used textile mixture.

[0085] For example, the part of the used textiles selected for clothing manufacturing can be conveyed to the Lyocell process or the viscose process (in particular the xanthate process, the carbamate process or the cold alkali process).

[0086] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "Lyocell process (Lyocell-Verfahren)" can in particular be understood as a process for manufacturing cellulose according to the direct solvent method. For the Lyocell process, cellulose can be obtained from raw materials containing such cellulose. In the Lyocell process, the raw materials can be dissolved in a suitable solvent (which is in particular a tertiary amine oxide such as N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) and / or an ionic liquid, i.e., a low-melting salt composed of cations and anions). The dissolution can in particular be achieved by dehydration and / or without chemical modification. The resulting solution, which can also be referred to as dope or spinning solution, can then be extruded in the Lyocell process through one or more spinnerets. The filaments thus formed can precipitate during and / or after passing through the air gap and / or the moisture in the air gap in an aqueous bath (in particular in a bath with an aqueous NMMO solution) as they fall freely or under control.

[0087] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "viscose process" can in particular be understood as a process for manufacturing cellulose according to the wet spinning method. For the viscose process, cellulose can be obtained from raw materials containing such cellulose (in particular wood, wood pulp).

[0088] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "viscose process" can be understood as the xanthate process. In the continuous process stages of the viscose process carried out as the xanthate process, the raw materials can first be treated with an alkali (for example with a sodium hydroxide solution), thereby forming alkali cellulose. When the alkali cellulose reacts with carbon disulfide, cellulose xanthate is formed. By continuing to add an alkali (in particular a sodium hydroxide solution), a viscose spinning solution can thus be produced, which can be extruded through one or more spinnerets. Viscose filaments are formed by coagulation in a spinning bath. The viscose filaments thus produced are then, for example, cut into viscose staple fibers.

[0089] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "viscose process" can also be understood as the carbamate process, in which ammonia is used instead of carbon disulfide to manufacture a soluble cellulose derivative. Here, so-called cellulose carbamate is formed instead of cellulose xanthate. Similar to the further use of cellulose xanthate, a spinable solution is made from cellulose carbamate, and after extrusion through one or more spinnerets, cellulose filaments can be regenerated from the spinable solution in a spinning bath.

[0090] In addition, within the scope of the present disclosure, the term "viscose process" can also be understood as the cold-alkali process, in which cellulose is dissolved in a temperature-controlled, especially cooled, aqueous alkaline medium without further derivatization to xanthate or carbamate. In one embodiment, the temperature of the aqueous alkaline medium is less than 20 °C, especially less than 5 °C. To improve the dissolution behavior, additives such as urea, thiourea, zinc oxide, polyethylene glycol or surfactants can be added to the aqueous alkaline medium. After passing through one or more spinning nozzles, cellulose filaments are regenerated again from the cellulose-containing spinning solution by precipitation in an acidic or alkaline spinning bath.

[0091] According to exemplary embodiments, the above coding can ensure the reliable quality of the cellulose-containing furnish.

[0092] Within the scope of the present application, the term "composition of the furnish" can in particular be understood as the different materials or components or constituents of a cellulose-containing furnish or of a paper product produced therefrom, which can be differentiated in measurement technology. In context, the term "furnish" is regarded not only as the raw material (primary product), but also as the paper product to be produced. The composition of the furnish can on the one hand depend on the raw materials used for manufacturing the furnish and on the other hand on the method used for manufacturing the furnish. Thus, the combination of the composition of the furnish and their amounts can indicate a very specific furnish, or a very specific batch of furnish manufactured on the basis of specific raw materials and using a specific method. Such a composition can be the main component of the furnish (e.g., cellulose, which can occur in different fiber geometries and can also be spectroscopically distinguishable due to the different product compositions of the cellulose sources used (e.g., by determination of crystallinity by means of NMR)). However, such a composition can also be a foreign substance, which is included in the final product as a result of using specific raw materials or cellulose sources (e.g., polyester or elastane in the case of recycling old textiles). The composition can also be trace elements, which can be attributed to the cellulose source or the raw materials (e.g., titanium dioxide or rare earth metals). These compositions can be recorded by various analytical methods, such as mass spectrometry. In addition, it is also possible to analyze the following composition of the furnish, which is not included in the raw materials or the cellulose source, but is added to the furnish only during or after the production of cellulose fibers or other cellulose shaped bodies, such as pigment markers.

