Method and system for regenerating fibers from waste textiles

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for regenerating fibers from waste textiles, and relates to the technical field of textile equipment. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, slitting a waste textile raw material through a vertical crossing slitting unit to obtain a cloth piece with a preset size; then, auxiliary agent spraying and steam ageing treatment are carried out on the cloth pieces, so that cohesive force between fibers is reduced; then carrying out flexible pretreatment, gradually loosening a warp and weft yarn structure through a needling device, and carrying out preliminary opening; then, through the multi-stage opening and impurity removal step, the materials are converted into a single fiber state in combination with a material distribution mechanism; the fibers are atomized and humidified in the conveying or storage process so as to maintain the water content and the strength; then fully carding through a carding and fiber separating machine, and separating the single fibers into at least three types of long fibers, medium and short fibers and ultra-short fiber components according to the difference between the fiber length and aerodynamic characteristics; and finally, respectively collecting and packaging the fibers with different length components. According to the invention, high-valued cyclic utilization of the waste textiles is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of textile equipment technology, and in particular to a method and system for regenerating fibers from waste textiles. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing global emphasis on sustainable development and the circular economy, the recycling and reuse of waste textiles has become an important issue. Traditional waste textile opening and recycling technologies typically use strong mechanical impact and tearing methods to break down the fabric into fibers, which has the following significant drawbacks: Severe fiber damage: Strong impact forces can cause a large number of fibers to break, resulting in recycled fibers with short average length and low strength, which can only be used in a downgraded manner (such as as filler), resulting in low economic value.

[0003] Fiber length mixture: The fiber length produced by traditional processes is extremely wide and varies greatly, which cannot meet the specific requirements of different textile processes (such as ring spinning and air-jet spinning) for the length of raw material fibers, thus limiting its high-value application.

[0004] Discontinuous process and high labor intensity: The processing of additives relies heavily on manual addition and long-term fermentation, resulting in low production efficiency, poor working environment, and difficulty in achieving automated continuous production.

[0005] Poor pretreatment results: uneven slitting and insufficient penetration of auxiliaries lead to high opening loads in the later stages, which exacerbates fiber damage.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a technology for recycling waste textiles that can maximize the protection of the original fiber length, achieve precise fiber grading, and enable continuous and clean production. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a method and system for regenerating fibers from waste textiles. Through a process route of first softening, then loosening, and then gently opening, and by integrating intelligent grading technology, the length and quality of the regenerated fibers are significantly improved in continuous production, thereby realizing the high-value recycling of waste textiles.

[0008] This application provides the following technical solution: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for regenerating fibers from waste textiles, comprising the following steps: Slitting step: The waste textile raw materials are slitted by a vertical cross slitting unit containing straight knife slitting unit and circular knife slitting unit to obtain fabric pieces of predetermined size; Additive treatment steps: The fabric is subjected to additive spraying and penetration and temperature and humidity controlled steam steaming treatment in sequence to fully integrate the neutral additives with the fibers, thereby reducing the cohesion between yarns and fibers; Flexible pretreatment step: The fabric sheet treated with the auxiliary agent is fed into the flexible opening machine, and the fabric sheet is progressively needled and peeled by at least one set of needle punching devices to loosen its warp and weft yarn structure in a physical way before preliminary opening. Multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps: The pre-treated material is sequentially subjected to pre-opening, impurity removal and single-roller fine opening to convert it into a single fiber state; wherein, at the outlet of the pre-opening and / or the single-roller fine opening, a material diversion mechanism is provided so that the separated fibers are transported away by airflow, while the material that is not fully opened is returned or continues to be opened. Humidity control and storage and transportation steps: The opened fibers are atomized and humidified during transportation or storage to maintain the moisture content and strength of the fibers; Combing and length grading steps: The fibers are thoroughly combed through a combing and splitting machine, and within the same equipment, the single fibers are separated into at least three types according to length, including long fiber components, medium and short fiber components, and ultra-short fiber components, by utilizing the differences in fiber length and aerodynamic properties. Grading and packaging steps: Collect and package fibers of different lengths separately.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in the additive treatment step, the additive spraying adopts a closed-loop water circulation system, and the wastewater generated by spraying, squeezing and dripping is collected, filtered and treated by flocculation and sedimentation, and then reused for the compounding of the additive solution.

