VALORISATION OF COTTON WASTE FOR SPECIALISED END-USE APPLICATIONS

The fast expansion of the textile industry has led to a growing waste problem, with enormous volumes of cotton-based products being burnt or dumped in landfills, seriously polluting the environment. This study investigates a sustainable solution to this problem by chemically recycling and valorising wood pulp, post-consumer cotton waste, and pre-consumer cotton into high-value nitrocellulose. Alkaline pulping is used to extract cellulose, and the Box-Behnken response surface approach is employed to optimise the parameters of controlled nitration using sulfuric and nitric acids. FTIR examination revealed distinctive nitro group peaks at 1272 cm⁻¹, while CHNS analysis showed Nitrogen levels between 11.01% and 11.49%, confirming the effective conversion. Notably, post-consumer waste produced 11.17% Nitrogen, demonstrating that textile waste can be a sustainable substitute for virgin resources. By converting low-value trash into valuable ingredients for propellants and lacquers, this method advances the ideas of the circular economy.