Novel closed loop material concept
20/05/2024
In addition to offering what Lorenzo Rescali, company manager, tells sportstextiles.com, is an “accessible and cost-effective textile-to-textile recycling for synthetic fibres”, this “new material boasts exceptional dyeing and printing capabilities, surpassing those of both nylon and polyester in terms of properties and potential applications.” From a performance point of view, he says that it has the soft touch of a nylon 66 fabric and the moisture management and quick drying properties of a conventional polyester. Furthermore, the fabrics can be digitally printed with dyestuff (as opposed to pigment), thus offering a waterless printing solution.
Compared to most chemical recycling processes in development for synthetics, Mr Rescali says that BYR International decided to approach the problem from a different perspective: “first focusing on making a material for the purpose of easy recycling and easy depolymerisation using normal machines, and aiming for waterless digital printing.”
In practice, he goes on to say, “the recycling process could be operated in an existing dyeing mill, using conventional machinery.” To achieve best results, he notes, requires additional filtration and purification processes, which he doesn’t believe are very complicated or difficult. This would make it possible to set up a recycling plant that would cost less than $1 million, he posits. BYR International is in the process of setting up a small pilot plant for αXtre, which Mr Rescali notes is room-sized, to demonstrate its simplicity to potential customers.
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