Extraction of Cellulose-Based Polymers from Textile Wastes II

Dear Colleagues,

With the boom of nanotechnology in response to the demands for new and improved bio-based products, the extraction and exploration of cellulose-based polymers is becoming an exciting area of research. To date, wood (especially from bleached kraft wood pulp) has been the main source of cellulosic compounds because of its abundance in nature. However, in the past decade, researchers have been devoted to finding alternatives to extract cellulose from byproducts of agricultural crops and/or textile wastes, which are highly available at a very reduced raw material cost. The consumption of cotton-based products has been growing steadily over the past few decades. As a result of this increased consumption, the amount of cotton waste generated, including both pre-consumer (fiber linters, yarn slivers, fabric scraps from factory offcuts, unsold brand-new garments) and post-consumer (used and unwanted garments) wastes, has increased substantially in landfills. In finished cotton fabrics, cellulose content can be up to 99% since non-cellulose components are eliminated during scouring and bleaching, which are routine preparation procedures. Considering the urgent demands for a circular economy and sustainable actions, research has been providing the first steps towards finding new and greener extraction systems for textile wastes that provide the present raw materials with a second life.

This Special Issue in Polymers on "Extraction of Cellulose-Based Polymers from Textile Wastes", available at https://0-www-mdpi-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/journal/polymers/special_issues/Extr_Cellul_Based_Polym, seeks manuscript submissions that further our understanding of these techniques and extraction processes employed for textile waste, and the mechanisms by which a second-life purpose can be provided to the extracted raw material. Studies that deal with the ability to recover cellulose-based polymers, with elevated purity, from cotton wastes are highly desirable. Submissions on new processing and extraction methodologies that employ green approaches, with a smaller environmental impact than conventional strategies and that are capable of giving rise to high-purity polymers, are also very welcome.

Dr. Helena P. Felgueiras
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• textile fabrics
• recycling
• chemical extraction
• green methodologies
• natural-origin polymers
• polymer purity
• sustainability
• circular economy
• second-life polymer applications