Waste Cotton Fibers Research Articles

Utilization of Waste Cotton Fibers by Extracting Nanocellulose Crystals: A Study on Phosphoric Acid Method Compared with Sulfuric Acid Method and TEMPO Oxidation Method

Utilization of Waste Cotton Fibers by Extracting Nanocellulose Crystals: A Study on Phosphoric Acid Method Compared with Sulfuric Acid Method and TEMPO Oxidation Method

Mercerization-enhanced cellulose-II cotton fiber-based low-temperature hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries

Hard carbons from cellulose are highly regarded as promising anode options for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, a high carbonization temperature (>1300 °C) is usually required to obtain high-performance hard carbons, which leads to high-energy consumption and high cost. Moreover, hard carbons generally have poor rate capability and unsatisfactory cyclability which restrict their commercial applications. Herein, a low-temperature (900 °C) approach for the preparation of high-quality hard carbons for SIBs from waste cotton fibers is reported. It involves a mercerization pretreatment to convert cellulose-I cotton fibers into cellulose-II structure and dissolve the amorphous cellulose to form highly crystalline cellulose. This pretreatment process benefits forming abundant pseudo-graphitic structures at a low carbonization temperature of 900 °C. Consequently, the mercerized cotton fibers-based carbons (MCFC) exhibit excellent sodium storage properties, possessing a high capacity (316 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), high-rate capability (210 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1), and long-term cyclability (83.2 % retention after 3000 cycles). This mercerization approach coupled with waste cotton fibers provides a sustainable pathway for the preparation of high-quality hard carbons for SIBs.

Assessment of the effects of the use of preconsumer cotton waste on the quality of rotor yarns

Due to the shortage of raw fiber materials and stricter legislative conditions, it has become necessary to process even the more contaminated fiber wastes that contain only a small amount of useable fibers. Hence, this paper investigates the impact of different cleaning channels on the Rieter R37 rotor spinning machine in controlling spinning strategy and yarn quality using recovered blowroom cotton waste fibers. The study involves spinning 98-tex yarns with different cleaning channels during the spinning process, using recovered blowroom cotton waste in blends with virgin cotton processed into slivers by two methods. Qualitative indicators in the fiber-sliver-yarn line were evaluated and graphically compared. The statistical significance of the influencing factors was determined using the Generalized Anova. Additionally, the quality of the experimental samples was compared to authentic data from global production using the USTER® STATISTIC. The results underline the significant influence of fiber quality, sliver preparation method and implemented cleaning channels on the arrangement of fibers in yarn structures as evidenced by structural and mechanical parameters. In particular, the comparison with USTER® STATISTICS confirms that all yarns meet the required quality standards for selected applications, including those spun exclusively from 100 % cotton waste. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that this innovative technology enables yarn manufacturers to meet customer demands, ensure optimal yarn quality and achieve cost savings by optimizing waste removal without compromising fiber yield.

Synthesis and Application of Bimetal Decorated Plant-Based Carbon Nanomaterial for Hydrogen Storage

Abstract: In this study, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) were synthesized from waste cotton fibers and examined their hydrogen adsorption capacity. The CNMs were created by subjecting waste cotton fibers to high-temperature pyrolysis at 800°C, followed by activation with alkali solution. Nano-sized metallic particles of Nickel and Aluminium were decorated on the activated carbon fibers. Analysis through SEM, EDAX, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and BET surface area confirmed the porous nature and presence of metal particles in the CNMs. These materials exhibited a notably larger specific surface area (SSA) compared to untreated carbon fibers, enhancing their hydrogen storage capabilities as it showed 8.08 wt% of hydrogen adsorption using a Sievert's apparatus. This work, shows the promising potential of these CNMs for hydrogen adsorption in various industrial applications.

Investigation of the structural variations of cellulose microcrystals obtained after acid hydrolysis of waste cotton: a statistical approach

The intricate and complex network of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in cellulose exerts a significant influence on the overall crystallographic structure of the cellulose polymer. Hence, understanding the hydrogen bonding interactions during cellulose hydrolysis is vital for tailoring the degree of crystallinity of cellulose-based materials like cellulose microcrystals (CMCs). In this study, we used a Box–Behnken statistical tool to optimize the experimental parameters for synthesizing CMCs with a high total crystallinity index (TCI). We then used field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to investigate the morphological, chemical, crystalline, and structural changes that occurred in the CMC sample with the highest TCI. Our results showed that the hydrolysis process modified the hydrogen bonding network in cellulose, which resulted in an enhanced TCI. The changes in hydrogen bonding significantly affected CH bending and stretching absorption, resulting in an increased TCI of the cellulose samples. This increased TCI plays a significant role in enhancing the reinforcing properties of CMCs. Our findings highlight new insights into the role of hydrogen bonding in the TCI of CMCs and could lead to the development of new methods for controlling the TCI of cellulose. Highlights of the article Optimization of the acid hydrolysis process of waste cotton using Box–Behnken design to obtain cellulose microcrystals (CMCs). Extraction of the mathematical model that influences the total crystallinity index of CMCs. Investigation of morphological, chemical, crystalline, and structural changes in CMCs. Comparison of hydrogen bonding network between waste cotton fibers and CMCs. Increased TCI enhances CMCs’ reinforcing properties in composites.

