Advanced fabrication and multi-properties of recycled textile waste fibers aerogels

Abstract In recent years, the treatment of textile waste has been attracted more and more attention around the world. The reuse of textile waste can contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable development of the economy. Herein, we proposed a facile and cost-effective approach to fabricating aerogel by using textile waste fibers as the matrix and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glutaraldehyde (GA) as crosslinking agents. After coated with methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) via chemical vapor deposition, both the interior and exterior of the whole textile waste aerogels surface exhibit a super-hydrophobic property with a water contact angle of up to 136.9°. A comprehensive investigation of its structure, thermal performance and oil absorption capacity has been carried out for high-value applications such as building insulation and oil spill cleanup. The textile waste fibers aerogels have ultra-low density and high porosity, good thermal stability and outstanding heat insulation properties (K avg = 0.049–0.061 W/m·K). It has a competitive commercial application value that the maximum oil absorption value reaches 18.6 g/g.