US 11,952,714 B2
Process for separating a fibrous target component from textile waste
Christoph Klaus-Nietrost, Vöcklabruck (AT); Richard Herchl, Ried im Innkreis (AT); and Christian Weilach, Vöcklabruck (AT)
Assigned to LENZING AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Lenzing (AT)
Appl. No. 16/961,732
Filed by LENZING AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Lenzing (AT)
PCT Filed Jan. 14, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/050775
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 13, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/138101, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18151737 (EP), filed on Jan. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0062417 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B03B 5/34 (2006.01); B03B 9/06 (2006.01); D21C 5/00 (2006.01)
CPC D21C 5/00 (2013.01) [B03B 5/34 (2013.01); B03B 9/061 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for separating a fibrous target component from textile waste, said textile waste containing the target component and at least one ancillary component, wherein the target component comprises water-swellable textile fibers with a density higher than the density of water, the process comprising the steps:
a) dispersing a comminuted textile waste in an alkaline aqueous solution to obtain a suspension containing the textile waste, and
b) separating the dispersed textile waste from the suspension into a high-density target fraction comprising the target component and a low-density residual fraction comprising the at least one ancillary component, according to a respective density of the target component and the at least one ancillary component,
wherein the water-swellable textile fibers are swelled in the alkaline aqueous solution prior to step b), thereby increasing a density and weight of said target component relative to a density and weight of the at least one ancillary component.