3D Printed Textile Waste Reinforced Biocomposites: Digital Light Processing of Soybean Oil Thermosets for Sustainable Materials

7th EurAsia Waste Management Symposium, İstanbul, Türkiye, 21 - 23 Ekim 2024, ss.84-90, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

The textile and fashion sector has seen significant growth in both production and consumption, making sustainability a

critical factor for producers and consumers. Fast fashion generates a large volume of waste, including yarn/fiber scraps,

fabric trimmings, and ready-to-wear cuttings. Recently, sustainable methods for reusing and recycling these wastes have

gained attention in both industrial and academic circles. At the same time, environmental challenges such as global warming,

climate change, and the depletion of fossil resources call for the replacement of petroleum-based chemicals with renewable

and biodegradable alternatives in polymer production. Vegetable oils, particularly soybean oil, are key alternatives due to

their biodegradability, low toxicity, and abundance in nature. Soybean oil is especially important in the coating industry

because it is biologically renewable. In this study, epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) was modified with itaconic acid (IA) to

produce UV-curable oligomers. The chemical structure of the photocurable oligomer was characterized by Fourier transform

infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These oligomers were then combined with protein-based textile wastes, specifically wool

powder, to create a novel formulation. The formulations were processed into 3D structures using Digital Light Processing

(DLP), and the mechanical and physicochemical properties of the resulting bio-composites were thoroughly investigated.

The findings emphasize the potential of textile waste recycling as a key solution for sustainable production, highlighting the

importance of utilizing bio-based materials in industrial processes. The wool waste fibrous particles were analyzed by means

of morphological and elemental characteristics. The mechanical properties of 3D DLP printed samples were investigated.