[0010] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in the flexible pretreatment step, the progressive needle punching employs at least two sets of needle rollers arranged along the material travel direction, wherein the diameter of the steel needles on the latter set of needle rollers is greater than the diameter of the steel needles on the former set of needle rollers.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect, in the multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps, the single-roll fine opening adopts a structure of one main cylinder and multiple independent carding rollers, the speed of which is independently controlled by a frequency converter.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a waste textile recycled fiber system for implementing any of the methods described in the above embodiments, comprising the following units arranged sequentially along the material handling process and connected by a material conveying device: The discharge end of the slitting unit is connected to the feed end of the additive processing unit through the first conveying device; The additive processing unit includes a slurry machine and a steaming machine connected in series, wherein the outlet of the slurry machine is directly connected to the inlet of the steaming machine through a second conveying device; The air-cooling device has its feed end located downstream of the discharge end of the steaming machine; The flexible opening machine receives fabric sheets from the air-cooling device via a third conveying device at its feed end; The carding and loosening line includes a pre-opening machine, a cleaning machine, and a single-roller opener connected sequentially via a fourth conveying device; the discharge end of the flexible opener is connected to the feed end of the pre-opening machine. A storage conveyor is connected to the fiber outlet of the single-roll opener via a first pneumatic conveying pipe; At least one carding and fiber separating machine is connected to the discharge end of the storage conveyor via a second pneumatic conveying pipe; The baling unit includes at least two baling machines, each connected to the outlet of a different fiber component of the carding and separating machine; In addition, a fan that provides power to the first pneumatic conveying pipeline and the second pneumatic conveying pipeline, an air-fiber separator and a dust removal device installed on the conveying pipeline.

[0013] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the leaching machine integrates a closed-loop water circulation system, which includes a dilution tank, a spray pipe network, a negative pressure suction device located below the chain network, a squeeze roller, a wastewater collection tank, a filter device, a flocculation sedimentation tank, and a return pump connected in sequence, with the outlet of the return pump connected to the dilution tank.

[0014] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the flexible opening machine includes a feeding device, at least two sets of needle-punching devices, and an opening output device arranged in sequence; each set of needle-punching devices includes a feeding curtain, a squeezing brush roller, a needle roller, and a peeling brush roller that cooperate with each other; along the material travel direction, the diameter of the steel needles on each set of needle rollers increases sequentially.

[0015] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the carding and separating machine is provided with a main cylinder, a movable cover plate area that cooperates with the main cylinder, a doffer, and at least one airflow sorting unit disposed around the main cylinder; the doffer is responsible for outputting long fiber components, the airflow sorting unit is responsible for outputting medium and short fiber components, and the movable cover plate area is responsible for collecting ultra-short fiber components.

[0016] In some embodiments of the second aspect, at least one of the fiber outlet of the single-roll opener, the outlet of the pre-opener, and the outlet of the flexible opener is provided with a diversion baffle or adjustable air duct for open fibers and insufficiently opened materials, constituting the material diversion mechanism.

[0017] In some embodiments of the second aspect, the top of the storage conveyor is provided with an atomizing nozzle, which is connected to a water source via a pipeline.

[0018] The embodiments of this application have the following advantages: This application provides a method for regenerating fibers from waste textiles. Through a progressive process involving chemical softening (auxiliaries), physical loosening (needle punching), and gentle opening (multi-stage), it significantly reduces damage to fibers from strong mechanical impacts. The resulting regenerated fibers have a longer average length and higher strength retention, fundamentally improving their quality. Furthermore, it innovatively integrates aerodynamic grading technology into the carding process, enabling continuous and automated separation of fibers into different components based on length. Long fibers can be used for high-count yarns and high-end fabrics; medium and short fibers are suitable for denim and blended yarns; and ultra-short fibers can be used as filling materials, truly achieving graded utilization and maximizing resource use, greatly enhancing economic value. Moreover, from cutting to packaging, each workstation is seamlessly connected, eliminating intermittent steps such as traditional manual stacking and fermentation. The application of intelligent control technologies such as material diversion and humidity regulation reduces labor intensity, improves the production environment, and enhances production efficiency and stability. Furthermore, the uniform cutting and deep penetration of additives, along with the needle punching pretreatment, significantly reduces the resistance to subsequent opening, thereby reducing the load and energy consumption of the opening equipment, and also reducing the short fibers and dust generated by forced opening.

[0019] By deeply sorting waste textiles and recycling a high proportion of fibers, landfill and incineration of waste are reduced. The graded products can replace some virgin fibers, saving raw materials such as petroleum and cotton, which aligns with the requirements of a circular economy and sustainable development. The produced graded fibers have high length concentration and well-defined performance indicators, better meeting the specific raw material requirements of different downstream textile processes such as ring spinning, air-jet spinning, and nonwoven fabrics, thus broadening the application areas of recycled fibers from waste textiles.

