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conference cpote2026 logo
CPOTE2026 | 9th International Conference on
Contemporary Problems of Thermal Engineering
23-25 September 2026 | Kraków, Poland | In-person

Abstract CPOTE2026-5024-A

Life cycle assessment of waste polycotton by solvolysis: environmental performance across process conditions

Houda EL HYANI, Silesian University of Technology, Poland
Lyudmila SLOBODKINA, Silesian University of Technology, Department of Thermal Technology, Stanisława Konarskiego St. 22, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland, Poland
Szymon SOBEK, Silesian University of Technology, Department of Heating, Ventilation, and Dust Removal Technology, Stanisława Konarskiego St. 20, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland, Poland
Marcin SAJDAK, Silesian University of Technology, Department of Air Protection, Gliwice, Poland, Poland
Roksana MUZYKA, Silesian University of Technology, Department of Air Protection, Gliwice, Poland, Poland
Sebastian WERLE, Silesian University of Technology, Department of Thermal Technology, Stanisława Konarskiego St. 22, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland, Poland

The chemical recycling of polycotton textile waste via glycolysis offers an effective approach for recovering terephthalic acid (TPA) from mixed-fiber waste streams. This study offers a process-level life cycle assessment (LCA) of polycotton solvolysis utilizing a mixed ethylene glycol and propylene glycol (EG+PG) solvent system. The LCA was evaluated across a response surface experimental design that spanned temperature (160-180°C), reaction time (10-30 min), solid-liquid ratio (10-20 wt.%), and KOH catalyst loading (0.5-2.5 wt.%). The functional unit is defined as 1 kg of polycotton waste (50% PET, 50% cotton) that has been treated under various process conditions. The ecoinvent 3.12 background database was employed to evaluate environmental impacts, with a cut-off approach for waste textile input, using the Environmental Footprint 3.1 method. According to the results, the solid-liquid ratio was the most critical process parameter, with climate change implications spanning from 1.8 to 4.2 kg CO₂-eq per functional unit. Due to the proportionally higher solvent requirements per kilogram of fiber treated, the conditions at SL 10% resulted in the highest climate change burdens, while the SL 20 wt.% conditions attained the lowest values. The primary factor influencing freshwater ecotoxicity was the chloride emissions associated with the production of propylene glycol. While mechanical recycling of PET reports climate change impacts of 0.7 to 1.6 kg CO2-eq per kg, the optimized solvolysis condition achieved 1.8 kg CO2-eq per kg polycotton, representing a significant improvement over previously reported glycolysis-based chemical recycling values of 4.3 to 5.8 kg CO2-eq per kg, which ranged from 124.7 to 251.4 CTUe in magnitude. The optimal environmental condition was 180°C, 30 minutes, SL 20 wt.%, and 2.5 wt.% KOH, which resulted in a 52.7% dissolved yield at 1.8 kg CO2-eq. These results indicate that the most effective method for reducing the environmental impact of polycotton chemical recycling under varying process conditions is to manage solvent quantity through solid-liquid ratio optimization.

Keywords: Life cycle assessment, Polycotton chemical recycling, Glycolysis, Terephthalic acid recovery, Environmental Footprint 3.1
Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Opus 26 project "Chemical recycling of textile waste by oxidative liquefaction and solvolysis - from waste to sustainable fashion" financed by the National Science Center (NCN), Poland [2023/51/B/ST8/02414].