Solid-state NMR method for the quantification of cellulose and polyester in textile blends

Abstract

The valorization of cellulose rich textile waste is promoted by the development of a novel solid-state NMR method for the quantification of cellulose and polyester in textile blends. We applied ¹³C CP-MAS NMR as a tool for the quantification and structural characterization of cellulose in cotton polyester blends. Gaussian functions were used to integrate the spectra obtained from a set of calibration standards in order to calculate a sigmoidal calibration curve. Acid hydrolysis was chosen as a reference method. The results demonstrated that solid-state NMR enables a reliable determination of cellulose and polyester in both preconsumer and postconsumer waste textiles and suggests a possible extension of the concept to blends of man-made cellulose fibers (MMCFs) and polyester.

Keywords: CP-MAS NMR; Cellulose crystallinity; Cotton; MMCFs; PET; textile recycling.