[0020] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a waste textile recycled fiber system provided by an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0023] Explanation of key component markings: 1-Slitting machine; 2-Spraying machine; 3-Steaming machine; 4-Air cooling device; 5-Flexible opening machine; 6-Pre-opening machine; 7-Impurity removal machine; 8-Single roller opening machine; 9-Storage conveyor; 10-Cardizing and fiber separating machine; 11-Packaging machine; 12-Air fiber separator; 13-Fan. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0025] It should be noted that when an element is said to be "fixed" to another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is said to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. Conversely, when an element is said to be "directly" on another element, there is no intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the template description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] In related technologies, with the increasing global emphasis on sustainable development and the circular economy, the recycling and reuse of waste textiles has become an important issue. Traditional waste textile opening and recycling technologies typically use strong mechanical impact and tearing to break down fabrics into fibers, which has the following significant drawbacks: Severe fiber damage: The strong impact force causes a large number of fibers to break, resulting in recycled fibers with short average length and low strength, which can only be used in downgraded applications (such as as filler), resulting in low economic value. Mixed fiber lengths: The fiber lengths produced by traditional processes are extremely wide-ranging and inconsistent, failing to meet the specific requirements of different textile processes (such as ring spinning and air-jet spinning) for raw material fiber length, thus limiting their high-value applications. Discontinuous process and high labor intensity: Auxiliary agent treatment largely relies on manual addition and long-term fermentation, resulting in low production efficiency, poor working conditions, and difficulty in achieving automated continuous production. Poor pretreatment effect: Uneven cutting and insufficient auxiliary agent penetration lead to high subsequent opening loads, exacerbating fiber damage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a waste textile recycling technology that can maximize the protection of the original fiber length, achieve precise fiber grading, and enable continuous and clean production.

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a method for recycling waste textile fibers, including the following steps: Cutting step: The waste textile raw materials are cut by a vertical cross-cutting machine 1 set including a straight cutter cutting unit and a circular cutter cutting unit to obtain fabric pieces of predetermined size.

[0031] In this step, a slitting machine is used, with straight and circular blades arranged perpendicularly. The straight blades perform large-scale initial slitting, while the circular blades perform fine cross-cutting. Together, they achieve a grid-like and uniform slitting of the waste textile raw materials, resulting in fabric pieces of regular size. This lays the foundation for the uniform penetration of auxiliaries and the balanced opening load in subsequent processes.

[0032] Additive treatment steps: The fabric is subjected to additive spraying and penetration and temperature and humidity controlled steam steaming treatment in sequence to fully integrate the neutral additives with the fibers, thereby reducing the cohesion between yarns and fibers.

[0033] This step involves two stages: spraying and steaming. First, a neutral additive (such as a bio-enzyme or a special softener) is evenly applied to the surface of the fabric by spraying. Then, the fabric is "steamed" in a temperature- and humidity-controlled steam environment. The humid heat promotes the deep penetration, diffusion, and action of the additive into the fiber, effectively softening the sizing agent and grease, and reducing friction and cohesion between fibers.

[0034] Flexible pretreatment step: The fabric sheet treated with the auxiliary agent is fed into the flexible opening machine 5. The fabric sheet is progressively needled and peeled by at least one set of needle punching devices to loosen its warp and weft yarn structure in a physical way before preliminary opening.

[0035] In this step, the core equipment is a flexible opening machine 5 with an integrated needle punching device. By using multiple sets of needles to progressively and intermittently puncture, hook, and peel the fabric softened by the auxiliary agent, the interlacing structure of the warp and weft yarns is loosened and separated in advance in a mechanical manner, achieving "loosening first, then opening", which greatly reduces the force required for subsequent strong mechanical opening.

[0036] Multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps: The pre-treated material is sequentially subjected to pre-opening, impurity removal and single-roller fine opening to transform it into a single fiber state; wherein, at the outlet of the pre-opening and / or the single-roller fine opening, a material diversion mechanism is provided so that the separated fibers are transported away by airflow, while the insufficiently opened material is returned or continues to undergo opening treatment.

[0037] This step employs a series of processes: pre-opening, impurity removal, and single-roller fine opening. Pre-opening loosens and initially decomposes the material; impurity removal devices (such as dust cages or cyclones) remove dust and impurities; and single-roller fine opening ultimately separates the material into single fibers. The key innovation lies in the material diversion mechanism at the outlet, which utilizes airflow and mechanical screening principles to promptly transport the separated, qualified fibers away, avoiding over-processing; simultaneously, unopened clumps of material are automatically returned or retained for further processing, achieving closed-loop intelligent control of the "opening-separation" process.

[0038] Humidity control and storage procedures: The opened fibers are atomized and humidified during transportation or storage to maintain the moisture content and strength of the fibers.

[0039] In this step, a misting humidification device is installed in the fiber conveying pipeline or storage space to replenish moisture in real time and evenly based on the online monitoring of fiber moisture content data, so as to keep the fiber in the optimal moisture content range, thereby maintaining its flexibility and strength and reducing static electricity and fly waste during processing.

[0040] Combing and length grading steps: The fibers are thoroughly combed through the combing and splitting machine 10, and within the same equipment, the single fibers are separated into at least three types according to length, namely long fiber component, medium and short fiber component and ultra-short fiber component, by utilizing the difference in fiber length and aerodynamic characteristics.

