Foam Formed Textile Fibre Web for Plastic Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing non-woven materials face challenges with the use of plastic alternatives, such as paper bags being heavier and less durable, and biodegradable plastics not breaking down effectively, while also failing to utilize heterogeneous textile waste streams efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A fibrous web is produced using 50-100% textile fibre waste and a binder through foam forming technology, allowing for the creation of a material with improved tensile strength, tear resistance, and seamability, suitable for various applications, including packaging and textiles, by dispersing fibres uniformly in the wet-webbing process without mechanical processing steps like hydroentangling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If paper bags are used as plastic alternatives, then environmental friendliness is improved, but weight increases and strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite materials consisting of 50-100% textile fibre waste (natural and/or synthetic fibres) combined with a binder to create a fibrous web that achieves both environmental friendliness and mechanical strength. This composite structure allows the material to be biodegradable like natural fibres while gaining the strength and durability needed to replace plastic bags.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If biodegradable plastics are used, then environmental degradation is improved, but performance and cost competitiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the material composition by using 50-100% textile fibre waste with specific fibre length (5-60 mm) and fineness (0.1-20 dtex) ranges, combined with appropriate binders. This parameter optimization enables the material to achieve both biodegradability and the mechanical performance required for practical applications, overcoming the limitations of conventional biodegradable plastics.
3Loss of substance
If textile fibre waste is used as filler in non-woven materials, then waste utilization is improved, but material strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a binder as an intermediary substance that bonds the textile fibre waste particles together, creating a cohesive fibrous web structure. The binder acts as a mediator that enables the weak individual fibres to work together as a strong composite material, achieving both high waste utilization (50-100%) and adequate mechanical strength for practical applications.
4Stability of the object's composition
If hydroentangling is used to process fibrous webs, then material compactness is improved, but process complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex hydroentangling process from the production method. Instead of using high-energy mechanical entanglement, the patent employs a simpler foam forming process that directly creates a cohesive fibrous web structure through foam expansion and drying, achieving compactness without the need for complex post-processing equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting material offers enhanced strength, stretchability, and evenness, enabling the recycling of heterogeneous textile waste into value-added products, replacing plastics in applications like bags and packaging, while promoting a closed-loop recycling process.
Implementation Method 1
a fibrous web is produced using 50-100% textile fibre waste and a binder through foam forming technology, allowing for the creation of a material with improved tensile strength, tear resistance, and seamability, suitable for various applications, including packaging and textiles, by dispersing fibres uniformly in the wet-webbing process
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a fibrous web, according to which method a fibrous web is formed of foamed fibre dispersion, by using foam forming. According to the present invention, the foamed fibre dispersion comprises recycled textile fibres and possibly natural fibres or synthetic fibres, or a mixture thereof, in which case, of the fibres in the fibre layer, at least 30 % by weight, in particular at least 50 % by weight, is sourced from recycled textile fibres. The present invention generates a product with which it is possible to replace, for example, plastic in bag and package applications. The present product is also suitable, for example, for various textile and furniture applications.