Comparison of the properties of fabrics produced from r-PET and classical PET fibers before and after dyeing-printing process

r-PET fibers produced by recycling PET bottles are an environmentally friendly due to their energy preservation and raw material cost reduction as well as less carbon emissions. Computer parts, pillows, insulation materials, carpets, sleeping bags etc. can be produced from recycling PET flakes and most of them are mixed with other recycled fibers in the OE (open-end) spinning system to produce fibers of socks, blankets and carpets. However, the use of r-PET fiber as a low-quality material in its current form of production will result in the amount of consumption reaching its saturation point in the future. With this in mind, this project has been designed to make it easier for the textile industry to take responsibility for environmental issues. In this project, the aim is to produce fibers from PET bottle wastes with keeping the quality of fibers at the required limits of consumers and to expand usage of such fibers and open the way to its acceptance as a prime material. In the study, Cotton, PET and r-PET fibers were used. The physical properties of the produced yarns and fabrics have been determined. After dying processes, abrasion resistance, pilling property, air permeability, fabric handling properties and thermo-physiologic properties other properties such as light, washing, rubbing fastness were examined. According to the test results, surface properties of r-PET fiber are rougher than conventional fibers. This roughness affects the water transmission properties of fabrics in the negative direction. Due to the roughness, the total surface area of the fibers increases, which causes a decrease in abrasion resistance of the fabrics, since it results in an increase in the friction surface. The mechanical properties of r-PET fabrics are found generally lower than those of conventional ones. However, it is considered that these fibers will be used in many fields because of their quality of the mechanical properties.