[0093] Within the scope of the present application, the term "data set" can in particular be understood as data (e.g., electronically storable), the data content of which serves to illustrate the presence or absence of various components in the furnish or in paper products made therefrom, or even to illustrate their amounts in the furnish. For example, a data set can have a sequence of logical values "1" and logical value "0", and thus is a binary code or bit sequence, which binary code or bit sequence illustrates whether a particular component meets the corresponding criteria. For example, 1 Bit of such a data set can illustrate whether the metal oxide concentration of the furnish is higher (corresponding to the logical value "1") or lower (corresponding to the logical value "0") than a predetermined threshold. In this way, a fingerprint of a particular furnish can be illustrated based on the components of the furnish using a compact data structure.

[0094] Within the scope of the present application, the term "database" can in particular be understood as the totality of data sets (which can for example be stored on a data storage, more particularly on an electronic mass storage (e.g., hard disk)). Such a database can be arranged locally at the equipment for manufacturing the furnish or can also be arranged at a remote location, for example based on cloud technology.

[0095] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a coding system for the furnish is provided, wherein, after manufacturing such a product, information on a preferably plurality of components of the particular furnish is recorded and saved as a data set. This data set can be assigned to the particular furnish. This process can be repeated for a number of furnishes. The data set of a particular furnish depends to a large extent on the raw materials used for papermaking (such as wood, residues from clothing manufacturing, old clothes, natural cotton, etc.) and on the manufacturing methods used. For example, if an uneven mixed textile to be recycled in whole or in part is used as the raw material and its material composition fluctuates greatly from batch to batch, then the unique fingerprints of the raw materials and manufacturing methods can be saved in the form of data sets for each furnish. The textile can in particular be a processed fiber product. Thus, the mixed textile can be regarded as an uneven fiber product. If later, for example for quality assurance reasons, the origin of a particular test product is to be checked, the same parameters can be measured again and the best agreement (e.g., in the sense of the Best-Match method) can be searched for between the recorded parameter values of the test product and one of the saved data sets. Thus, the product identity is encoded in the data set assigned to the particular furnish. According to an exemplary embodiment, by incorporating a plurality of components into the respective data set, the probability of false hits (i.e., the product is wrongly assigned to the wrong data set) can be significantly reduced. In addition, the differentiation between furnishes / paper products made from old textiles and furnishes / paper products made from wood and / or waste paper can be achieved in an efficient and robust manner.

[0096] Particularly advantageously, a combination of various inherent non - cellulose components of the paper stock made from recycled old textiles is stored in a database as a fingerprint (data set) and compared with a test product when needed. In this context, the inherent components can in particular be understood as those components of the paper stock which, due to the raw materials used therefor (preferably old textiles) and the manufacturing methods employed, are inevitably contained in the final paper stock without additional measures. Thus, a data set can be generated practically without additional expense, since the components used as markers do not necessarily have to be added separately to the paper stock and nevertheless can clearly indicate a very specific paper stock (since old textiles are assumed to be non - homogeneous mixed textiles). Since cellulose itself is not used, or at least not only cellulose itself is used as an analytical component, but at least also non - cellulose foreign substances from old textiles are used as analytical components, it is possible to store a completely specific or unique data set for a specific paper stock and compare it with a test product. In this way, the reliable quality of the paper stock can be ensured by verifying the origin of the recycling process and reliably identifying forgeries or copies.

[0097] According to an exemplary embodiment, the paper stock is manufactured based on using old clothes as at least part of the raw materials as a cellulose source; and / or based on using residues from the manufacture of clothes as at least part of the raw materials as a cellulose source. This has the advantage that not only can a specific batch from clothing manufacture be reliably identified, but also a specific mixture of old clothes can be reliably identified.

[0098] According to an exemplary embodiment, the inherent non - cellulose components include at least one selected from the group consisting of: trace elements, especially metals, more especially rare - earth metals, metal oxides, especially titanium dioxide and / or zinc oxide, pigments, phosphors, and synthetic plastics, especially elastane and / or polyester.

