Polyester-cotton blend textile recycling process and system with rotating hydrolysis reactor

A rotating hydrolysis reactor for processing polyester-cotton blend textile waste comprising:

• a reactor housing defining an interior chamber for receiving a water and chemical slurry associated with the hydrolysis reaction;
• an inner drum supported in the interior chamber for rotation relative to the reactor housing and for receiving polyester-cotton blend textile waste, the inner drum including a sidewall that is perforated with a plurality of holes;
• a plurality of spaced apart ribs supported on an interior surface of the sidewall of the inner drum for agitating the polyester-cotton blend textile waste when the inner drum is rotated relative to the reactor housing;
• a slurry heating system including a slurry outlet line in communication with the interior chamber of the reactor housing for drawing the water and chemical slurry out a bottom portion of the reactor housing, the slurry outlet line directing the water and chemical slurry to a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being operable to heat the water and chemical slurry to a desired temperature, the slurry heating system further including a slurry inlet line that communicates with the reactor housing and is configured to direct heated water and chemical slurry from the heat exchanger back into the interior chamber of the reactor housing.

A system for processing polyester-cotton blend textile waste comprising:

• a rotating hydrolysis reactor comprising:
• a reactor housing defining an interior chamber for receiving a water and chemical slurry associated with the hydrolysis reaction;
• an inner drum supported in the interior chamber for rotation relative to the reactor housing and for receiving polyester-cotton blend textile waste, the inner drum including a sidewall that is perforated with a plurality of holes;
• a plurality of spaced apart ribs supported on an interior surface of the sidewall of the inner drum for agitating the polyester-cotton blend textile waste when the inner drum is rotated relative to the reactor housing;
• and
• a hydrolysate recovery system configured to receive liquid hydrolysate from the rotating hydrolysis reactor comprising:
• a recovery vessel configured to receive liquid hydrolysate from the rotating hydrolysis reactor, the recovery system including an agitator and a heating system;
• an acid supply system for directing acid to the recovery vessel;
• a TPA recovery filter configured to capture TPA precipitate as liquid hydrolysate from the recovery vessel is directed through the TPA recovery filter;
• and
• a glycol recovery condenser in communication with the recovery vessel for receiving and condensing into liquid ethylene glycol vapors from the recovery vessel.