Accelerated weathering of textile waste nonwovens used as sustainable agricultural mulching

Abstract

The removal of agriculture residual plastic films is nowadays a big concern for all environmentalists. Several ecological alternatives were developed for more sustainable products and cleaner production. In this work, the effect of three months of exposure under accelerated weathering conditions (ultraviolet light, moisture, and heat) on the properties of two textile waste nonwovens as a sustainable alternative to plastic mulching films was investigated. Results showed that thermostability and mechanical properties of the clothing textile waste felt and cotton waste nonwoven decreased after accelerated weathering. The chemical variation of cotton waste nonwoven and textile waste felt and the degradation rate of natural and synthetic fibers due to the photolysis and hydrolysis caused by accelerated weathering conditions were studied following the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the fibrous composition variation of the blended textile waste felt structure during the study