Unlocking sustainable solutions: Harnessing recycled polyester from waste polyester/cotton blended textiles for membrane development

Abstract

Blended cotton/polyester textiles, despite their popularity, present recycling challenges at the end of their lifecycle, contributing to environmental pollution. To address the urgent need for recycling, this study proposes a method to upcycle these textiles by separating polyester and cellulose with a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES), creating value-added polyester membranes. Optimization of membrane fabrication involved varying dope concentrations, coagulation baths (ethanol, water), temperatures, and the effects of the pore-forming additive polyethylene glycol (PEG). The key finding is the significant role of ethanol and PEG synergy, which enables the production of tight ultrafiltration membranes from just 15% waste PET. The optimized membrane achieved a molecular weight cut-off of 2 kDa and a pure water flux of 23 L⋅m−2⋅h−1, surpassing typical commercial membranes. This advancement demonstrates a sustainable approach to reusing textile waste, with significant environmental benefits.