The Valencian Institute for Business Competitiveness (IVACE) has awarded us a grant of €65,388.32, co-financed at 60% by the European Union through the ERDF Operational Programme of the Valencian Community, for the project entitled “RESEARCH INTO RECYCLING THROUGH THE DISASSEMBLY AND DYEING OF MULTICOLOUR TEXTILES”, file number IMIDCA/2025/71, submitted to the PIDCOP-CV programme.
The aim of this project has been the development of an innovative method for the decolourisation and subsequent dyeing of recycled multicolour textile rags made of cotton, polyester and their blends, enabling their revalorisation as a high-quality recycled raw material for reincorporation into new textile manufacturing processes. The solution developed consisted of defining specific decolourisation and dyeing formulations, adapted to the fibre composition and to the different dyes present in the textile waste, making it possible to obtain recycled materials with a uniform, customised colour suitable for further recycling.
FRANCOTEX carried out the research and development of the chemical formulations of the process, studying the decolourising agents, dyes and auxiliary products, as well as designing and optimising the decolourisation baths and the new dyeing recipes for cotton, polyester and blended fabrics. It also defined the most suitable process conditions to maximise the effectiveness of colour removal and ensure compatibility between the different products used, prioritising formulations with a lower environmental impact that are viable for industrial scale-up.
Finally, the project was successfully completed with the definition of a new integrated decolourisation and dyeing process for multicolour textile waste, capable of increasing the added value of recycled materials, promoting their reincorporation into the textile sector’s value chain and contributing to the development of more sustainable solutions aligned with the principles of the circular economy.