[0041] In this step, the fiber combing and separating machine 10 completes the process. The combing component further separates the fiber bundle into individual fibers and aligns them. The core principle of grading is that, after thorough combing, the individual fibers, under the combined action of negative pressure airflow and needle cloth traction, are separated due to differences in mass, surface area, and aerodynamic resistance of fibers of different lengths. Long fibers are easily hooked by the needle cloth and adhere to the inner layer of the cylinder surface, medium and short fibers drift a moderate distance, and ultra-short fibers and dust drift the farthest. Thus, they are collected separately in different areas of the equipment, achieving online precise grading based on physical length.

[0042] Grading and packaging steps: Collect and package fibers of different lengths separately.

[0043] In this step, the long fibers, medium and short fibers, and super short fibers collected from different outlets are compressed, weighed, and packaged into neat fiber bales for easy storage, transportation, and targeted sales to downstream textile companies for different purposes.

[0044] Therefore, by adopting a progressive process path of first chemical softening (auxiliaries), then physical loosening (needle punching), and finally gentle opening (multi-stage), the damage to the fibers caused by strong mechanical impact is greatly reduced, resulting in regenerated fibers with a long average length and high strength retention rate, which fundamentally improves the quality of regenerated fibers.

[0045] Furthermore, it innovatively integrates aerodynamic grading technology into the combing process, which can continuously and automatically separate fibers into different components according to length. Long fibers can be used for high-count yarns and high-end fabrics; medium and short fibers are suitable for denim, blended yarns, etc.; and super short fibers can be used as filling materials, truly realizing "graded utilization and making the most of resources", greatly enhancing economic value.

[0046] Furthermore, the seamless connection between each workstation, from cutting to packaging, eliminates intermittent steps such as traditional manual stacking and fermentation. The application of intelligent control technologies such as material diversion and humidity regulation reduces labor intensity, improves the production environment, and enhances production efficiency and stability.

[0047] Furthermore, the uniform cutting and deep penetration of additives, along with the needle punching pretreatment, significantly reduces the resistance to subsequent opening, thereby reducing the load and energy consumption of the opening equipment, and also reducing the short fibers and dust generated by forced opening.

[0048] By deeply sorting waste textiles and recycling a high proportion of fibers, landfill and incineration of waste are reduced. The graded products can replace some virgin fibers, saving raw materials such as petroleum and cotton, which aligns with the requirements of a circular economy and sustainable development. The produced graded fibers have high length concentration and well-defined performance indicators, better meeting the specific raw material requirements of different downstream textile processes such as ring spinning, air-jet spinning, and nonwoven fabrics, thus broadening the application areas of recycled fibers from waste textiles.

[0049] In some embodiments, in the additive treatment step, the additive spraying adopts a closed-loop water circulation system, and the wastewater generated by spraying, squeezing and dripping is collected, filtered and treated by flocculation and sedimentation, and then reused for the compounding of the additive solution.

[0050] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further integrates a closed-loop water circulation system in the additive treatment step to achieve the goal of efficient utilization of water resources and zero discharge.

[0051] After passing through the additive spraying zone, the fabric sheet is lightly squeezed by a pair of pressure rollers, causing excess additive liquid to drip off. The mixed wastewater (containing unreacted additives, trace amounts of fiber debris, and impurities) generated from spraying, squeezing, and natural dripping is collected in a collection tank below and pumped to the wastewater treatment unit. This unit includes: Primary filter: 100 μm stainless steel filter screen to remove fibrous clumps and large particulate impurities; Flocculation sedimentation tank: Add food-grade polyaluminum chloride and polyacrylamide, stir and react to cause colloidal substances to coagulate and settle; Precision filter: Bag filter is used.

[0052] The treated clarified water is returned to the additive preparation tank, where it is mixed with fresh deionized water and concentrated additive mother liquor in proportion to prepare a spray solution of working concentration, achieving a water recycling rate of over 90%.

[0053] In some embodiments, in the flexible pretreatment step, the progressive needle punching employs at least two sets of needle rollers arranged along the material travel direction, and the diameter of the steel needles on the latter set of needle rollers is larger than the diameter of the steel needles on the former set of needle rollers.

[0054] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment optimizes the structure of the needle punching device in the flexible pretreatment step to further improve yarn loosening efficiency and avoid fiber damage.

[0055] The flexible opening machine 5 has two sets of needle rollers arranged sequentially along the material's travel direction (it can also be expanded to three sets, depending on the density of the raw material): First needle roller (upstream): Roller body diameter 200mm, surface uniformly embedded with round cross-section steel needles, needle diameter Φ2.5 mm, needle density 8 needles / inch², needle length 12mm, working speed 25rpm; The second needle roller (downstream) is located about 500mm behind the first needle roller. It has the same roller structure, but the diameter of the steel needle is increased to Φ2.8 mm, the needle density is increased to 10 needles / inch², the needle length is 15mm, and the rotation speed is 30 rpm.

