A method for decolorizing a polyester fabric is provided, which includes: providing a dyed polyester fabric, in which a material of the dyed polyester fabric contains a dye and a water repellent; providing a composite solvent, in which the composite solvent includes propylene glycol methyl ether (PM) and acetic acid that are mixed together; and performing an extraction process, which includes using the composite solvent to wet the dyed polyester fabric and remove the dye and the water repellent from the material of the polyester fabric by extraction, so as to obtain a reduced polyester fabric.

A method for decolorizing a polyester fabric is provided, which includes: providing a dyed polyester fabric, in which a material of the dyed polyester fabric contains a dye and a water repellent; providing a composite solvent, in which the composite solvent includes propylene glycol methyl ether (PM) and acetic acid that are mixed together; and performing an extraction process, which includes using the composite solvent to wet the dyed polyester fabric and remove the dye and the water repellent from the material of the polyester fabric by extraction, so as to obtain a reduced polyester fabric.

A flexible material is disclosed comprising a flexible substrate, a sorbent comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, wherein the solids weight ratio of the binder to the zirconium hydroxide is in the range 1:1 to 1:120. Also disclosed is a process for production of a fabric, comprising: providing a flexible material, providing at least one sorbent dispersion comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, applying the sorbent dispersion to the flexible material to produce a treated flexible material, squeezing the treated flexible material under pressure, and passing the pressed treated flexible material through a stenter.

A flexible material is disclosed comprising a flexible substrate, a sorbent comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, wherein the solids weight ratio of the binder to the zirconium hydroxide is in the range 1:1 to 1:120. Also disclosed is a process for production of a fabric, comprising: providing a flexible material, providing at least one sorbent dispersion comprising zirconium hydroxide and a binder, applying the sorbent dispersion to the flexible material to produce a treated flexible material, squeezing the treated flexible material under pressure, and passing the pressed treated flexible material through a stenter.

A yarn comprising gel forming filaments or fibers particularly one used to make a woven or knitted wound dressing or other gelling fabric structure. The invention provides a yarn comprising a blend of from 30% to 100% by weight of gel-forming fibers and 0% to 70% by weight of textile fibers. Process for making the yarns are also described including those using rotor spinning.

A yarn comprising gel forming filaments or fibers particularly one used to make a woven or knitted wound dressing or other gelling fabric structure. The invention provides a yarn comprising a blend of from 30% to 100% by weight of gel-forming fibers and 0% to 70% by weight of textile fibers. Process for making the yarns are also described including those using rotor spinning.

An apparatus for treating a fiber material such as textiles is shown. The fiber material is fed to a reactor volume having an upper and a lower end, and the reactor volume is limited by a first filter in a lower end of the reactor volume and a second filter in the upper end of the reactor volume. A flow of solvent is led through the reactor volume entering the reactor volume through the first filter and exiting the reactor volume through the second filter.

An apparatus for treating a fiber material such as textiles is shown. The fiber material is fed to a reactor volume having an upper and a lower end, and the reactor volume is limited by a first filter in a lower end of the reactor volume and a second filter in the upper end of the reactor volume. A flow of solvent is led through the reactor volume entering the reactor volume through the first filter and exiting the reactor volume through the second filter.

A textile recycling method receives textile-waste-to-be-recycled, sorts the waste to isolate cellulose-containing articles from non-cellulose-containing articles, and re-sizes at least some of the cellulose-containing articles to create feedstock. The feedstock is processed in a cellulose solvent reactor, which has at least one ionic liquid. The ionic liquid dissolves intermolecular cellulose bonds of the feedstock to create a spinning dope. Cellulose fibers dissolved in the cellulose-bearing spinning dope solution are extruded in a cellulose coagulation bath reservoir to reconstitute at least some of the cellulose fibers, and the reconstituted fibers are wet-spun to form a continuous cellulose thread that is commercially indistinguishable from virgin fiber thread. Synthetic fiber material is vacuum-extracted or mechanically extracted from the cellulose-bearing solution and recycled into a continuous synthetic thread. Original color of textile-waste-to-be-recycled can be retained or removed, and new color can be added.

A textile recycling method receives textile-waste-to-be-recycled, sorts the waste to isolate cellulose-containing articles from non-cellulose-containing articles, and re-sizes at least some of the cellulose-containing articles to create feedstock. The feedstock is processed in a cellulose solvent reactor, which has at least one ionic liquid. The ionic liquid dissolves intermolecular cellulose bonds of the feedstock to create a spinning dope. Cellulose fibers dissolved in the cellulose-bearing spinning dope solution are extruded in a cellulose coagulation bath reservoir to reconstitute at least some of the cellulose fibers, and the reconstituted fibers are wet-spun to form a continuous cellulose thread that is commercially indistinguishable from virgin fiber thread. Synthetic fiber material is vacuum-extracted or mechanically extracted from the cellulose-bearing solution and recycled into a continuous synthetic thread. Original color of textile-waste-to-be-recycled can be retained or removed, and new color can be added.