PLASMA MODIFICATION IN FABRICS FROM THE RECYCLING OF WASTE FROM THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY BASED ON POLYAMIDE/ELASTANE

• Grant number: 23/07174-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Andrea Cruz
• Grantee: Graziela Solferini Baccarin
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The fabric left over from the textile industry, mainly related to clothing, is a growing environmental and economic problem. On a global scale, in 2015, 92 million tons of fabric were discarded and it is expected that in 2030 this number will increase to 148 million tons. Concomitantly with consumption, there is the disposal that occurs in landfills, by incineration for conversion into energy, and even inappropriately in dumps. An alternative to disposing of waste from the textile industry is its recycling. Thus, this project intends to carry out the recycling of post-industrial waste of polyamide 6/elastane (PA6/EL) in order to develop a material that can return to its original application, promoting adequate circularity. In addition, it is intended to develop a multifunctional material, modifying one of the surfaces through plasma etching, in order to create a bioinspired and hydrophilic nanostructured surface. Initially, the fabric flaps will undergo a milling process to improve their shape, and will have chemical, thermal, morphological and rheological characteristics. subsequently, recycling of the polyamide 6/elastane fabric will be carried out with the incorporation of carbodiimide, an agent that acts on chain extension and with anti-hydrolysis action, to follow the molar mass and its molar mass distribution, via double-extrusion. corotational thread. This is a fundamental step for improving and modulating the physicochemical properties of the fabric, aiming to adapt it to the spinning process. Here the rheological properties in extensional flow and melt strength will be of paramount importance. Finally, the samples will then be treated with oxygen plasma in order to change the nano/micro roughness of the surface to create a bioinspired material with biocidal activity and change the chemical nature, making them more hydrophilic and therefore with greater capacity. of sweat evaporation, increasing the comfort of the fabric. This project is expected to advance in the theme of recycling and reengineering of fabric waste, producing a material that can return to its original application and that has molar mass and molar mass distribution suitable for the spinning process. Still, as an innovative proposal, this project envisages the making of a functional fabric, modified with oxygen plasma, with characteristics of high hydrophilicity and biocidal activity.