[0056] The material (a wet cloth sheet treated with auxiliaries) first enters the first needle roller area, where fine-diameter steel needles lightly puncture the fabric surface with low penetration force. The main function is to break the interlacing points of the surface yarns and form microchannels. Then it enters the second needle roller area, where thicker steel needles, with their greater rigidity and contact area, apply a moderate peeling force to the already loosened internal structure, causing the warp and weft yarns to further separate into bundles without breaking.

[0057] In some embodiments, in the multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps, the single-roll fine opening adopts a structure with one main cylinder and multiple independent carding rollers, and the speed of the carding rollers is independently controlled by a frequency converter.

[0058] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment optimizes the structure of the single-roller fine opening unit to improve its adaptability to materials with different opening difficulties and reduce fiber damage caused by excessive impact.

[0059] The single-roll fine opening machine adopts a structure with a high-speed main cylinder and three independently arranged carding rollers (denoted as rollers A, B, and C). Each carding roller is arranged sequentially along the circumference of the main cylinder, forming a small working gap with the cylinder surface. Its surface is also covered with special card cloth, which is used to grasp and further comb the fiber bundles carried by the main cylinder.

[0060] The key is that each combing roller is equipped with an independent servo motor and frequency converter, and its speed can be adjusted in real time according to the incoming material status. Roller A (inlet side): Default speed 150rpm, used to process larger, not fully dissociated fiber bundles, providing strong grip at low speed; Roller B (middle zone): Default speed 200rpm, medium-intensity combing of medium-sized bundled fibers; Roller C (outlet side): Default speed 250 rpm, high-speed stripping of residual small clumps to ensure high proportion of single fibers in the output.

[0061] The control system can dynamically adjust the rotational speed of each roller based on the proportion of unopened material fed back from the upstream diversion mechanism or the results of online fiber image analysis. For example, when a short-term excessive thickness of the incoming material is detected, the rotational speed of roller A is automatically reduced to 100 rpm to enhance the gripping force, while roller C is increased to 300 rpm to compensate for the end opening intensity.

[0062] In some embodiments, this application also provides a waste textile recycled fiber system for implementing any of the methods described in the above embodiments, comprising the following units arranged sequentially along the material handling process and connected by a material conveying device: The discharge end of the slitting unit is connected to the feed end of the additive processing unit through the first conveying device; The additive processing unit includes a slurry machine 2 and a steaming machine 3 connected in series, wherein the outlet of the slurry machine 2 is directly connected to the inlet of the steaming machine 3 through a second conveying device; The air-cooling device 4 has its feed end located downstream of the discharge end of the steaming machine 3; The flexible opening machine 5 receives the fabric sheet from the air-cooling device 4 at its feed end via a third conveying device; The carding and loosening line includes a pre-opening machine 6, a cleaning machine 7, and a single-roller opener 8 connected sequentially via a fourth conveying device; the discharge end of the flexible opener 5 is connected to the feed end of the pre-opening machine 6. The storage conveyor 9 is connected to the fiber outlet of the single-roll opener 8 via a first pneumatic conveying pipe; At least one carding and fiber separating machine 10 is connected to the discharge end of the storage conveyor 9 via a second pneumatic conveying pipe; The packager group 11 includes at least two packagers 11, which are respectively connected to the outlets of different fiber components of the carding and fiber separating machine 10; In addition, a fan 13 that provides power to the first pneumatic conveying pipeline and the second pneumatic conveying pipeline, an air-fiber separator 12 installed on the conveying pipeline, and a dust removal device.

[0063] Based on any of the above method embodiments, this embodiment provides a fully automated, continuously operating waste textile fiber recycling system for implementing the aforementioned recycling method. The system includes multiple functional units arranged sequentially along the material handling process and connected by various conveying devices, as detailed below: (1) A slitting unit for performing the aforementioned slitting steps. It includes a straight knife slitting machine 1 and a circular knife slitting machine 1 arranged vertically and crosswise. The discharge end feeds the fabric sheet into the next unit through a first conveying device (101) (e.g., a belt conveyor).

[0064] (2) The additive processing unit includes a spraying machine 2 and a steaming machine 3 connected in series. The spraying machine 2 is equipped with multiple sets of atomizing spray heads to uniformly apply neutral biological enzyme additives to the fabric; its outlet is directly connected to the inlet of the steaming machine 3 through a second conveying device (moisture-resistant mesh belt) to avoid intermediate accumulation and ensure that the additives play their role within the optimal aging time. The steaming machine 3 is a closed steam chamber.

[0065] Note: In some embodiments, a wastewater collection tank is provided below the condenser 2, which is connected to a closed-loop water treatment system.

[0066] (3) Air cooling device 4 is set downstream of the discharge end of steaming machine 3. Axial flow fan 13 is used to force cool the high temperature and high humidity fabric to prevent the yarn from sticking or deforming due to heat softening during subsequent needle punching.

