Recycled Mixed Textile Cellulose Plastic Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current recycling methods for mixed textiles containing cellulose and synthetic plastics are costly and resource-intensive, often depleting cellulose during the process, and struggle to achieve pure cellulose for reuse in methods like lyocell or viscose recycling, due to contamination and the need for complex separation steps.
Innovation Solution
A method that selectively depletes synthetic plastics from mixed textiles using solvents that do not degrade cellulose, allowing for the reuse of the depleted mixed textiles to produce a regenerated cellulosic molded body with controlled residual plastic concentrations, which can enhance properties like strength and elasticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If complex method steps (bleaching, chemically separating, mechanically separating) are used to remove additives and foreign matters from mixed textiles, then the purity of recovered cellulose is improved, but the cost and elaborateness of the process increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts synthetic plastics from mixed textiles using selective solvents that dissolve only the plastic components while leaving cellulose intact. This targeted extraction approach achieves purification without requiring multiple complex separation steps, directly resolving the contradiction between purity and process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by introducing specific solvents with selective dissolving capabilities. By adjusting the chemical environment to favor selective plastic dissolution, the process achieves high cellulose purity through a simplified single-step or reduced multi-step procedure
2Manufacturing precision
If synthetic plastic is depleted from mixed textiles using conventional methods, then the purity of cellulose is improved, but the cellulose is depleted or destroyed in the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively extracts only the synthetic plastic components using solvents that do not attack or degrade cellulose. This selective removal preserves the cellulose substance while achieving purification, directly addressing the contradiction between purity and substance loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a mediator substance (selective solvent) that facilitates the separation of plastic from cellulose without damaging the cellulose. The solvent acts as an intermediary that selectively interacts with plastic while being inert toward cellulose, enabling purification without substance loss
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive plastic depletion is performed to achieve pure cellulose, then the quality of recycled material is improved, but the resource consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs targeted extraction of only the necessary plastic contaminants using minimal amounts of selective solvents. This approach achieves high-quality recycled cellulose without the extensive resource consumption associated with conventional multiple-step depletion methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from extensive physical/mechanical depletion to efficient chemical extraction by adjusting the solvent system parameters. This parameter change enables high-quality recovery with reduced resource consumption
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
This approach enables the efficient recovery of cellulose with improved properties, reducing the need for extensive plastic depletion and maintaining desired plastic concentrations in the recycled product, resulting in a resource-saving and sustainable recycling process.
Implementation Method 1
at least partially depleting the synthetic plastic from the cellulose
Implementation Method 2
the cellulose of the molded body is substantially present in form of lyocell-fibers and/or viscose-fibers
Implementation Method 3
one viscose-filament per spinning nozzle hole is generated by coagulation
Data Source
AI summary
A recycled mixed textile having cellulosic fibers and synthetic fibers, wherein the synthetic fibers comprise at least two synthetic plastics, a first synthetic plastic of the two synthetic plastics is selectively depleted from the mixed textile and a second synthetic plastic of the two synthetic plastics is partially retained in the mixed textile, and the mixed textile is further processed to comprise the cellulose fibers and the synthetic fibers are the second synthetic plastic.