Tech-driven Teijin Frontier Co Ltd has come up with a new foreign material removal technology to eliminate polyurethane (PU) elastomer fibre from discarded polyester apparel, thus expanding the scope of fibre-to-fibre recycling and contributing to a zero-waste society.
THE TECHNOLOGY: A new processing agent used during the pre-treatment phase of the chemical recycling process helps improve the quality of the recycled polyester fibre that is derived from clothing containing PU elastomer fibre.
- In addition to removing the PU elastomer fibre, the new technology eliminates foreign materials such as dyes, and helps to omit the decolourisation process of polyester fibre.
- Teijin Frontier, the Japan-based Teijin Group’s fibres and products converting company, has been conducting tests of this new technology since October 2022 for practical use.
- As part of its initiative focused on polyester fibre, the company is working with the supply chain to establish a comprehensive ecosystem spanning apparel collection, sorting and recycling.
HOW THE TECHNOLOGY WORKS: The new foreign material removal technology swells the PU elastomer fibre, breaks the chemical bonds and dissolves them with the new processing agent. Simultaneously, the agent eliminates foreign substances including dyes to optimise decolourisation of the polyester fibre.
- For system cost control and environmental load reduction, the processing agent can be collected and reused.
Recycled polyester materials generated by this method can be used in the existing chemical recycling process.
THE BACKDROP: Stretchable polyester clothing that contains PU elastomer fibre is becoming popular as the demand in the industry for quick-drying, wrinkle-resistant, and comfortable-to-wear is increasing along with the trend to casual wear.
- However, as conventional chemical recycling technology for polyester assumes 100% polyester products, the quality of the recycled product deteriorates when PU elastomer fibres are included. Therefore, it is important to remove PU elastomer fibre from discarded polyester clothing.
- Guided by THINK ECO environmental strategy, Teijin Frontier is striving to achieve ambitious sustainability goals by developing advanced technologies that support recycling and enhance the value of environmentally responsible materials.
The Company: Established in 1918 as Japan's first rayon manufacturer, Teijin today encompasses three core businesses: high-performance materials including aramid, carbon fibres and composites; healthcare solutions including pharmaceuticals and home health equipment; and IT systems including B2B solutions for medical, corporate and public enterprises.