[0067] (4) Flexible opening machine 5, whose feed end receives fabric sheets from air-cooling device 4 through a third conveying device (such as synchronous belt conveyor). The machine is equipped with two sets of progressive needle rollers to complete the pre-loosening and initial opening of the yarn structure.

[0068] (5) The carding and unwinding line is composed of the following equipment connected in sequence via the fourth conveying device: Pre-opening machine 6: adopts an angle nail and handle structure; Impurity Remover 7: Employs an airflow screen combination to remove impurities; Single-roller opener 8: It adopts a main cylinder + multiple independent combing roller structure to achieve fine opening.

[0069] The discharge end of the flexible loosening machine 5 is directly connected to the feed inlet of the pre-loosening machine 6 via a pipeline or conveyor belt, forming a continuous material flow.

[0070] (6) The storage conveyor 9 has its inlet connected to the fiber outlet of the single-roller opener 8 via a first pneumatic conveying pipe. The air velocity within the pipe ensures the fiber is suspended and conveyed. The pipe is equipped with the following components in sequence: Air-fiber separator 12 (cyclone separation structure) is used to settle fibers from the airflow; Dust removal equipment (bag filter), purified return air.

[0071] The separated fibers are temporarily stored in the buffer chamber of the storage conveyor 9, and are simultaneously subjected to atomized humidification.

[0072] (7) At least one carding and fiber separating machine 10, whose inlet is connected to the outlet of the storage conveyor 9 through a second pneumatic conveying pipe. The machine integrates carding and aerodynamic grading functions, and separates the fibers according to length: long fibers are discharged from the first outlet; medium and short fibers are discharged from the second outlet; and ultra-short fibers are discharged from the third outlet.

[0073] (8) Packing machine group 11, including at least two automatic packing machines 11, which are respectively connected to the outlets of different fiber components of the carding and fiber separating machine 10.

[0074] (9) Pneumatic conveying power and environmental protection subsystem Fan 13 system: includes high-pressure centrifugal fan 13, which provides stable negative / positive pressure airflow to the first pneumatic conveying pipeline and the second pneumatic conveying pipeline; Central control system: PLC integrates control of the start / stop, speed linkage, and fault alarm of each unit.

[0075] In some embodiments, the emulsifier 2 integrates a closed-loop water circulation system, which includes a dilution tank, a spray pipe network, a negative pressure suction device located below the chain network, a squeeze roller, a wastewater collection tank, a filter device, a flocculation sedimentation tank, and a return pump connected in sequence, with the outlet of the return pump connected to the dilution tank.

[0076] In some embodiments, the flexible opening machine 5 includes a feeding device, at least two sets of needle-punching devices, and an opening output device arranged in sequence; each set of needle-punching devices includes a feeding curtain, a squeezing brush roller, a needle roller, and a peeling brush roller that cooperate with each other; along the material travel direction, the diameter of the steel needles on each set of needle rollers increases sequentially.

[0077] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment further discloses a closed-loop water circulation system integrated inside the leaching machine 2, which not only realizes the efficient reuse of the auxiliary agent liquid, but also significantly improves the wastewater recovery rate and water quality stability through the synergistic effect of negative pressure suction and mechanical extrusion.

[0078] The sprayer 2 is equipped with a horizontally running perforated chain conveyor belt, on which the fabric sheet is placed and passes through the spray zone. The closed-loop water circulation system includes the following functional modules connected in process sequence: Dilution tank: Used for preparing auxiliary solutions of working concentration, equipped with a level gauge and an automatic water replenishment valve; Spraying network: It consists of multiple rows of fan-shaped atomizing nozzles. The auxiliary agent liquid is drawn from the dilution tank by the liquid supply pump and sprayed evenly on the cloth pieces on the chain network. Negative pressure suction device: Located directly below the chain mesh, it consists of a porous suction plate and a vacuum fan 13. It is used to actively suction out excess liquid that penetrates the fabric to prevent dripping and improve recycling efficiency. Squeeze rollers: Located at the outlet end of the chain mesh, they consist of a pair of rubber-coated rollers with adjustable line pressure. They lightly press the fabric to further squeeze out residual auxiliary liquid. Wastewater collection tank: collects mixed waste liquid from the negative pressure suction device and the squeezing roller; Filtration device: includes a primary stainless steel filter screen and a secondary bag filter to remove fiber debris and solid impurities; Flocculation sedimentation tank: PAC and PAM are added for coagulation treatment to achieve sedimentation of colloidal substances; Return pump: Pumps the clarified water after flocculation and sedimentation back to the dilution tank, mixes it with fresh auxiliary agent mother liquor and makeup water, and re-formulates the working solution.