[0099] In one embodiment, different non - cellulose foreign - substance components of the old textile or the cellulose intermediate obtained therefrom are used to encode information such as origin, batch, composition, proof of origin, etc. In particular, a large number of different codes can be shown by mixing various such cellulose intermediates. Description of the Drawings

[0100] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following figures.

[0101] Figure 1 A flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a cellulose paper stock from old textiles according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0102] Before describing exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, some basic considerations should be outlined, based on which the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are derived.

[0103] According to an exemplary embodiment, suitable processing steps within the scope of the manufacturing process affect the properties of the prepared raw materials and the properties of the paper made from such pulp: i) a short cooking time in NaOH results in largely maintaining the chain length in the resulting pulp, ii) removing too short chain lengths from the manufacturing process, iii) reducing metal oxides (adhesion, filtration, etc.) from old textiles, iv) reducing synthetic fibers (polymers) by selecting old textiles (or recycled raw materials), v) controlling the cooking duration, cooking temperature, etc. Thus, the proportion of each polymer fiber type in the resulting pulp is <5%, vi) generating and converting or removing metal oxides and / or synthetic polymers by reacting with oxygen added during the cooking process, and vii) maximizing the resulting average chain length by controlling specific process parameters (such as exposure duration).

[0104] According to an exemplary embodiment, there may be various advantages in manufacturing two cellulose variants in the same production environment: i) simplifying the pre-production steps, i.e., not rejecting / receiving / storing too good or too bad recycled raw materials, but only allocating them to the corresponding manufacturing processes, ii) mixing the resulting cellulose into a specific quality in the later production stage, and iii) controlling the quality of the produced cellulose by influencing each process step.

[0105] According to an exemplary embodiment, the following advantageous features are not yet known: i) changing and / or utilizing the concentration of foreign substances derived from recycled materials (such as old textiles), ii) taking special measures during the preparation of recycled materials to achieve a specific chain length, iii) increasing the recyclability / number of (similar) flat paper products by using old textile recyclates in the pulp by share, iv) using polymers with thermally induced binding ability contained in the pulp of recycled raw materials as binder reducing agents in the paper industry, v) combining long-chain cellulose from cotton with a certain share of polymer fibers, both of which are components of recycled raw materials, to increase the recyclability / number of (similar) flat paper products, and vi) using a pulp portion from textile recyclates that also contains a residual content of polymers, especially PUR (elastic fibers) and titanium dioxide (extinction agent) for papermaking.

[0106] According to an exemplary embodiment, the paper industry has been seeking a deinking method that uses as few additional corrosive chemicals as possible. This so-called deinking is implicitly achieved in the method according to the present invention. Through cooking, especially hot cooking with additional oxygen, a large amount of the residual color components of the textile are dissolved, making it function like a deinking method as well. This special deinking occurs without additional chemical or physical measures because the chemicals and processes for decomposing the old textiles to be recycled are absolutely necessary. In addition, the deinking method in the paper industry is based on classification and flotation to remove printing ink. These processes are also used as standard in the standard process for the pre-preparation of old textiles for recycling cellulose pulp. When the cellulose produced in this way is blended with the cellulose from paper recycling, under the corresponding boundary conditions, this will result in a whiter cellulose pulp mixture and thus a whiter paper, which additionally reduces the subsequent bleaching steps.

[0107] According to an exemplary embodiment, the following mechanism of action is relevant:

[0108] a) The pulp connects two types of action in an exemplary manner:

[0109] Absorption: Through the fiber structure, fibrillation, and porous structure;

[0110] Adsorption: a1) A high content of hydroxyl groups (hydrophilic) is used for aqueous pollutants (acids, alkalis, dispersions, aqueous binders), a2) The residual content of polyurethanes, polyamides, and other polymers (hydrophobic) is used for lipid pollutants (oils, fats, mineral oil products, solvents, paints, propellants);

[0111] b) The content of elastic fibers, in particular, combines multiple types of action at the molecular level and decisively improves the water / oil binding capacity;

[0112] c) Easy mechanical removability from the place of use (streets...);

[0113] d) The natural textile origin ensures no rotting problems in landfills;

[0114] e) Residue-free incineration can be achieved. There are no harmful substances in the flue gas;

[0115] f) The presence of (almost unavoidable) TiO2 content, which is usually very finely distributed, is used as an oxidation catalyst in combination with UV light (for outdoor use) to degrade organic contaminants containing the following groups: -OH, -O, COOR, -C=C-: Such organic contaminants are: oils, greases, solvents, ointments, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), biodiesel: This is especially advantageous in cases where low pollution is required.

