CELNAS: Cellulose nanostructures for textile recycling

Picture source: Mahlamäki et al. (2023), Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 193,106984. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.106984. Shared under CC BY 4.0 license

CELNAS develops a proof-of-concept to reliably predict the dissolution behaviour and reactivity of cellulosic textile fibers for chemical recycling. We will combine near infrared imaging and machine learning with X-ray scattering and molecular modelling to predict the intrinsic viscosity of experimentally degraded textile fibers and to explain the effects of fiber degradation on cellulose structure. Our proof-of-concept demonstrator aims to increase the technology readiness level of our method from TRL 3 to TRL 4 through lab-scale validation. We expect CELNAS to increase our understanding on the effects of fibre degradation on the structure and recyclability of cellulosic textile fibers, which will enable us to develop new methods to monitor and control the raw material feed for chemical recycling.

Watch the project pitch at FinnCERES Annual Seminar 2025:

Research Project Managers

Mikko Mäkelä, VTT

Antti Paajanen, VTT

Paavo Penttilä, Aalto

Michael Hummel, Aalto

Project status

Funded by FinnCERES from January 2025.

This work is continuation for the SASAMIS project.