Evaluation of the disintegration of rayon fabric under composting conditions

The volume of fabric wastes throughout the world is constantly increasing. A significant proportion of these wastes are recoverable or compostable, but in our country there is no other way of burning and landfilling for the management of these wastes. Among the various types of fabrics, some have greater biodegradability and can be decomposed at the acceptable rates under controlled conditions. In this study, the disintegration of rayon fabric was investigated under composting conditions. During the composting process, temperature, moisture and aeration were controlled and by sampling at the certain times, changes in some operating parameters such as temperature, moisture and pH were investigated. Structural and morphological changes of the linen fabric before and after disintegration were investigated by FTIR spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At the end of the process, by measuring the weight loss due to organic matter conversion, the disintegration of this fabric was evaluated and the maturation of resulting compost was investigated by a germination test. The results revealed the breakdown of hydrogen bonds in the fabric. The samples weight loss at the end of the test showed that the rayon fabric is biodegradable under composting conditions, and due to the germination test, the resulting compost maturity is at the acceptable level.