DYNA JOURNAL ENGINEERING

The textile and cement industries share a common challenge: a high environmental impact and large volumes of hard-to-manage waste. In response, researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) are showing that textile waste can become a valuable resource for energy production and for improving cement performance, moving both sectors closer to a circular economy model.

The scientists have found that adding around 1.5 per cent recycled polyester fibres, sourced from used garments, can increase concrete strength by 15 to 20 per cent and improve its resistance to freeze–thaw cycles. This performance boost makes it possible to reduce the amount of clinker and conventional cement needed to achieve equivalent mechanical properties, which in turn lowers CO2 emissions from manufacturing.

The team is also exploring the potential of so-called “textile ash”, a by-product obtained by subjecting textile waste to thermal treatment in an oxygen-free environment at roughly 300 degrees Celsius. After the carbon-rich fraction is used as an alternative fuel, the resulting ash can replace up to 7.5 per cent of traditional cement in mixes, increasing the compressive strength of test specimens by up to 16 per cent under standard curing conditions.

This approach delivers a dual environmental benefit: it cuts emissions linked to one of the world’s most widely used construction materials and provides a higher-value outlet for textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or conventional incineration. The work is part of the Textifuel project, carried out with the Lithuanian Energy Institute, and aligns with the European Union’s drive for lower-carbon construction materials and more sustainable management of textile waste.