Flooring made from textile waste

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for recycling textile waste are limited by high requirements for raw material sorting and are not suitable for large-scale resource utilization, often resulting in energy consumption and pollution when waste is incinerated or landfilled.

Innovation Solution

A textile waste regenerated flooring is created using a mixture of 30-50% textile waste fiber, 30-50% inorganic filler (calcium carbonate), and 10-30% polyethylene, processed through melt extrusion, shaping, and lamination, allowing for the utilization of waste from any source.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If chemical fiber materials are sorted and processed through carding, cross lapping, needle punching, and strengthening processes, then regenerated chemical fibers can be produced, but high requirements on raw materials are imposed and non-chemical fiber materials cannot be recycled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveraw material acceptance rangeVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the processing parameters by using melt extrusion at 120-160°C instead of conventional chemical processing methods. This temperature range allows polyethylene to melt and bind textile waste fibers without requiring the material to be pure chemical fiber, thus accepting mixed textile waste including natural fibers while maintaining processability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite material system combining textile waste fiber (30-50%), inorganic filler calcium carbonate (30-50%), and polyethylene (10-30%). The polyethylene acts as a binding agent that holds together mixed fiber materials regardless of their chemical composition, enabling recycling of non-chemical fibers that would otherwise be unsuitable for conventional processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If textile waste is incinerated, then energy sources are consumed and pollutants are produced, but if it is landfilled, then land is occupied and hazardous substances contaminate water and soil

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepollution reductionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent recovers value from textile waste by transforming it into a useful flooring product through melt extrusion and molding. Instead of discarding the waste through incineration or landfilling, the process extracts remaining value by creating a functional material that can be used in construction and interior design applications

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful aspect of textile waste (pollution and resource waste) into a beneficial product. By using mixed textile waste as the primary raw material and processing it through eco-friendly melt extrusion, the harmful waste stream is transformed into a valuable flooring material that displaces the need for virgin materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Temperature

If mixed waste textiles are processed through low-temperature solid-phase method extrusion granulation and cold-top method extrusion molding, then fiber-plastic composite material can be prepared, but the treatment temperature must not exceed 230°C which limits processing options

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing temperature rangeVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the temperature parameter by setting the melt extrusion range at 120-160°C, which is lower than the 230°C limit in conventional methods. This temperature range is specifically suited for polyethylene-based binding and maintains the integrity of mixed fiber materials while achieving effective bonding and production efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution enables large-scale resource utilization of textile waste, producing a flooring material with high strength, acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, and no pollution, while also being simple and fast to produce industrially.

Implementation Method 1

subjecting the mixture to a melt extrusion, a shaping, and a lamination

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Implementation Method 2

subjecting the mixture to a melt extrusion, a shaping, and a lamination

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLamination: Lamination

Data Source

PatentEP4253647B1Flooring made from textile waste
Publication Date: 2025.01.22 ZHEJIANG TIANZHEN BAMBOO & WOOD DEV
  • EP4253647B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The disclosure provides a textile waste regenerated flooring and a preparation method thereof, and belongs to the technical field of floorings. The textile waste regenerated flooring is prepared from components including 30-50 parts by weight of a textile waste fiber, 30-50 parts by weight of an inorganic filler, and 10-30 parts by weight of polyethylene, wherein the textile waste fiber is prepared from a textile waste. In the disclosure, there is no limitation to the source of the waste textile through accurately controlling dosages of waste textile, inorganic filler and polyethylene, and a large-scale resource utilization of the textile waste could be achieved. Moreover, the textile waste regenerated flooring could meet specific needs in appearance, and has a better decoration by controlling the type and color of materials; meanwhile, the textile waste regenerated flooring has advantages of high strength, acoustic insulation and absorption, thermal insulation, and no pollution.