I + D / Nuevos materiales y sostenibilidad. Revalorización de residuos, no tejidos y composites

ECO&TECNO CARPET. THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF FUNCTIONALISATION AND REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN THE CARPET INDUSTRY

Year: 2018

 

MOTIVATION

The rug and carpet-making industry is a traditional sector whose principal innovations are more concerned with design and texture than the introduction of new materials or processes, which are only of use when complying with the requirements of certain sectors, such as transport and construction.

Functionalising textiles has become an extremely useful approach for manufacturers who wish to be in the vanguard of innovation, as it allows them to confer new properties on their products using a variety of technologies. The opportunity to create a product with an added-value factor and one with its own distinctive brand and personality allows a manufacturer to stand out from the competition.

The advantages offered by functionalising textiles has allowed the techniques to continue to develop and they are now used in more technical and innovative sectors such as hygiene and cosmetics. These are sectors where cost is not necessarily a decisive factor and where it is easier to detect the requirements of almost any textile application, and the carpet industry could be one of these.

In addition, society is becoming more aware of the need to protect the environment and principals such as sustainability, biodegradability and recyclability are in consumers’ minds when they are making a purchasing decision.

Ideas relating to sustainability have begun to evolve away from linear economy and into circular economy until the more contemporary concept of cradle to cradle, which not only aims for zero waste but also that the product can be used as a raw material for new products in different sectors, including rugs and carpets.

OBJECTIVES

The core goal of the Eco&Tecno carpet project is to develop functionalised rugs and carpets using materials and processes which enhance the recyclability of the end product, and to undertake research into the revalorisation of the waste generated at each stage of the rug and carpet-making process, to lengthen its life cycle and create an added-value factor.

The two main lines of the ECO&TECNO Carpet project are:

1.The research and development of functional rugs and carpets:

• The use of new technical fibres which provide the carpet with new properties.
• Finishing processes which incorporate functional substrates when the backing is bonded.

2. The research and development of functional rugs and carpets with enhanced sustainability:

• The incorporation of biodegradable and recyclable fibre.
• Substituting the use of latex in the finishing process for more environmentally-friendly thermoadhesives.
• The reuse or recycling of manufacturing waste

EXPECTED RESULTS

While the ECO&TECNO CARPET project is a research project, it is also heavily focused on product development, and the expected results are:

1. The development of functional rugs using bio and functional fibre:

• A prototype rug with added freshness effect
• A prototype rug with the ability to decontaminate interior environments
• A prototype rug with the ability to improve biomechanical balance
• A prototype rug with intrinsic antibacterial and antifungal properties
• A prototype rug with enhanced fire resistance

2. The development of functional rugs using lamination:

• A prototype carpet with the ability to capture and screen electro-magnetic radiation.
• A prototype carpet with heating ability
• A prototype anti-slip carpet

3. A sector-specific diagnosis of the waste created by the industry.

4. The development of sustainable rugs using recycled fibre or biofibres:

• Prototype sustainable rug containing a percentage of sustainable product.
• Prototype sustainable rug using natural dyes.

5. The development of sustainable rugs using continuous lamination technology:

• Prototype sustainable rug which is easily recyclable.

6. The development of a cradle-to-cradle economy in the rug industry:

• Prototypes of construction panels using recycled carpets and rugs.

 

This Project is supported by the Conselleria d’Economia Sostenible, Sectors Productius i Treball, through the IVACE (Instituto Valenciano de Competitividad Empresarial) and is co-financed by ERDF from the EU within the framework of the Operational Programme FEDER for the Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020.

 

GRANT NUMBER: IMDEEA/2018/117

AMOUNT: 164.121,98 €

Información adicional

• Año: 2018

---

• Estado: finalizado

---

• Entidad: IVACE

¿Desea más información sobre este proyecto? Rellene el siguiente formulario.

Error: Contact form not found.