[0079] In some embodiments, the carding and separating machine is provided with a main cylinder, a movable cover plate area that cooperates with the main cylinder, a doffer, and at least one airflow sorting unit disposed around the main cylinder; the doffer is responsible for outputting long fiber components, the airflow sorting unit is responsible for outputting medium and short fiber components, and the movable cover plate area is responsible for collecting ultra-short fiber components.

[0080] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment discloses in detail a carding and fiber sorting machine that integrates carding and three-level length sorting functions, which is used to efficiently achieve accurate grading of regenerated fibers.

[0081] The fiber combing and separating machine mainly includes the following core components, arranged sequentially along the circumference of the main cylinder: Main cylinder: The surface is covered with high-density elastic card cloth, which is used to grasp and comb open fibers from the pneumatic conveying pipe; Movable cover plate area: Located in the upper semi-circular area of ​​the main cylinder, it consists of 30-40 movable cover plates arranged between the front and rear cover plates. The needle direction of the cover plates is cross-arranged with the needle direction of the cylinder to form a strong combing effect area. During the carding process, short fibers (length <10 mm) are difficult to hold effectively by the cylinder and are easily intercepted by the card teeth of the cover plate. They move with the cover plate to the rear of the machine and are then separated by the stripping rollers and fall into the short fiber collection channel. The doffer is located downstream of the main cylinder and has a lower card density than the cylinder. It is used to aggregate and transfer the fully carded long fibers (>15 mm). Due to their large length and strong cohesion, long fibers can be stably transferred to the surface of the doffer, and then peeled off by the cutter and enter the long fiber output channel. Airflow sorting unit: located in the transition area between the main cylinder and the doffer, including a horizontally arranged array of adjustable nozzles; Medium-length fibers (10–15 mm) detach from the cylinder surface under the combined action of centrifugal force and airflow, but cannot be effectively transferred to the doffer. They are then blown into the medium-short fiber collection channel by the lateral airflow.

[0082] By adjusting the wind speed and angle of the airflow sorting unit, the separation threshold of medium and short fibers can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to the requirements of different spinning processes on the length of raw materials.

[0083] In some embodiments, at least one of the fiber outlet of the single-roller opener 8, the outlet of the pre-opener 6, and the outlet of the flexible opener 5 is provided with a diversion baffle or adjustable air duct for open fibers and insufficiently opened materials, constituting the material diversion mechanism.

[0084] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment optimizes the specific structure of the material diversion mechanism to achieve efficient and low-cost separation of opened fibers and insufficiently opened materials, avoiding reliance on complex image recognition systems while maintaining compatibility with intelligent control.

[0085] An adjustable air duct type diversion mechanism is installed at the fiber outlet of the single-roll opener 8, which includes: A main discharge channel is used to convey materials carried by airflow; An adjustable baffle (made of stainless steel, with manual or electric angle adjustment) located in the middle of the channel.

[0086] The downstream branch road is divided into two branches: A lightweight fiber channel, connected to a first pneumatic conveying pipe, is used to convey fully opened single fibers; The heavy agglomerate channel leads to the return hopper, which sends the incompletely opened fiber bundles back to the inlet of the pre-opening machine 6.

[0087] Single fibers are lightweight and have good suspension properties. Under the action of the main airflow, they can pass over the guide plate and enter the light channel. Meanwhile, the fiber clumps that are not fully opened have great inertia. After impacting the guide plate, they fall into the heavy channel along its slope, thus achieving automatic diversion.

[0088] In other embodiments, a similar diversion mechanism may also be provided at the outlet of the pre-opening machine 6: a fixed diversion baffle (height adjustable) is used to separate coarse bundles and fine fibers by utilizing the difference in material throwing trajectories.

[0089] At the outlet of the flexible opening machine: a low-speed, horizontally adjustable air duct is set up to blow away the loosened yarns, leaving the tightly packed fabric pieces for further processing.

[0090] In some embodiments, the top of the storage conveyor 9 is provided with an atomizing nozzle, which is connected to a water source via a pipeline.

[0091] Based on the above embodiments, this embodiment enhances the functionality of the storage conveyor 9 to achieve precise humidity control of the opened fibers during temporary storage and transportation.

[0092] The storage conveyor 9 is a closed buffer chamber structure, with multiple atomizing nozzles evenly arranged on its top inner wall along the material flow direction. Each atomizing nozzle is connected to the main water supply pipeline via a pressure-resistant hose, which is connected to a deionized water source (or softened water tank) via a solenoid valve.

[0093] The atomizing nozzle is preferably an ultrasonic atomizing nozzle or a high-pressure micro-orifice nozzle, which can produce micron-level water mist; a humidity sensor (such as a capacitive temperature and humidity probe) is installed below the nozzle to monitor the moisture content of the fibers in the chamber in real time; the signal is fed back to the central control system, and when the fiber moisture content is detected to be lower than the set value, the solenoid valve is automatically opened to start atomizing humidification until the moisture content rises back to the target range and then it is turned off.

