Work

Comprehensive assessment of fragmented fiber shedding from recycled cotton textiles part II image-based methodology for assessment of contaminants shed from yarns

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study presents an image analysis–based method for the qualitative assessment of fibres, fibre fragments, and particles released from warp and weft yarns during simulated laundering of yarn hanks. The study provides insights into potential differences in impurity release between high-quality compact cotton warp yarns and rotor yarns made from various types of cotton waste, analyzed in both grey and dyed forms. The research aims to explore how the initial fibre quality and the type of recovered cotton, spun into rotor yarns, influence contamination levels and fibre release in water-based processes. The proposed methodology was validated as a reliable alternative to mass-based quantification, overcoming limitations related to cotton hygroscopicity and the imprecise determination of filter dry mass. Detected impurities were categorized into particles and fibre-type contaminants, with further subdivision providing objective measures of number, size, and, for fibre-type contaminants, length. Skeletonization enabled estimation of the longest fibre fragments and the structural complexity of bundles, while analysis of the binary portion provided complementary insight into impurity distribution and clustering. Results indicate that contaminant release is driven by cyclic mechanical stresses, with steel balls enhancing fibre extraction and breakage. Grey yarns exhibited higher fibre release due to washing-induced shrinkage and structural re-equilibration, whereas dyed yarns released fewer fibres, reflecting prior processing. Dust particles were mostly within the respirable size range, while fibre-type fragments displayed strongly right-skewed length distributions, best modelled by gamma distributions with bootstrap validation. Despite statistically significant differences in fibre fragment lengths, overlapping confidence intervals, and experimental constraints, such as single washing cycles, limited sample sizes, and measurement uncertainty, limit generalizability. The study demonstrates a methodological extension beyond fabric-based analyses, enabling the separate evaluation of warp and weft yarn behavior and providing a comprehensive understanding of impurity release during the wet processing of recycled cotton yarns.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-67010-1

Authors: Gabriela Krupincová, Mercedes Pereira

Institutions: Technical University of Liberec, Universidade da Coruña

Language: English

Topic: Textile materials and evaluations

Subfield: Polymers and Plastics

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690