Mechanically Recycling Metallicized Fabrics

Electronic textiles are growing fast, and they cause big environmental problems when they are thrown away because they combine synthetic fabrics with metal conductors. We study how to mechanically recycle metallicized fabrics—common in e‑textile prototypes—to keep them out of landfills. First, we adapt standard textile‑recycling steps. After the fabrics are taken apart, we shred them and turn the pieces into needle‑punched nonwoven mats. Next, we test the new nonwovens for three things: * structural strength, * electrical conductivity, and * piezoresistive behavior (how resistance changes with pressure). By measuring these properties, we see how the recycling process changes the distribution of conductive fibers and how that affects the material’s ability

to act like a sensor. The study offers practical guidance for recovering valuable conductive textiles and shows a sustainable way to reuse them in low‑power electronics, wearable sensors, and smart packaging. Overall, we set a baseline for circular design in the e‑textile industry and prove that post‑consumer metallicized waste can be turned into functional, pressure‑sensing nonwoven structures without any chemical extraction.

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