A method of production of laundry dryer balls from textile wastes

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of recycling textile waste into eco-friendly and vegan laundry dryer balls.

Description

[0001] A METHOD OF PRODUCTION OF LAUNDRY DRYER BALLS FROM TEXTILE WASTES

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The invention relates to a method of recycling textile waste into eco-friendly and preferably, vegan laundry dryer balls. The drying balls of the invention intend to save energy by reducing the drying time of the laundry and also to prevent the laundry from softening and creasing.

[0004] State of the Art

[0005] Tumble dryers have been preferred quite often recently due to the desire for the laundry to dry faster, the lack of a suitable area for drying, and very difficult and longterm drying process, especially in winter. In said tumble dryers, the layers of wet laundry create a load on each other and make the air flow more difficult. Dryer balls developed to solve this problem help improve air flow by flowing between wet laundry layers. It also prevents the laundry from wrinkling by reducing static electricity.

[0006] In the state of the art, there are laundry dryer balls made of a plastic, or wool. Traditional dryer balls are usually made of wool, plastics or rubber. Plastic balls are not preferred much as they cause unwanted odors, are affected by heat and may damage the laundry. Mostly 100% wool laundry balls are used. Even balls made from natural fibers, such as wool balls, may increase greenhouse gas emissions during the production process of these fibers and the use of end products. This leads to an increase in the carbon footprint. There is a concern about the use of fibers which may be used in the clothing industry for drying ball models made of wool. Obtaining wool fiber from natural sources and using that fiber may cause more consumption of resources in the textile industry. Some drying balls, especially wool balls, may leave fiber residues on the laundry. This may cause undesirable results for the users and may spoil the aesthetic appearance of the clothes. In addition, wool may inherently contain black and brown strands. These strands may cause undesirable results, especially by sticking to light-colored clothes. Thus, a method should be developed, which minimizes or eliminates the above- mentioned disadvantages in the state of the art.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] One of the advantages of the invention is that diversity may be achieved by using not only certain types of fibers such as wool, but also different types of textile waste. This, in turn, will provide a potential to utilize a wider range of materials and increase the use of waste. The invention reduce the amount of waste and contribute to more efficient use of resources in the textile industry by allowing the textile waste to be reused. Reusing old textile products will also reduce energy and water consumption compared to the production of new fibers. Also, as the utilization of old textile products, the need to produce new fibers will be eliminated, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the use of vegan products instead of wool, which is an animal material, will be encouraged. A sustainable practice will be introduced to reduce the environmental impact of the production process.

[0009] Another advantage of the invention is that it may be adapted to various markets and user needs thanks to dryer balls which may be produced from various textile wastes. It may be produced in accordance with any sector according to the needs. When the dryer balls produced by this production method are used in tumble dryers, the drying time of the laundry will be reduced, energy will be saved and the clothes will soften more effectively, thereby preventing wrinkling. In this way, the carbon footprint caused by traditional dryer balls will be reduced, and a more sustainable alternative will be offered. In addition, as the dryer balls produced from textile wastes are more durable and long-lasting than the existing products, the dryer balls are allowed to be used for a longer time.

[0010] Another advantage of the invention is that it is possible to produce dryer balls which may be customized and diversified according to different user needs. For example, it will become possible to produce dryer balls of different sizes, shapes or colors. The invention offers a more eco-friendly, flexible and effective solution as compared to the existing dryer ball implementations related to the use of textile waste. Description of the Figures

[0011] Fig. 1 : is a representative flow diagram of the method according to the invention.

[0012] Description of the References in the Figures

[0013] In order to provide a better understanding of the invention, the numerals in the figures are provided below.

[0014] 1001. Collecting textile waste

[0015] 1002. Cleaning the collected textile waste

[0016] 1003. Pretreatment

[0017] 1004. Separating textile waste into fibers

[0018] 1005. Recycling the fibers

[0019] 1006. Forming the dryer balls

[0020] 1007. Performing a quality control step

[0021] 1008. Applying the performance tests

[0022] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0023] Exemplary embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying descriptions. However, embodiments may be constructed in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these exemplary embodiments are provided for the completeness of this disclosure and to fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art.

[0024] The terminology used in this specification is intended to be used only to describe a specific exemplary embodiment and is not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, the forms "one", "least", and "preferably" are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly states otherwise.

