Hydrothermal Separation of Polyester-Cotton Textiles Using Organic Acid Catalysts

The patent changes the chemical parameters by using organic acids (acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid) instead of traditional harmful chemicals like hydrochloric acid or tetramethylene sulfone. This parameter substitution maintains the chemical effectiveness for fiber separation while eliminating environmental pollution and reducing costs.

The patent employs inexpensive organic acids as catalysts that can be easily disposed of or degraded naturally, replacing expensive and environmentally harmful chemicals. The organic acids serve their purpose during the separation process and then decompose benignally, avoiding long-term environmental contamination.

The patent uses inexpensive organic acids (acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid) as catalysts that are significantly cheaper than traditional chemicals like hydrochloric acid or tetramethylene sulfone. These organic acids can be purchased at low cost and disposed of or degraded naturally after use, reducing both material costs and disposal costs.

By changing the chemical parameters to use organic acids instead of traditional harmful chemicals, the patent maintains effective fiber separation while dramatically reducing production costs. The organic acids provide sufficient catalytic activity for complete separation at much lower prices.

The patent replaces expensive solvents like NMMO, ionic liquid, and DMT with inexpensive organic acids that serve as catalysts for hydrothermal degradation. These organic acids are much cheaper, can be easily disposed of or degraded naturally, and still achieve complete fiber separation through catalytic action on the hydrothermal reaction.

The patent substitutes the mechanical/dissolution-based approach using large solvents with a chemical catalytic approach using organic acids. Instead of relying on bulk solvent dissolution, the organic acids catalyze hydrothermal reactions that selectively degrade cotton fibers while leaving polyester intact, achieving separation through catalytic chemistry rather than bulk solvent action.

The patent uses organic acids that are environmentally benign and can be degraded naturally, replacing expensive and environmentally harmful solvents like NMMO, ionic liquid, and DMT. These organic acids pose no environmental threat after use and can be disposed of or decomposed without harming the environment.

The patent replaces the solvent-based dissolution system with a catalytic hydrothermal reaction system using organic acids. This substitution eliminates the need for large volumes of expensive and environmentally harmful solvents, achieving the same separation completeness through a greener, more sustainable chemical process.