[0116] Figure 1Shows an exemplary embodiment of a method 100 for manufacturing a cellulose furnish 150. First, a mixture of old textiles is provided as raw material 101 (see block 105). The old textile mixture includes residues from clothing manufacturing and old clothes, and has cellulose (fibers) and non-cellulose foreign substances. The non-cellulose foreign substances are synthetic fibers (plastics) and metal oxides. The synthetic fibers have PUR, especially elastane, polyester (such as PET), polyamide. The metal oxides have pigments such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide. The providing step includes shredding the old textiles. Providing 105 includes mechanically shredding the raw material 101 by chopping. Thereby, in particular, large non-cellulose contaminants can be removed from the raw material 101, such as removing at least part of the buttons, seams and prints of the old clothes used to produce the raw material 101. For example, the raw material 101 can be disassembled into individual fibers by mechanical shredding. It should be noted here that according to another embodiment, the described mechanical shredding can also be performed during the consumption process, especially before consumption.

[0117] It is also possible (see block 160) to use the cellulose-containing raw material 101 in combination with other cellulose-containing materials as additional raw materials 111 for subsequent preparation. Thus, the raw material 101 can be mixed with additional raw materials 111 containing cellulose and / or at least one synthetic plastic. The additional raw materials 111 conveyed have a different composition from the components in the raw material 101. Now, the production of the furnish 150 can be carried out based on the raw material 101 and the additional raw materials 111, so that the furnish 150 contains a predetermined composition (such as the proportion of synthetic plastic). Alternatively or additionally, the additional raw materials 111 can also include, for example, residues from clothing manufacturing. In Figure 1 which, the additional raw materials 111 are conveyed to the consumption process 120, especially the cooking process 121, in a prepared manner. According to another exemplary embodiment, the additional raw materials 111 can also be conveyed before the consumption process 120 (especially substantially simultaneously with the conveyance of the raw material 101) or even after the consumption process 120.

[0118] The mentioned consumption process 120 includes at least partially consuming 120 non-cellulose foreign substances from the cellulose in order to provide the consumed raw material 110. Consuming 120 includes performing mechanical separation 121 and chemical separation 122.

[0119] Mechanical separation 121 includes density separation, especially by means of flotation, in order to selectively consume, for example, polyester from cellulose. Here, the fiber components can be suspended in a liquid (aqueous) medium. Due to different physical properties in the liquid medium, especially different gravity, centrifugal force-related, floating and / or electrostatic properties, non-cellulose fibers are successfully separated from cellulose fibers. In addition to the separation of cellulose and non-cellulose foreign substances, cellulose components with different chain lengths can also be separated in this way.

[0120] Chemical separation 121 includes a cooking process (discontinuous or continuous) in a cooking device (such as a pressure cooker or digester). An alkaline cooking solution including sodium hydroxide (in the range of 1 to 35% (w / w)) is used here. The pH value is in the range of 7 to 14. The cooking process is carried out at a temperature of 90 °C to 185 °C and a pressure of 1 Bar to 21 Bar for 45 to 270 minutes. Additionally, the cooking solution contains a cellulose stabilizer such as a magnesium salt in order to resist undesired degradation. Under elevated pressure, the raw material 101 is cooked in the alkali solution in order to consume undesired components (such as pigments from biological sources, equipment, usage contamination). In addition, synthetic fibers and metal oxides are also consumed in this way. The cooking process 121 can advantageously include the delivery of an oxidation aid, such as oxygen. This can be carried out as an alternative or supplement to bleaching. Additionally, metal oxides can be chemically reduced advantageously.

[0121] In an exemplary embodiment, consuming synthetic fibers (see block 125) includes substantially completely consuming synthetic fibers from cellulose. In this way, high-purity cellulose fibers are provided as the consumed raw material 110.

