Analysis of the thermophysiological comfort and tensile strength in fabric woven with recycled cotton and filaments obtained from post-consumer waste pet bottle recycling

ABSTRACT

Brazil is an important producer of textiles and clothing. It owns the fourth largest manufacturing park and is the fifth largest producer of textiles in the world. On the other hand, it is also responsible for the production of tons of solid waste, which is mostly discarded in landfills, controlled landfills and dumps. Part of the discarded textile waste is sent for recycling, generating different types of final products, including new fabrics. Recycled fabrics have been produced in Brazil for more than two decades, but only in recent years has this raw material been used in the production of clothing, footwear and accessories. The objective of this work is to analyze the structure of a fabric produced from yarn obtained from the recycling of cotton and PET bottles (polyethylene terephthalate) and to evaluate its performance in relation to the thermophysiological comfort and the tensile strength when compared to a fabric produced at from virgin fibers. The methodology used was based on the selection of a type of tissue that presented similar characteristics related to the composition, ligament and weight, being composed of recycled filaments and 100% virgin. The fabric selected for the research was 3x1 twill type with mixed composition of cotton and polyester. Traction tests, water vapor permeability, thermal conductivity, titration and micrographs were performed. The results indicate that the recycled fabric used in this research is feasible for the production of clothes for the autumn / winter seasons, and for the development of clothes whose models have vestigial playability.

Key-words Recycled fabrics; Cotton; PET; Tensile strength; Thermophysiological