Scientists at the CERN research institute in Switzerland have approved funding for a project that looks at how particle acceleration can be used to accurately separate wool, cotton, and polyester blended textiles.
It’s thought that by exposing shredded textiles to a low-energy electron beam, textile fibres can be separated based upon their distinct electrostatic charges – irrespective of any fibre contaminants – and can then be sorted and collected for re-use in circular textile systems.
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