{"id":171350,"date":"2025-12-08T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T06:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=171350"},"modified":"2025-12-05T13:04:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T12:04:53","slug":"lithuanian-scientists-use-textile-ash-to-create-extremely-strong-cement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/lithuanian-scientists-use-textile-ash-to-create-extremely-strong-cement\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian scientists use textile ash to create extremely strong cement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\"Lithuanian
Lithuanian scientists use textile ash to create extremely strong cement \u00a9<\/strong> Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Waste is no longer just a problem; it can become a valuable resource. Scientists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) <\/strong>in Lithuania are exploring how textile waste can be converted into energy or incorporated into the production of cement and concrete. Such solutions reduce environmental pollution, support the circular economy and open new opportunities for industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, several billion tonnes of waste are generated in the European Union. The EU is currently updating its waste management legislation to transition to a more sustainable circular economy model. Unlike the traditional linear system \u2013 where resources are extracted, used, and discarded \u2013 the circular economy focuses on reducing waste through smart product design, reuse, repair, recycling, and more sustainable consumption. Particular attention is directed toward textiles and construction, two sectors with high environmental footprints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge of textile waste<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Dr Raimonda Kubili\u016bt\u0117, a researcher at the Department of Silicate Technology at KTU\u00a0\u00a9<\/strong> Kaunas University of Technology (KTU)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Managing textile waste remains a global challenge. Most textile products are still incinerated or landfilled, and only a small share is recycled or reused. In Europe, only a fraction of post-consumer textiles is collected separately, and just a few per cent of used clothing is transformed into new products \u2013 fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies are still emerging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, most recycled textile materials are repurposed into low-value products such as cleaning cloths, insulation or padding. Recycling synthetic clothing is particularly difficult due to the additives used in production, which complicate sorting and processing. Microplastics are also released during washing or treatment. Because most garments consist of fibre blends, incineration and landfilling remain the most common disposal methods \u2013 yet direct incineration increases CO\u2082 emissions and environmental pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using textile waste in the cement and concrete industry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One promising direction for higher-value reuse is the incorporation of textile-derived materials into other resource-intensive sectors, such as cement and concrete production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe 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,\u201d says Dr Raimonda Kubili\u016bt\u0117 of the\u00a0KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Across the cement and construction sectors, scientists are developing innovative strategies to reduce the share of ordinary Portland cement without compromising \u2013 and sometimes even improving \u2013 material performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research analysing the interface of the textile and cement industries show that adding 1.5% of recycled polyester fibre derived from discarded clothing can increase concrete strength by 15\u201320% and significantly improve freeze-thaw resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Textile ash significantly increases strength<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thermal treatment of textile waste at 300 \u00b0C in an inert environment produces carbon-rich granules with high calorific value. Their use as an alternative fuel could reduce reliance on fossil resources. However, as with other fuels, their combustion generates secondary waste \u2013 ash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mineral and chemical composition of ash varies depending on the type of fuel, which means its effect on the strength and durability of cementitious materials can differ widely. KTU studies have shown that textile ash can replace up to 7.5% of conventional cement and increase the compressive strength of cement samples by up to 16% under standard curing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThis technological solution not only reduces CO\u2082 emissions during cement production but also provides an innovative and environmentally friendly approach to textile waste management,\u201d adds Dr Kubili\u016bt\u0117.<\/strong> While the production of alternative fuels from textile waste is still in its early stages in Lithuania and elsewhere, the potential of this area is increasingly recognised.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The research described above is part of the project \u201cProduction of Alternative Fuel from Textile Waste in Energy-Intensive Industries (Textifuel)\u201d<\/em>, carried out by KTU and the Lithuanian Energy Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Waste is no longer just a problem; it can become a valuable resource. Scientists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania are exploring how textile waste can be converted into energy or incorporated into the production of cement and concrete. Such solutions reduce environmental pollution, support the circular economy and open new opportunities for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":171352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) are developing new ways to turn textile waste into energy and high-performance cement materials, offering sustainable solutions for two resource-intensive sectors \u2013 textiles and construction","footnotes":""},"categories":[17143],"tags":[15692,10416,10453,24515],"supplier":[18596],"class_list":["post-171350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recycling","tag-cement","tag-circulareconomy","tag-recycling","tag-textilerecycling","supplier-kaunas-university-of-technology-ktu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171350"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=171350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}