Process Safety and Environmental Protection, Vol.146, 718-725, 2021
Highly flexible, transparent film prepared by upcycle of wasted jute fabrics with functional properties
Upcycle of waste fabrics has been a promising project since it can reduce textile pollution and provide a prospect to waste management. In this work, a multiple recyclable transparent functional film was fabricated through ionic liquid (IL) assisted regeneration process with a higher yield of 90.40 %, compared with other polymer regeneration process using IL. Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis Spectrophotometer, as well as tensile strength test were carried out to explore the performance of the regenerated jute film. This transparent renewable jute film can be made into many functional materials, like packaging materials, electrically conductive films or information storage devices. Furthermore, it can be dissolved in IL and regenerate new films for multiple cycles, which can still maintain a relatively high transparency and a considerable mechanical property. Compared to other fabric recycle process, the solvent and production both can be effectively recycled, which can be considered as a green and sustainable tool to manage waste fabrics. (C) 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.