[0025] A method of production of laundry dryer balls from textile wastes, according to the invention comprises the process steps of: I. collecting (1001) textile wastes,

[0026] II. cleaning (1002) the collected textile wastes,

[0027] III. pre-treatment (1003),

[0028] IV. Separating (1004) textile wastes into fibers,

[0029] V. recycling (1005) the fibers,

[0030] VI. forming (1006) the drying balls,

[0031] VII. performing (1007) a quality control step,

[0032] VIII. applying (1008) the performance tests

[0033] In the method of the invention, textile wastes are first brought together during the process step of collecting textile wastes (1001 ). Waste textiles usually consist of the unused, worn or damaged clothing, fabrics and textile products. These wastes may be collected from various sources such as textile factories, clothing manufacturers, individual donations or waste collection centers. The collected textile wastes are usually provided in a mixed form. Therefore, it is important to determine the right separation and collection strategies. In the process step of cleaning the collected textile wastes (1002), the collected textile wastes are cleaned of dirt, stains, chemical residues or foreign substances. The cleaning process is a critical step in making the recycling process more efficient. Washing, sterilization and some chemical treatment techniques are used in this step. During cleaning, care is taken not to damage the structure of the textile fibers to be recycled, and accessories such as buttons and zippers on the clothes are removed in this step. Textile wastes cleaned in the pretreatment (1003) step are subjected to a pretreatment to make them suitable for the recycling process. In this step, various processes may be applied according to the type and fiber structure of the textile materials. Processes are carried out in this step, such as separation of the fibers according to their type, or physical break down of the fabric. In addition, different processes are applied depending on whether the textile products contain natural or synthetic fibers. In this step, textile wastes may be classified according to fiber size. After the pretreatment is completed, the step of separating the textile wastes into fibers (1004) is started and the textile wastes are separated into their fibers. In this step, the textile products are separated into yarn or fiber structures by mechanical or chemical methods. In the mechanical process, the textile materials are broken down into fibers, while in chemical methods, especially synthetic fabrics are dissolved with chemical solvents and separated into fibers. This process is important in terms of obtaining fibers of the appropriate quality and size for a recycling process. The recycling step of fibers (1005) is a process of making the fibers obtained reusable. The fibers may be converted into yarns, fabrics, or other textile products. The recycled fibers are reprocessed for use in the production of new products in the textile industry. In this process, the quality control process of the fibers is carried out and improper or low-quality fibers are eliminated. This step is critical in terms of converting textile waste into a reusable product. During the formation step of the dryer balls (1006), the recycled fibers are converted into the dryer balls. The dryer balls are balls which are usually used in tumble dryers, save energy and allow clothes to dry faster. In this step, the fibers are compressed or formed into balls of a desired size and shape. It is important that the dryer balls are manufactured correctly for effective performance during use. After the dryer balls are formed, a quality control step (1007) is proceeded. In this step, the balls produced are tested whether they meet criteria such as size, density, durability and performance. The quality control step (1007) is carried out to determine whether the product complies with the standards and to identify possible defective products. In addition, the environmental impact of the dryer balls may be evaluated in this step. Performance tests of the dryer balls produced during the application step of the performance tests (1008) are carried out. These tests measure the effectiveness of the dryer balls in tumble dryers, their ability to save energy, whether or not they damage clothing, and how long they can last. According to the test results, it is decided whether the products are suitable for placing on the market. If the product passes the tests, it is packaged and made ready for distribution to reach the end user.

[0034] Industrial Applicability of the Invention

[0035] The dryer balls produced by a method of production of laundry dryer balls from textile wastes according to the invention may be used in any environment where all kinds of textile products are washed and dried, such as homes, workplaces, hospitals, hotels, and has industrial applicability.

[0036] The invention is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments, and a person skilled in the art may easily present other different embodiments of the invention. These should be considered within the scope of the protection requested by the claims of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A method of production of laundry dryer balls from textile wastes, characterized in that it comprises the process steps of: - collecting (1001) textile wastes,- cleaning (1002) the collected textile wastes,- pre-treatment (1003),- separating (1004) textile wastes into fibers,- recycling (1005) the fibers, - forming (1006) the drying balls,- performing (1007) a quality control step,- Applying (1008) the performance tests.

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