MIL-100(Fe)@cotton fiber as permeable reactive barrier for heavy metal contaminated soils: Preparation, performance and mechanism

Due to their toxicity and serious threat to human health and the environment, heavy metals in soil have drawn attention on a global scale. In our research, a new material MIL-100(Fe)@cotton fiber (CM100) was prepared by using waste cotton fiber as a substrate and loading MIL-100(Fe) particles by in-situ growth under green and mild preparation conditions. Its morphological characteristics and adsorption mechanism were investigated. It was used as a barrier to study the remediation characteristics of electrokinetic-permeable reactive barrier (EK-PRB) under different electrolytes. Results showed that CM100 was able to remove Pb2+ and Cd2+ with efficiencies of 96.1% and 78.7%, respectively. The adsorption is in accordance with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and is dominated by chemisorption. Under different electrolyte compositions, the remediation efficiencies of CM100 and EK-PRB on heavy metal soils reached more than 90.0%. When the electrolyte was KCl/citric acid (CA), it could regulate soil pH and promote the migration of metal ions, which increased the remediation efficiency to 98.0%. Experimental results demonstrate that CM100/EK-PRB can effectively remediate heavy metal soil, and this study also provides a reference for the resource utilization of waste textiles.

Fabrication and Characterization of Functional Biobased Membranes from Postconsumer Cotton Fabrics and Palm Waste for the Removal of Dyes

Textile industries currently face vast challenges for the active removal of colored wastewater. Indeed, sustainable, recyclable, and green approaches are still lacking to achieve this aim. Thus, the present study explored the utilization of highly functional, green, recyclable, fully bio-based, and cost-effective composite membranes from post-consumer cotton fabrics and palm waste for wastewater treatment purposes. Highly functional cellulose nanofibers (CNF) were produced from waste cotton fabrics and filter paper using an acid hydrolysis technique. The yield of nanofibers extracted from waste cotton fabrics and filter paper was 76.74 and 54.50%, respectively. The physical, chemical, and structural properties of nanofibers were studied using various advanced analytical techniques. The properties of isolated nanofibers were almost similar and comparable to those of commercial nanofibers. The surface charge densities were -94.0, -80.7, and -90.6 mV for the nanofibers of palm waste, cotton fibers, and filter paper, respectively. After membrane fabrication using vacuum and hot-pressing techniques, the characteristics of the membrane were analyzed. The results showed that the average pore size of the palm-waste membrane was 1.185 nm, while it was 1.875 nm for membrane from waste cotton fibers and filter paper. Congo red and methylene blue dyes were used as model solutions to understand the behavior of available functional groups and the surface ζ-potential of the membrane frameworks' interaction. The membrane made from palm waste had the highest dye removal efficiency, and it was 23% for Congo red and 44% for methylene blue. This study provides insights into the challenges associated with the use of postconsumer textile and agricultural waste, which can be potentially used in high-performance liquid filtration devices for a more sustainable society.

Utilization of Egyptian cotton waste fibers for production of Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)

Utilization of Egyptian cotton waste fibers for production of Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)

Sustainable waste cotton and pigeon pea stalk fibers composite materials for acoustics and thermal properties

This study focuses on the development and characterization of pigeon pea stalk/cotton fibers mixed with a blend ratio of 50/50, 70/30, 30/70, 60/40, 100/0 waste cotton and 0/100 waste pea stalk composites are equipped with a compression molding system. The entire composite samples are tested for acoustics, thermal and physical parameters as per the American Society for Testing and Materials standard (ASTM). The sound absorption coefficients (SAC) were measured according to ASTME1050 by an impedance tube method, and the SAC over six frequencies 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz were calculated. The result revealed that the composite samples that are prepared from cotton/pigeon pea waste have confirmed more than 80% of the SAC and the waste composites provided the best insulation, sound absorption, moisture absorption, and fiber properties. The effect exposed that composites materials arranged from cotton/pea stalk waste fiber have established further than 75% by the sound immersion measure and the waste 28% composites handed the fashionable Appropriation, sound immersion, humidity immersion, and fiber materials. The waste cotton/pigeon pea stalk composite samples have satisfactory moisture resistance at high humidity situations without disturbing the insulation properties.

