Environmental Impact of Polymer Fiber Manufacture

Abstract

This review focuses on the effects on the environment due to the production of polymer‐solvent solutions and the manufacture of polymeric fibers of thicknesses from a nanometer up to a millimeter using these solutions. The most common polymeric fiber manufacture methods are reviewed based on their effects on the environment, particularly from the use of hazardous materials and energy consumption. Published literature is utilized to analyze and quantify energy consumption of the manufacturing methods electrospinning, phase separation, self‐assembly, template synthesis, drawing and pressurized gyration. The results show that during the manufacturing stage of the lifecycle of polymeric fibers, pressurized gyration is more environmentally efficient primarily due to its mass‐producing features and fast processing of polymeric solutions into fibers, it also works best with water‐based solutions. Further green alternatives are described such as the use of sustainable polymers and solvents to enhance the environmental benefit. Overall, it is shown that the most effective method of curbing the environmental impact of manufacturing polymeric fibers is the use of nontoxic, water‐soluble polymers along with the evasion of toxic solvents.

Biomimetic polymer fibers—function by design

“…The global market for polymer fibers is characterized by a significant volume, primarily consisting of synthetic and cellulose-based fibers. Over the past two decades, the production of these fibers has exceeded 80 million metric tons worldwide, with synthetic fibers accounting for more than 90% of this total [113]. These statistics highlight a dramatic increase in the consumption of fossil resources and energy, which are essential for the production, recycling, and melt-processing of polymers.…”

Pressurized Gyration: Fundamentals, Advancements, and Future

“…Considering the pursuit of environmental friendliness and energy sustainability, spinning based on natural materials and green solvents will be a critical topic of PG in the future. [ 140 ] Biopolymers, such as cellulose and alginate from plant sources, chitosan/chitin from animal sources, or polyhydroxyalkanoate from microbial sources, have received extensive attention due to their non‐toxicity and inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability. According to a report by Transparency Market Research, the overall growth of biopolymer‐based industries is forecast to expand at a staggering 14% between 2017 and 2025, and the market share of these industries will increase from USD 2.4 billion in 2016 to USD 7.8 billion by 2025.…”

A Global Challenge: Sustainability of Submicrometer PEO and PVP Fiber Production

“…[ 7 ] In comparison, pressurized gyration is an energy‐efficient and safer process of producing polymeric fibers. [ 8 ] This is due to its simplicity and production efficiency in comparison to some of the other popular polymeric nanofiber production methods, such as phase separation and template synthesis. [ 8 ] The application of sustainable manufacturing has the potential to amplify an already sustainable process to produce the “greenest” submicrometer polymeric fibers.…”

“…The paper investigates the energy consumption during the production of submicrometer polymeric PEO and PVP polymeric fibers using pressure spinning, which is a leading contender in the quest for reducing environmental impact of polymer fiber manufacture. [ 8 ] Process control parameters were varied and the resulting energy consumption along with other output properties are calculated. Statistical analysis was used to recognize the main factors that influence energy consumption.…”

“…In the case of pressurized gyration, which was evaluated to be an energy‐efficient process in comparison to other polymeric submicrometer manufacturing methods, an approach to evaluate its energy efficiency is to study various magnitudes of parameters that affect the fiber output with a focus on its energy consumption. [ 8 ] This approach is used in this investigation using Polyethylene oxide (PEO) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to produce fibers via pressurized gyration. Both PEO and PVP are polymers with very low toxicity in comparison to other synthetic polymers and water‐soluble which as a consequence compliments the principles of Green Chemistry.…”