TY - JOUR
T1 - Focused parameter study of dye removal from PET textiles using Cyrene
T2 - Toward sustainable textile recycling
AU - Fernando, Philip R.
AU - Hebden, Andrew
AU - Du, Chenyu
AU - Goswami, Parikshit
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the following funding sources: the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant number EP/Y003888/1 ; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) under grant number BB/X011577/1 ; and the University of Huddersfield, which provided a studentship to the main author.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2025
PY - 2025/9/1
Y1 - 2025/9/1
N2 - Polyester is the most widely used textile fibre, accounting for around 54% of global fibre production. However, less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new textiles, largely due to dyes that reduce the quality of recovered fibres. This study aimed to improve textile-to-textile recycling by optimising a sustainable dye extraction method using Cyrene™, a biodegradable solvent, under mild conditions. The Taguchi method was used to identify the best combination of solvent ratio, treatment time, and fabric loading for removing two anthraquinone disperse dyes—CI Disperse Red 60 and CI Disperse Blue 56—from polyester fabrics dyed at low and high temperatures. The optimal conditions were a 75:25 Cyrene-to-water ratio, 30 minutes of treatment, and 10% fabric loading. Dye removal ranged from 70 to 96% for low-temperature dyed fabrics and 70–75% for high-temperature dyed fabrics, based on two anthraquinone disperse dyes; while not broadly generalisable, the results align with commonly understood consistency in dye–fibre interactions within similar dye classes. The results show that Cyrene™ can effectively extract dyes without harsh chemicals, improving the recyclability of polyester textiles. This supports a circular economy by enhancing fibre quality and reducing environmental impact.
AB - Polyester is the most widely used textile fibre, accounting for around 54% of global fibre production. However, less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new textiles, largely due to dyes that reduce the quality of recovered fibres. This study aimed to improve textile-to-textile recycling by optimising a sustainable dye extraction method using Cyrene™, a biodegradable solvent, under mild conditions. The Taguchi method was used to identify the best combination of solvent ratio, treatment time, and fabric loading for removing two anthraquinone disperse dyes—CI Disperse Red 60 and CI Disperse Blue 56—from polyester fabrics dyed at low and high temperatures. The optimal conditions were a 75:25 Cyrene-to-water ratio, 30 minutes of treatment, and 10% fabric loading. Dye removal ranged from 70 to 96% for low-temperature dyed fabrics and 70–75% for high-temperature dyed fabrics, based on two anthraquinone disperse dyes; while not broadly generalisable, the results align with commonly understood consistency in dye–fibre interactions within similar dye classes. The results show that Cyrene™ can effectively extract dyes without harsh chemicals, improving the recyclability of polyester textiles. This supports a circular economy by enhancing fibre quality and reducing environmental impact.
KW - Textile Recycling
KW - Dye Removal
KW - PET Textiles
KW - Sustainability
KW - Circularity
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105014199715
U2 - 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101284
DO - 10.1016/j.envc.2025.101284
M3 - Article
SN - 2667-0100
VL - 20
JO - Environmental Challenges
JF - Environmental Challenges
M1 - 101284
ER -
