Recycled fibres

Recycled fibre testing
FIBROTEST while testing mixed recycled fibres
FIBROTEST testing recycled fibres

Mechanical Recycling

Worldwide, a vast amount of post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste awaits its turn for recycling. The common practice in textile recycling involves shredding and opening fabrics down to the fibre level. This raw material is then repurposed for spinning. However, due to the aggressive nature of the opening process, the recovered fibres are typically shorter compared to virgin materials.

The Crucial Role of Fibre Length Distribution

To transform textile waste into strong and even yarn, a precise analysis and evaluation of the fibre length distribution are paramount. Textechno’s FIBROTEST and FIBROLENGTH allow you to measure the fibre length distribution of all types of fibres. In addition, FIBROTEST also measures the bundle strength, and elongation. This includes coloured fibres, fibre blends, synthetic fibres, and natural fibres, making both devices exceptionally suited for mechanically recycled fibres.

Recycled Fibre Verification

Measuring the fibre length is an important aspect of proving that fibres are genuinely recycled. For instance, Textileexchange.org – as renowned authority in sustainable textile practices – offers the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Global Recycling Standard (GRS). Here, fibre test reports presenting the fibre length as measured e.g. with FIBROTEST play a vital role to support the recycling claim. By the way: GRS and RCS also require recycled yarn tests. These can be done using for instance our STATIMAT DS or COVAMAT S.

Yarn Remnant Contamination

Moreover, yarn remnants that persist in the opened fibre material can interfere with the subsequent spinning process and reduce production yield. Here, MDTA 4 effectively separates yarn remnants from the fibres, enabling you to measure the amount of contamination and maintain the integrity of your recycling process. In combination with CLIF also the number of yarn pieces and their size can be analyzed.

Nep Testing

CLIF is Textechno’s system for the Classification of Impurities In Fibres. During the mechanical recycling process, not only fabric and yarn pieces are opened to individual fibres but also undesired neps are created. A tight control of the amount of neps throughout the recycling process is hence important to create recycled fibres that can be spun into a high quality yarn. CLIF identifies, counts and classifies neps and other impurities in recycled fibre material to yield a full view of the mechanical recycling process.

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Parameters

Recommended Testing Instruments
Fibre bundle tensile properties FIBROTEST
Fibre bundle length properties FIBROTEST, FIBROLENGTH
Yarn remnant contamination MDTA 4, CLIF
Neps, Non-Lint Content MDTA 4, CLIF
Fibre fineness, linear density FIBROFLOW (part of the Fibre Classifying System FCS)
Weak spots (yarns) DYNATENS
fibre bundle length and strength tester

FIBROTEST

Application Overview