Recycling of Nonwoven Polyethylene Terephthalate Textile into Thermal and Acoustic Insulation for More Sustainable Buildings

Abstract

The construction and building sector is responsible for a large share of energy and material used during the life cycle of a building. It is therefore crucial to apply a circular economy model within the process wherever possible to minimize the impact on the environment. In this paper, the possibility of producing thermal and acoustic boards from industrial nonwoven waste textile is studied and presented. The nonwoven polyester textile obtained directly from the production line in the form of strips and bales was first shredded into smaller fractions and then in the form of pile compressed with a hot press to form compact thermal insulation boards. The first set of specimens was prepared only from waste polyester nonwoven textile, whereas the second set was treated with sodium silicate in order to check the material’s reaction to fire performance. The experimental work was conducted to define the acoustic properties, reaction to fire behavior and thermal conductivity of the produced specimens. The obtained results show that the thermal conductivity coefficient of specimens without added water glass dissolution is near to the values of conventional materials used as thermal insulation in buildings. The reaction to fire testing proved that the addition of water glass actually propagates the progressive flame over the entire product. It can be concluded that the presented thermal insulation can be used as an adequate and sustainable solution for building construction purposes.

Characterization of a Thermal Insulating Material Based on a Wheat Straw and Recycled Paper Cellulose to Be Applied in Buildings by Blowing Method

“…These results, under a standardized methodology, allow the material to be compared with other research, where it is important to highlight that the fire resistance of thermal insulation materials is not key, as, in general, it is the interior linings that provide the capacity to resist fire in the event of an incident. It is important for such materials to be self-extinguishing and not to generate toxic gases, which is why conventional materials mostly generate problems when combusting [56,60].…”

Recent advances in recycling technologies for waste textile fabrics: a review

“…Recycled blended fabrics have also gained interest in thermal insulation applications. 81,99,100 Sakthivel et al 42 developed chemically bonded non-wovens from mechanically recycled cotton/polyester selvedge waste for automotive interior applications for thermal insulation purposes, and found that 50/50 cotton/polyester non-wovens showed better thermal insulation performance. Similarly, Sakthivel et al 81 characterized the insulation and acoustic properties of recycled PET/cotton nonwoven mats and reported that more than 70% good resistance was achieved.…”

Advancements in Textile Roofing Solutions for Challenging Weather Conditions

“…In their study, Antolinc and Eleršič Filipič explore the use of industrial nonwoven textile waste for the production of thermal and acoustic panels. They convert polyester nonwoven textiles, obtained as strips and bales from the production line, into compact thermal insulation boards by shredding them into smaller segments and then compressing them using a hot press [18].…”