Fibers Made from Peach Waste
摘要
The foundation of circular economies lies in their capacity to reuse, regenerate, and recycle waste, and their growth hinges on the establishment of industrial symbiotic ecosystems. In this context, we researched the idea of utilizing peach peels and pomace from the Greek compote and juice industries to extract cellulosic pulp that could be turned into textile fibers. The successful extraction of the peach pulp was followed by its blending with α-cellulose powder at a ratio of 25:75 and the addition of the organic solvent N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) to prepare the spinning dope. Next, laboratory experiments using a wet spinning machine confirmed the suitability of the pulp to produce regenerated cellulosic fiber from airgap spinning of NMMO solution, establishing proof of concept that the agro-industrial peach waste can be upcycled to produce manmade cellulosic fibers (MMCFs). A lab-scale process was developed after implementing technical adjustments to improve both the process and the morphology of the fiber. The latter was confirmed via scanning electron microscopy. Measurements of chlorinated phenols and organotin compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmed their absence in the produced fibers, making them compatible with the EU regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 as to the specific parameters. pH values confirm the compatibility of the produced cellulose fibers with the skin and indicate the absence of finishing or other chemicals.