Lithuanian researchers convert textile waste into low-emission cement

According to Dr Raimonda Kubiliute of KTU’s Faculty of Chemical Technology, “The cement industry, especially clinker firing processes in rotary kilns, contributes significantly to environmental pollution. This is why researchers are actively seeking ways to reduce the amount of conventional cement in cement-based mixtures by replacing it with alternative binders or fillers.”

Early results from the ongoing research indicate that incorporating 1.5 per cent recycled polyester fibres recovered from used garments can boost concrete strength by 15–20 per cent and significantly enhance its freeze–thaw durability, the university said in a press release.

The team is also studying ‘textile ash’ produced when textile waste undergoes thermal treatment at 300°C in an oxygen-free environment. This process creates carbon-rich granules with high calorific value that may serve as alternative fuels.

Their combustion, however, results in ash, whose composition varies depending on the type of textile used.

KTU’s findings show that such ash can substitute up to 7.5 per cent of conventional cement, improving compressive strength by as much as 16 per cent under standard curing.

Dr Kubiliute noted that this innovation offers a dual environmental advantage: reduced CO2 emissions from cement manufacturing and a novel approach to managing textile waste.

Although producing alternative fuels from textiles remains at an early stage in Lithuania and globally, interest in the field is growing. The work forms part of Production of Alternative Fuel from Textile Waste in Energy-Intensive Industries (Textifuel), a project conducted jointly by KTU and the Lithuanian Energy Institute.

The research comes as the European Union (EU) updates its waste management rules to support a shift toward a more sustainable circular economy, with a focus on high-impact sectors such as textiles and construction.

Despite the scale of the challenge, several billion tonnes of waste generated annually across the EU, only a small share of post-consumer textiles is separately collected, and fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies are still in their infancy.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (CG)