Transforming municipal cotton waste into a multilayer fibre biocomposite with high strength

We analyzed the problematic textile fiber waste as potential precursor material to produce multilayer cotton fiber biocomposite. The properties of the products were better than the current dry bearing type particleboards and ordinary dry medium-density fiberboard in terms of the static bending strength (67.86 MPa), internal bonding strength (1.52 MPa) and water expansion rate (9.57%). The three-layer, four-layer and five-layer waste cotton fiber composite (WCFC) were tried in the experiment, the mechanical properties of the three-layer WCFC are insufficient, the five-layer WCFC is too thick and the four-layer WCFC had the best comprehensive performance. The cross-section morphology of the four-layer WCFC shows a dense structure with a high number of adhesives attached to the fiber. The hardness and stiffness of the four-layer cotton fiber composite enhanced by the high crystallinity of cellulose content, and several chemical bondings were presence in the composites. Minimum mass loss (30%) and thermal weight loss rate (0.70%/°C) was found for the four-layer WCFC. Overall, our findings suggested that the use of waste cotton fiber (WCF) to prepare biocomposite with desirable physical and chemical properties is feasible, and which can potentially be used as building material, furniture and automotive applications.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Waste Cotton Fibers Using Sulfuric Acid Hydrolysis

AbstractCellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are one of the most useful materials that have recently been used in various fields. There are many natural resources on earth from which CNC can be extracted in a variety of methods. This study focuses on the extraction of CNCs from waste cotton fibers (WCFs) by sulfuric acid hydrolysis. Physicochemical characterization of the synthesized CNCs was examined by different techniques. The results revealed good performance and properties for synthesized CNCs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis demonstrated the successful synthesis of CNCs by acid hydrolysis without the formation of byproducts or further degradation. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the crystallinity index increased from 79.87 to 88.37% during the conversion of WCFs to CNCs. The rod‐like morphology structure of CNC was confirmed using microscopic techniques. The AFM results for CNCs showed a length and diameter of 170 ± 60 nm and 25 ± 10 nm, respectively. Also, DLS measurements showed high stability of CNCs in aqueous solution. Moreover, due to the presence of 0.74 weight% of sulfur in the CNC backbone, CNCs showed lower thermal stability at 170–348 °C compared to WCFs.

New insights on the adsorption of CI-Reactive Red 141 dye using activated carbon prepared from the ZnCl2-treated waste cotton fibers: Statistical physics, DFT, COSMO-RS, and AIM studies

This study aims to develop and apply new adsorbents derived from cotton fiber waste. ZnCl2 was used to activate the activated carbon chemically. The textile industry's waste is readily available and economical to remove the CI dye Reactive Red 141 (RR141). The activated carbon was characterized by TGA, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine the adsorbents' physical and chemical characteristics. Working conditions such as contact time, pH, initial concentration of CI Reactive Red 141 (RR141), and batch biosorption tests were optimized for a given temperature. Kinetics and thermodynamics were determined to investigate the adsorption mechanism. The removal rate of the new adsorbent (adsorption efficiency) ranged from 69.99 to 98.61%. The results show that the adsorption kinetics is fast, with an equilibrium time of 70 min. The optimal conditions were an initial dye concentration of 10 mg/L, a temperature of 20 °C, an adsorbent concentration of 0.25 g/L, and a pH of = 3. The adsorption follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic. The adsorption isotherms study was calculated by statistical physics models with a maximum adsorption capacity of Nasat = 970.34 mg/g at T = 20 °C. According to the thermodynamic results, intraparticle diffusion governs the adsorption process. The thermodynamic parameters determine that the adsorption is chemisorption (-ΔH° = 50.182 kJ/mol). The statistical physics provides a value of 11.495 kJ/mol (physisorption) and reveals that the adsorption process was both exothermic and spontaneous.

