In its bid for sustainability, BakanTex in Uzbekistan uses comber noil, a recyclable raw material that can be spun into excellent rotor yarns, made possible by shortening the process through the use of Integrated Draw Frame (IDF)
The demand for clothing is increasing worldwide but the areas for cotton cultivation are limited. Truetzschler, a company with expertise in spinning, manmade fibres, nonwovens and card clothing, contributes significantly to the sustainable use of this valuable raw material with future-oriented technologies that enable the production of high-quality yarns from cotton waste. One example of a successful sustainability concept is BakanTex in Uzbekistan. The company was founded in Tashkent in 2017 after the government decided to promote the entire value chain around the domestic textile sector.
BakanTex produces first-class combed ring yarn. In the process, the so-called comber noil, which contains short fibres and neps that are undesirable in high-quality combed ring yarn, is combed out at the combers. As the fibres have already passed through the blow room and over the cards, it is a high-quality ‘waste’. Comber noil is a recyclable raw material which is used, for instance, in banknotes or hygiene products. It can also be spun into excellent rotor yarns. This is made possible by shortening the process through the use of Integrated Draw Frame (IDF). To allow processing into a good yarn, the fibre length can be significantly shorter thanks to the IDF.
The yarn is of excellent quality even if 100% comber noil has been processed. Until now, this has not been possible without the shortened process. BakanTex already uses this great potential. In the subsidiary FT Textile, founded in 2019, a rotor spinning mill which processes the noils of BakanTex is operated with 250 employees. Up to 22 IDF 2 produce the feed for 8,640 rotors. In addition, the company has invested in additional IDF machines and a recycling plant to process blow room and carding waste with the short preparation process. FT Textile relies on OE spinning and uses 100% raw cotton, but also cotton mix with waste, i.e., comber noil. This process allows excellent processing of short fibres – fibre length 20.6 mm – into yarn.
This process is particularly suitable since FT Textile can use short waste fibres produced during combing without any problems, in addition to so-called virgin cotton. This not only saves raw materials, but also space, energy and personnel. So far, the company has produced an average of 450 tons per card. It produces yarn from Ne 10 to 36. In the near future, FT Textile expects to produce at least 1,000 tons of yarn with consistent quality from each card. Here, it produces three blending ratios: The first blend consists of 100% raw cotton, the second blend of 80% cotton and 20% waste and the third blend contains only noils.
In terms of assessment of the yarn quality by its customers, FT Textile states that there have not been any complaints so far. Its customers are mainly from the knitwear and woven fabric sector.
Speaking about the ecological advantages of this process, Sekar Rajam, CEO, FT Textile, states: “The most important advantages for us are the significant energy savings and the reduced space requirement. Also important for us is the fact that we need less personnel due to the simplified can transport. Therefore, we are convinced that the shortened process will continue to be important for us. Our practical example illustrates the particular advantages of the shortened process with IDF 2.” In addition to FT Textile, the shortened spinning preparation process is already used by other customers to process their own comber waste into high-quality rotor yarns.
Cotton and the environment
The demand for textiles and thus for cotton products is growing steadily due to population growth and increasing per capita consumption as a result of economic prosperity. Cotton is cultivated worldwide on an area as large as Germany. However, cotton production cannot be increased at will, as agricultural areas are limited. In addition, the plants require warm climatic conditions and an extremely large amount of irrigation. Furthermore, they are treated with pesticides and insecticides and thereby account for 10% of global pesticide and fertiliser consumption. Cotton is therefore a highly sought-after but also controversial raw material.
That is precisely why efficient use is necessary. This circumstance is countered on the one hand by adding synthetic fibres to cotton, and on the other hand by sustainable methods of utilising the raw material. Since 2019, both the production and the processing of sustainable cotton have been supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation in the countries of Uzbekistan, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and India. Existing platforms and initiatives worldwide are integrated to increase sustainability in the cotton industry. Among other things, training courses for farmers on more sustainable cultivation methods are offered within this framework.