Kaunas University of Technology scientists have adopted eco-friendly technology to make clean energy from textile waste. Kaunas University of Technology researchers and the Lithuanian Energy Institute planned to change lint-microfibers found in clothes dryers into energy.
Researchers estimate that about 14 tons of oil, 21.5 tons of gas, and nearly 10 tons of char could be produced by converting lint microfibers produced by 1 million people.
Globally, 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed annually. This is approximately €140 million worth that goes into landfills as waste. Additionally, this is accompanied by large amounts of emissions, leading to environmental and health problems.
During a machine-washing process of textile, around 300 mg of microfiber are generated from 1 kg of textile; and to lessen the footprint of consuming clothes is to reduce the laundry impact.
Dr. Samy Yousef, senior researcher at the Kaunas University of Technology says, “Lint-microfibers are classified as microplastics. Whereas large plastic items can be sorted out and recycled relatively easily, this is not the case with microplastic—tiny plastic pieces, less than 5 mm in diameter. Large quantities of microplastic are being washed down our drains and enter our seas threatening the environment.”
During the research, lint-microfibers were collected from the filters of the drying machines in the dormitories of KTU. Using a pilot pyrolysis plant, the scientists were able to extract three energy products—oil, gas, and char—from the collected lint-microfiber batches. When treated thermally, the lint-microfibers decompose into energy products with around a 70 percent conversion rate.
Dr. Yousef says, “When we think about textile waste, we usually imagine long fabric with high crystallinity, which is contaminated with dye and dirt. Much energy is needed to turn the solid waste into liquid. However, lint-microfiber is a somewhat ‘broken fiber’ textile waste; it has a uniform size and shape, contains a lot of flammable compounds, its transformation is easier.”
Researchers also evaluated the cost-benefit analysis of the eco-strategy. They analyzed lint-microfibers generated by 1 million persons. The energy from the lint-microfiber generated by 1 million people was estimated to have a profit of around €100 thousand. It can also reduce the carbon footprint 42,039,000kg CO2-eq/t of lint-microfibers. The study shows that if applied on an industrial scale, it can be profitable and eco-friendly.
“I believe that the collection system, similar to deposit-return for drink containers, could be developed based on our research. A household would bring the lint-microfiber from their drying machine filters to a collection point and receive some kind of compensation for it. We have proposed the technology and made calculations, which may be developed further,” says Dr. Yousef.
Lint-microfibers can be considered a renewable energy source that ensures sustainability and accelerates the general transition of the textile industry.