Adsorption-enhanced photocatalytic property of Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 composite by incorporating cotton-based biochar

In this study, the biochar obtained from waste cotton fibers was introduced into the Ag-doped g-C3N4/TiO2 hybrid composite through a facile one-step hydrothermal process. The morphology, elemental composition, crystal structure, microstructure, specific surface area, chemical bonding state, energy band structure, and separation efficiency of photoinduced charge carriers of the resultant composite were examined using scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer, x-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope, surface area analyzer, x-ray photoelectron spectroscope, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscope, and photoluminescence spectroscope. The adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics of the biochar, Ag-doped g-C3N4/TiO2 and Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 were evaluated using the model methyl orange dye. The photoacatalytic degradation of the model pollutants including methyl orange, methylene blue, congo red, and tetracycline hydrochloride and the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) ions were also assessed under visible light. Experimental results indicated that the photocatalytic property of the Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 was significantly enhanced through the synergic effects compared with the Ag-doped g-C3N4/TiO2. This was due to the uniform doping of multi-scale porous biochar with g-C3N4 nanosheet, Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles. The adsorptive enhancement induced by the biochar resulted in the narrowed band gap, suitable electronic energy band structure, and fast separation of photoinduced charge carriers of the Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2, which was probably due to the coexistence of multi-valence Ti+4/+3 and Ag0/+1 species and oxygen-containing groups of biochar. The major reactive species of the Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 were 1O2 and h+. The MO dye adsorption onto the Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 followed the Langmuir isotherm model, pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, and the adsorption process was an endothermic reaction with entropy reduction effects. As such, the Ag-doped biochar/g-C3N4/TiO2 exhibited a promising application for the treatment of wastewater containing multi-pollutants especially organic dyes and heavy metal ions.

Production of Textile Ink using Waste Cotton

The use of eco-friendly ink for textiles is one of the alternatives to reduce the accumulation of toxic chemicals in biosphere. It is a creative answer for the waste management of textiles and other industries and a green concept as well. The usage of findings explained in the paper is far beyond the conventional uses of green chemistry with the advancement of science and technology. The production of ink using waste cotton contributes to the preservation of our environment from various hazardous chemicals with the use of water-based ink system which is environmentally friendly and safe for humans and all other living organisms. In this research project waste cotton fibers (cellulose fibers) are converted into the ink base for textile. Cotton fibers (cellulose fibers) were dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride (DMAc/LiCl) solvent system and converted into a clear cellulose solution and then step by step added thickener (Polylactic acid and glycerin system) and finally natural pigments make it a whole new natural textile ink. Here, basically Anthocyanins were used as the pigment/colorant. Using Anthocyanin is advantageous in many ways such as the vast availability, easy obtainability of the preferred colors and cost-effectiveness. Cellulose polymer and pigments particles have hydroxyls groups that can create hydrogen bonds with water as well as the natural fabrics (especially cotton). So, due to this reason ink is developed as a water base ink which is more viable task when comparing with other ink production processes. The produced water base ink has a good adhesion with fabric which can be seen in trials followed with manual screen printing. It serves as a great alternative to plastisol and other solvent based inks in many circumstances. One of the most prominent features of this newly formed ink is that the base does not include plastic or any hazardous man-made chemical. These kind of water-based inks seeps in to the garment rather than sitting top of the fabric. This creates a more consistent feel and a very good hand feel along with a better revived look after a few washes. Trials from the manufactured ink are carried out to test color fastness, color migration, wash durability, perspiration and dry/wet crocking of prints. Durability and crocking test results are already available. Durability test resulted 4.0 according to the AATCC135 washing method at 30 C, within five wash cycles. Crocking test was done in both dry and wet conditions according to AATCC008/AACC116 method which gave results 4.5 and 4.0 respectively. Results already finalized are passed the international standards and looking forward for the balance test results.
 Keywords: Waste management, Eco-friendly, Chemistry, Polymer, Textiles

A novel application of cellulose aerogel composites from pineapple leaf fibers and cotton waste: Removal of dyes and oil in wastewater

In a world where demands for freshwater are ever-growing, wastewater remediation becomes a global concern. Especially, water, which is contaminated by oil, dyes, poses challenges to the management of water resources. The development of innovative processes for wastewater treatment is still a major obstacle. With regard to its fast removal rate and environmental compatibility, cellulose aerogel composites are recently considered as a potential contributor for water remediation. In this study, cellulose aerogel composites are fabricated using the sol–gel method from two-agroindustrial wastes: pineapple leaf fibers and cotton waste fibers in alkali-urea solution followed by freeze-drying. The prepared cellulose aerogel composites are extremely lightweight with a low density (0.053 − 0.069 g cm−3) and high porosity of nearly 95%. It is worth noting that the mechanical strength of the cellulose aerogel composites is remarkably improved with their Young’s modulus increasing by 5–9 times compared to that of the previous aerogel composites using polyvinyl alcohol as a binder. The as-synthesized aerogel composites are directly applied to adsorb cationic methylene blue and exhibit a maximum adsorption uptake of 34.01 g g−1. The methyltrimethoxysilane-coated cellulose aerogel composites also show their ability to deal with oil pollution with a maximum oil adsorption capacity of 15.8 g g−1 within only 20 s. Besides the oil removal, our developed cellulose aerogel composites have demonstrated their capability in treating dye-contaminated wastewater for the first time based on their evidenced ability to eliminate methylene blue.