[0122] In other embodiments, predetermined synthetic fibers are selectively consumed, while other predetermined synthetic fibers remain in the consumed raw material 110. Here, plastics such as polyamides and certain polyesters are at least partially (especially as completely as possible) consumed, while polyesters and / or elastomeric fibers remain (at least partially). Polyester can act as an adhesion promoter in the furnish 150 to be manufactured, while elastomeric fibers can improve the oil-binding capacity. Thus, non-cellulose foreign substances are selectively consumed 125 from the cellulose portion such that predetermined synthetic fibers remain in the consumed raw material 110, and then these predetermined synthetic fibers produce predetermined properties in the furnish 150. The process parameters of the consumption process 120 (especially temperature, pressure, residence time, cooking solution, mixing, composition) are controlled such that the desired properties are obtained in the final product.

[0123] In one embodiment, the process parameters of the purification process 120 are controlled such that the average chain length of the cellulose in the prepared raw material 110 is within a specific predetermined range. Cellulose (fibers) having an average chain length below a predetermined value, such as below 300 glucose units, preferably in the range of 20 to 150 glucose units, are selectively consumed (see block 127). This can be achieved, for example, via mechanical separation, in particular density separation.

[0124] In one embodiment, the process parameters are controlled such that non - cellulose foreign matter is selectively consumed from the cellulose (see block 126), leaving the inherent foreign matter in the consumed raw material 110. These inherent non - cellulose foreign matters are metal oxides, such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide, which are used as pigments in textiles.

[0125] After the preparation process 120, a cellulose furnish 150 is formed from the consumed raw material 110 (see step 170). The consumed raw material 110 may first undergo a plurality of purification steps 130, 135. For example, such optional purification may include at least partial removal of (residual) pigments by bleaching (block 130). It is thus possible to decolorize the raw material 110 completely or partially, for example, in order to produce a white or gray furnish 150. In addition, the purified raw material 110 undergoes a purification step 135, which is either a water - based purification or a chemical purification. In the latter case, an organic solvent such as ethanol or a surfactant is used.

[0126] The processed raw material 110 now exists as an aqueous cellulose suspension. It is then transported to the pulp 145 (see step 140). Alternatively, the processed raw material 110 is provided with a binder and is thus itself the pulp 145. The pulp 145 includes water, cellulose, and a binder. Additionally, depending on the preparation process 120, the pulp includes functionalized residual components of the old textiles. The functionalized residual components are, for example, elastic fibers for improving adhesion or titanium dioxide as an encoding agent. The pulp 145 is then dried, enabling the cellulose furnish 150 to be formed from the pulp 145. After drying (or the paper scooping step), the furnish 150 exists as paper or as a primary product for manufacturing paper or paper - like materials (cardboard, filters...).

