Advanced Separation Methods to Facilitate a Circular Economy for Textiles
Material Measurement Laboratory, Materials Measurement Science Division
NIST only participates in the February and August reviews.
NIST researchers are working to facilitate a circular economy for many products and materials, including textiles. A circular economy (CE) approach aims to extend the life of textile products through reuse and repair and keep end-of-life (EoL) materials in the economy through recycling. Currently, only 15% of waste textiles are diverted for reuse or recycling. To facilitate recycling, there is a critical need to develop and refine advanced separation methodologies for common fiber blends, such as cotton, polyester, and elastane. Developing methodologies to recover and recycle these materials, which are in increasingly limited supplies will become even more important in the future. This project seeks to identify and evaluate new methodologies for separation of common fiber blends that allows for each component to be reclaimed for future use. Our goal is to develop and transfer to industry a methodology that permits separation of common fiber blends (e.g., cotton and elastane) without significant energy or environmental costs.