Nylon Recycling: Stretching Toward Circularity

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Around 4 million tons of nylon 6,6 (a type of synthetic polyamide) are produced annually, making it one of the most commonly used fibers in the apparel and automotive sectors, as well as for netting in fishing and agriculture. Its widespread use is due in part to its long durability, heat resistance and high tensile strength in performance applications. However, it is typically very hard to recycle, and its blending with fibers like spandex, polyester and cotton further complicates the process. Recycling rates for polyamides are estimated to hover around 5% or less, with most nylon materials ultimately ending up in landfills or incineration processes.

Typical mechanical recycling can only handle nylon waste that is extremely pure, and chemical recycling or depolymerization technologies often cannot fully break down nylon products, resulting in a difficult-to-process mixture of oligomers. In recent months, a number of companies have announced milestones in various nylon-recycling methods, which are summarized in this article. Additional noteworthy nylon-circularity projects include the following:

· University of Delaware (microwave-assisted glycolysis to recycle synthetic fibers)

· Avient Corp. (production of nylon containing post-consumer recycled [PCR] materials)

· Aurorium (additives designed to enhance the inclusion of PCR materials into nylon)

· Indorama and the TRex Consortium (European initiative to create a closed-loop sorting and recycling ecosystme for textile waste)

· BASF and Inditex (launch of nylon 6 made from 100 percent textile waste)

· Asahi Kasei and Microwave Chemical (chemical recycling process for nylon 6,6 using microwave technology)

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