SELECTING THE OPTIMUM AMOUNT OF RECYCLED POLYPROPYLENE NONWOVEN WASTE IN SPUNBOND PRODUCTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Structural Abstract During the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in the use of polypropylene-based masks, leading to challenges related to raw material waste and supply limitations. This study aims to identify the optimal ratio of recycled and standard polypropylene fibers to produce a nonwoven spun-bond fabric with the best possible strength and elongation properties. In the rapidly expanding industry, polypropylene (PP)-based nonwoven fabrics (spunbond and meltblown) are increasingly being recycled by converting fabric waste into granules, which are then blended with virgin PP in specific proportions for reuse in production. This research focuses on analyzing the tensile strength and elongation at break of spunbond fabrics. First, fabric wastes from Spunbond-Meltblown processes were converted into granules, and their melt flow index (MFI) values were measured. These granules were then blended with virgin polypropylene fibers in varying proportions, resulting in five different spunbond fabric samples. The mechanical properties of these samples were compared with those of a fabric produced solely from virgin PP. The optimal mixing ratio of recycled to virgin fibers was then determined based on the results. The MFI of the recycled PP1 waste was measured at 38, while the MFI of a 75%-25% Spunbond-Meltblown waste blend (Recycle-PP5) was 104. Spunbond fabrics were produced by blending Recycle-PP1 granules with virgin raw material at ratios ranging from 0% to 20%. It was found that a 10% blend of recycled granules yielded the best results without compromising fabric quality. Higher proportions of recycled granules led to defects in the fabric. For instance, the tensile strength of spunbond fabrics containing 20% Recycle-PP5 granules decreased by approximately 26.9% compared to the fabric produced with 100% virgin PP. This study demonstrates the potential for using recycled granules in spunbond fabric production for specific applications, based on the observed strength properties. A key distinction of this research from existing literature is the identification of the most effective blending ratio of recycled and virgin polypropylene in a conventional production setting.