[0127] Furthermore, it should be noted that "comprising" does not exclude the inclusion of any other elements or steps, and "a" does not exclude a plurality. It should also be noted that the features or steps described with reference to one of the above - mentioned exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with the other features or steps of the above - mentioned other exemplary embodiments. The reference signs in the claims should not be regarded as limiting.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a cellulose furnish (150), the method comprising: Providing (105) used textiles as raw material (101), wherein the used textiles comprise cellulose and non - cellulose foreign matter, and wherein the non - cellulose foreign matter comprises synthetic plastics and metal oxides; At least partially consuming (120) the non - cellulose foreign matter in the cellulose so as to provide a consumed raw material (110); and Forming (170) the cellulose furnish (150) from the consumed raw material (110), wherein the method further comprises: selectively consuming (126) the non - cellulose foreign matter in the cellulose such that at least one predetermined synthetic plastic is at least partially retained in the consumed raw material (110).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The consuming (120) further comprises: Mechanically separating (122) at least a portion of the non - cellulose foreign matter; and / or Chemically separating (121) at least a portion of the non - cellulose foreign matter.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The chemical separation (121) further comprises: Performing a cooking process (121) with an alkaline cooking solution, wherein the cooking process (121) is performed such that the average degree of polymerization of the cellulose of the consumed raw material (110) is within a predetermined range.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The non - cellulose foreign matter comprises synthetic plastics and metal oxides, and the consuming (120) further comprises: Feeding an oxidant to the cooking process (121); and / or Chemically reducing at least a portion of the metal oxides in the raw material (101).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein, The consuming (120) further comprises: Controlling process parameters such that the average degree of polymerization of the cellulose of the consumed raw material (110) is substantially within a predetermined range.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The cellulose of the consumed raw material (110) has an average degree of polymerization of 300 or more monomers.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein Wherein 10% or less of the cellulose has an average degree of polymerization in the range of 50 to 200 monomers.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-3 and 6-7, wherein, The consuming (120) further comprises: Consuming (127) cellulose with an average degree of polymerization deviating from the predetermined range.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, Consuming cellulose with an average degree of polymerization less than 300 monomers.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 3, 6 - 7, and 9, the method further comprising: Mixing (160) the consumed raw material (110) with additional raw material (111) to obtain a mixed raw material such that the mixed raw material has predetermined properties.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The formed furnish (150) has predetermined properties.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The predetermined synthetic plastic at least partially retained in the consumed raw material (110) comprises PUR.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, 6-7, 9 and 11-12, wherein the non-cellulosic foreign matter comprises synthetic plastics and metal oxides, wherein, The consuming (120) further comprises: At least partially retaining the metal oxides such that the metal oxides can act as oxidation catalysts for organic impurities.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 - 3, 6 - 7, 9, and 11 - 12, the method comprising: Partially consume (126) non - cellulose foreign substances in the cellulose, where the non - cellulose foreign substances include synthetic plastics and metal oxides, such that the inherent foreign substances are at least partially retained in the consumed raw material (110), and where the inherent foreign substances include metal oxides.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, The inherent foreign substances include pigments.

16. A cellulose furnish (150) from recycled old textiles manufactured by the method according to any one of claims 1 - 15, the cellulose furnish comprising at least one of the following characteristics: Inherent non-cellulosic foreign matter, wherein, The inherent non - cellulose foreign substances are incorporated into the furnish (150); Synthetic plastics, which are incorporated into the furnish (150); Cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 50 to 200 monomers and a content of 10% or less; Cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 300 monomers or more.

17. The cellulose furnish (150) from recycled old textiles according to claim 16, wherein, The inherent non - cellulose foreign substances include metal oxides, and the synthetic plastics include PUR.

18. The cellulose furnish (150) from recycled old textiles according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, The inherent non - cellulose foreign substances include pigments, the synthetic plastics include elastic fibers, and the cellulose is cellulose with an average degree of polymerization of 500 monomers or more.

19. An application of cellulose - containing old textiles as raw material (101) for providing the cellulose furnish (150) from recycled old textiles according to claim 16, where the cellulose - containing old textiles are the consumed raw material (110).

20. A method for selecting cellulose - containing old textiles, the method comprising: Determine a quality standard indicating cellulose, where the quality standard is the average degree of polymerization; Compare the determined quality standard with a predetermined quality standard; And, based on the result of the comparison: Convey the first cellulose - containing old textiles whose quality standard does not match the predetermined quality standard to the method for manufacturing the cellulose furnish (150) according to any one of claims 1 - 15; Convey the second cellulose - containing old textiles whose quality standard matches the predetermined quality standard to one of the Lyocell method or the viscose method for manufacturing regenerated cellulose shaped bodies.

21. A method for identifying the cellulose furnish (150) from recycled old textiles according to claim 16, the method comprising: Obtain a data set indicating multiple components of the furnish (150); Save the data set associated with the furnish (150) in a database; and Compare the information with the data set in the database; where the multiple components are the inherent non - cellulose components of the furnish (150), and where the inherent non - cellulose components are from old textiles.

22. The method according to claim 21, the method comprising at least one of the following characteristics: Among them, Use old clothes as at least part of the raw material (101) as a cellulose source to manufacture the furnish (150); Among them, residues from clothing manufacturing that serve as a cellulose source are used as at least a part of the raw material (101) to manufacture the paper stock (150); Among them, the inherent non-cellulose components include at least one selected from the group consisting of: trace elements, metal oxides, pigments, phosphors, and synthetic plastics.

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