FLEXIBLE REISSORGANE ZUR FASERSCHONENDEN ÖFFNUNG VON TEXTILEN HALBZEUGEN

Problem Statement / Motivation

• Currently, only around 15% of collected consumer textiles are sent for so-called cascade recycling, and only 1% of the materials are kept in the circular economy
• State-of-the-art technology involves the use of conventional shredding machines, consisting of one or more drums, several feed boards and high-strength shredding needles to open up the textile
• Through expansion and modernisation, the industry must be enabled to use raw materials economically and operate sustainably within material cycles
• The aim of the research project is to develop novel, flexible shredding mechanisms that are optimised for gentle intervention in the textile structure

Approach

• Textiles made from high-quality carbon and aramid fibres are being considered as examples
• Fundamentally new tearing elements are being developed which, depending on the fibre material to be processed, can be used as a standalone solution or in combination with state-of-the-art technology
• Innovative flexible tearing elements are intended to minimise the sudden transfer of force from the tearing elements into the textile, which is primarily responsible for fibre shortening
• Both the tearing elements themselves and a flexible base fixation are being considered