Recycled Jeans/Denim Cotton Fibre as a Bio-based Material for Paperboard Handsheets: Laboratory Evaluation
Klaus Dölle *
Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), State University of New York (SUNY), One Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Fabric fibres have been used in paper production for more than 2,000 years. With industrialisation, wood-based fibres largely replaced textile fibres in paper products and packaging grades. Environmental concerns about plastic bags have renewed interest in paper-based and bio-based alternatives.
Renewed interest in natural fibre materials for paper and board applications requires evaluation of sustainable fibre sources within current industrial processes.
In this study, jeans/denim fibre (JDF) was produced from collected 100% cotton jeans trousers cut into 1.0 inch x 1.0 inch (25.4 mm x 25.4 mm) pieces before refining. Handsheets were prepared using JDF and old corrugated container (OCC) fibres.
Handsheets with a target basis weight of 70 g/m² were produced from blends ranging from 100% OCC to 100% JDF in 10% increments and evaluated for mechanical, surface and optical properties.
The handsheets showed opacity values close to 100% and changed from brown to blue as OCC content decreased and JDF content increased.
Higher OCC content was associated with greater air resistance, indicating a more compact sheet structure.
Handsheets containing 100% to 40% OCC generally showed higher strength performance, including short compression strength index, burst index, tear index, zero-span strength and tensile strength. JDF contents above 50% reduced mechanical properties.
The results indicate that JDF may be suitable as a partial fibre component in paperboard handsheets, but high JDF fractions reduce mechanical integrity.
Further laboratory and pilot-scale research is required to optimise fibre processing, sheet formation and strength development before industrial paperboard application.
Keywords: Bio-based material, recycled denim, jeans/denim fibre, paperboard handsheets, old corrugated container, textile waste, sustainable packaging, mechanical properties, surface properties, optical properties, TAPPI testing, fibre recycling.