Production and mechanical characterization of polyethylene matrix composites with the addition of linen and cotton waste fabric filler materials

In this study, linen and cotton fibers obtained from fabric waste were used as filler materials and polyethylene was used as matrix material to produce fiber reinforced polymer composites using injection molding. Use of fabric waste as filler material enables utilization of linen and cotton wastes while decreasing the amount of polyethylene used in the composites resulting in an environmentally friendly material. Prepared samples with varying content of linen and cotton wastes (5, 10 and 20 vol. %) were compared with each other and with polyethylene samples without any filler, based on their yield, tensile and fracture strengths, percent elongation and hardness values. Samples were also evaluated for their chip formation characteristics based on chip lengths at various machining speeds and examined for their visual appearance. Results indicated that linen waste fibers can be used to improve the strength of polyethylene based composites while cotton waste fibers can be utilized to enhance the elongation characteristics of the samples.

Study on the formability of self-bonded bulk porous activated carbon

In this paper, self-bonded bulk porous activated carbon is produced from waste cotton fibers by pre-oxidation and high temperatures activation treatment method use ZnCl2 and K2CO3 as activation agents. The technological conditions of forming activated carbon, such as the fibers and ZnCl2 ratio, activation temperature and forming pressure and adsorption property were investigated. The structural morphology, surface chemical properties and pore structure properties of the activated carbon were also analyzed. The QMB of Cotton-CZn is better, but the maximum falling strength is only 59%, and the yield is 40.5%. The Cotton-CKZn has the highest QMB, 450 mg/g when the addition amount increased to 1:1.2. The QMB of cotton-CKZnC is lower, but the falling strength reaches 100% and the yield reaches 45%.

Twisting in improving processing of waste-derived yarn into high-performance reinforced composite

Waste cotton fibers was spun into yarns for potential use as high performance composites in order to recycle the ever-increasing waste textiles generation and solve the disposal problem. This study investigates the effects of different twist levels (550–1050 TPM), twist ratios (0.1–0.5 plied yarn twist to single yarn twist), and epoxy resin impregnation rates (0.2–1.0 cm/s) on tensile properties of single yarns, plied yarns, and yarn reinforced composites derived from waste cotton fibers. The detection of the failure mechanisms of the examined yarns was confirmed via SEM analysis and images captured by high-speed camera. The twist factor at low twist level (550 TPM), twist ratio (0.1) and impregnation rate (0.3 cm/s) were determined as optimum twist factors to produce plied yarn-reinforced composite with high tensile strength of 286 MPa. The optimum twist of single yarn reinforced composites was 0.76 times the optimum twist of the single yarn alone. Twisting significantly influenced the manufacturing of high-performance composites from waste-derived yarn. The obtained results provide a new paradigm for high value utilization of waste textile through conversion into high-performance composites.

Preparation of different morphologies cellulose nanocrystals from waste cotton fibers and its effect on PLLA/PDLA composites films

In this paper, the influence of nanocellulose with different aspect ratio on the performance of PLLA/PDLA was explicit through a quantity of test results. Three different aspect ratio nanocelluloses were chemically extracted from waste colored cotton fibers. After acetylated and adding to PLLA/PDLA solution, PLLA/PDLA (LD) composites films were prepared by solution casting method and their properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), tensile testing, oxygen permeability and optical measurement. It was found that nanocellulose play a role as nucleating agent to promote crystallization and was also helpful to form the stereocomplexs crystallites. Wherein, the acetylated cellulose nanospheres (ACNS) had the most obvious effect on crystallinity enhancing. The best oxygen barrier performance of LD composites films was occurred after addition acetylated cellulose nanocrystals (ACNC). Fibrous acetylated cellulose nanofiber (ACNF) had the most influence on tensile property. Furthermore, addition of ACNS, ACNC and ACNF had hardly impact on transmittance and haze of films. It is of guiding significance for the preparation of PLA composite materials applied in different fields.

A comparative study of carbon microsphere preparation by the hydrothermal carbonization of waste cotton fibers, viscose fibers and Avicel

A comparative study of carbon microsphere preparation by the hydrothermal carbonization of waste cotton fibers, viscose fibers and Avicel