[0094] In all examples shown and described herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations; therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0095] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0096] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for regenerating fibers from waste textiles, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Slitting step: The waste textile raw materials are slitted by a vertical cross slitting unit containing straight knife slitting unit and circular knife slitting unit to obtain fabric pieces of predetermined size; Additive treatment steps: The fabric is subjected to additive spraying and penetration and temperature and humidity controlled steam steaming treatment in sequence to fully integrate the neutral additives with the fibers, thereby reducing the cohesion between yarns and fibers; Flexible pretreatment step: The fabric sheet treated with the auxiliary agent is fed into the flexible opening machine, and the fabric sheet is progressively needled and peeled by at least one set of needle punching devices to loosen its warp and weft yarn structure in a physical way before preliminary opening. Multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps: The pre-treated material is sequentially subjected to pre-opening, impurity removal and single-roller fine opening to convert it into a single fiber state; wherein, at the outlet of the pre-opening and / or the single-roller fine opening, a material diversion mechanism is provided so that the separated fibers are transported away by airflow, while the material that is not fully opened is returned or continues to be opened. Humidity control and storage and transportation steps: The opened fibers are atomized and humidified during transportation or storage to maintain the moisture content and strength of the fibers; Combing and length grading steps: The fibers are thoroughly combed through a combing and splitting machine, and within the same equipment, the single fibers are separated into at least three types according to length, including long fiber components, medium and short fiber components, and ultra-short fiber components, by utilizing the differences in fiber length and aerodynamic properties. Grading and packaging steps: Collect and package fibers of different lengths separately.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the additive treatment step, the additive spraying adopts a closed-loop water circulation system. The wastewater generated by spraying, squeezing and dripping is collected, filtered and treated by flocculation and sedimentation, and then reused for the compounding of the additive solution.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the flexible pretreatment step, the progressive needle punching employs at least two sets of needle rollers arranged along the material travel direction, and the diameter of the steel needles on the latter set of needle rollers is greater than the diameter of the steel needles on the former set of needle rollers.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, In the multi-stage opening and impurity removal steps, the single-roll fine opening adopts a structure of one main cylinder and multiple independent carding rollers, and the speed of the carding rollers is independently controlled by a frequency converter.

5. A system for regenerating fibers from waste textiles for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, This includes the following units arranged sequentially along the material handling process and connected by a material conveying device: The discharge end of the slitting unit is connected to the feed end of the additive processing unit through the first conveying device; The additive processing unit includes a slurry machine and a steaming machine connected in series, wherein the outlet of the slurry machine is directly connected to the inlet of the steaming machine through a second conveying device; The air-cooling device has its feed end located downstream of the discharge end of the steaming machine; The flexible opening machine receives fabric sheets from the air-cooling device via a third conveying device at its feed end; The carding and loosening line includes a pre-opening machine, a cleaning machine, and a single-roller opener connected sequentially via a fourth conveying device; the discharge end of the flexible opener is connected to the feed end of the pre-opening machine. A storage conveyor is connected to the fiber outlet of the single-roll opener via a first pneumatic conveying pipe; At least one carding and fiber separating machine is connected to the discharge end of the storage conveyor via a second pneumatic conveying pipe; The baling unit includes at least two baling machines, each connected to the outlet of a different fiber component of the carding and separating machine; In addition, a fan that provides power to the first pneumatic conveying pipeline and the second pneumatic conveying pipeline, an air-fiber separator and a dust removal device installed on the conveying pipeline.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The leaching machine integrates a closed-loop water circulation system, which includes a dilution tank, a spray pipe network, a negative pressure suction device located below the chain network, a squeeze roller, a wastewater collection tank, a filter device, a flocculation sedimentation tank, and a return pump connected in sequence. The outlet of the return pump is connected to the dilution tank.

7. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible opening machine includes a feeding device, at least two sets of needle punching devices, and an opening output device arranged in sequence; each set of needle punching devices includes a feeding curtain, a squeezing brush roller, a needle roller, and a peeling brush roller that cooperate with each other; along the material travel direction, the diameter of the steel needles on each set of needle rollers increases sequentially.

8. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The carding and fiber separating machine is equipped with a main cylinder, a movable cover plate area that cooperates with the main cylinder, a doffer, and at least one airflow sorting unit arranged around the main cylinder; the doffer is responsible for outputting long fiber components, the airflow sorting unit is responsible for outputting medium and short fiber components, and the movable cover plate area is responsible for collecting ultra-short fiber components.

9. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least one of the fiber outlet of the single-roller opener, the outlet of the pre-opener, and the outlet of the flexible opener, a diversion baffle or adjustable air duct for open fibers and insufficiently opened materials is provided, constituting the material diversion mechanism.

10. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top of the storage conveyor is equipped with an atomizing nozzle, which is connected to a water source via a pipeline.

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