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Advances in Manufacturing Sustainable Textile Fibers from Chitin and its Derivatives: Spinning Methods, Fiber Functional Properties, Biodegradability, and Environmental Impacts
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This review sums up research on making clothing fibers from chitin, a natural material found in shrimp shells and fungi, instead of plastic based fabrics. Synthetic textiles shed microplastics that end up in our water, food, and bodies, so finding strong, biodegradable alternatives like chitin could help reduce this pollution while still making durable clothes.
Most of the current textiles are made from non-renewable, non-biodegradable synthetic fibers that are a source of microplastic pollution. The alternative biodegradable natural fibers have not only limited production but also have high energy and water usage along with high carbon footprints. Chitin has immense possibilities to replace non-biodegradable synthetic polymers for textile fiber manufacturing because of its abundance, biodegradability, and many beneficial functional properties. Despite its abundance, its utilization in textile fiber manufacturing is limited because of its insolubility and performance issues. Spinning of fibers from chitin derivatives for textile production was mainly studied by wet and dry-jet wet spinning methods using a range of solvents including ionic liquids, spinning dope additives (other polymers, nanoparticles), and various coagulation baths that considerably enhanced fiber performance and functionalities. Recent advancements enabled manufacturing fibers by gel spinning directly from chitin without any derivatization, which produced fibers with strength comparable to several natural fibers. This review discusses chitin and its derivatives as fiber-forming polymers, spinning methods, various solvents used, spinning methods, fiber crosslinking, and spinning dope additives to enhance the mechanical and functional properties of the resultant fibers. The discussion also includes the toxicity and biodegradation of chitin fiber, carbon footprints, and future directions in advancing its application towards sustainable fiber production. The key limitation of the review article is the consideration of only published peer-reviewed journal articles but no patent specifications. A limited number of published articles discussed the structure-property relationship of fibers produced from chitin and its derivatives. The true comparison of various performances of fibers produced by various methods was difficult due to different conditions used by different research groups. It is possible to manufacture textile fibers with strength comparable to many natural fibers by selecting the right source of chitin and its derivatives.
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Scientists developed a foam made from chitin, a natural material found in seafood shells, that can absorb over 400 milligrams of nano-sized microplastics per gram of material, even in saltwater. This recyclable, sustainable approach could help clean microplastics from ocean water, and the recovered plastic can be converted into useful products.
Advances in Circular Economy Frameworks for Textile Waste Management and Next-Generation Bio-Based Fibers
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This review paper looks at ways to recycle old clothes and create new plant or fungus based fabrics instead of relying on petroleum based synthetics. This matters because textile waste is piling up in landfills and shedding microplastics into our water, soil, and eventually, the food we eat.
Advances in Circular Economy Frameworks for Textile Waste Management and Next-Generation Bio-Based Fibers
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This review pulls together current research on turning old clothes into new fibers instead of dumping them in landfills, where they release microplastics and pollution. It highlights promising alternatives like fabric made from mushrooms and agricultural waste. Cutting textile waste this way could mean less microplastic contamination in our water, food, and bodies over time.
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