Ocean recycled nylon yarn embodies a revolutionary approach to marine waste management, sourcing materials from a diverse matrix of oceanic pollutants. Discarded fishing nets—comprising 46% of macro-plastic debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—form the primary feedstock, alongside decommissioned ship cables, post-consumer nylon apparel (e.g., abandoned sportswear), and industrial textile offcuts. Annual recycling operations retrieve approximately 1.58 million tons of marine-derived nylon, a volume equivalent to 320,000 shipping containers. This not only mitigates the 8 million tons of plastic entering oceans annually but also creates a closed-loop system where each ton of yarn produced prevents 2.1 tons of CO₂ emissions, validated by third-party LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) studies per ISO 14044.
a. Oceanic Waste Collection
Specialized vessels equipped with floating booms and submersible nets operate in designated marine cleanup zones, with crews trained in UNESCO-approved waste management protocols. Collected materials undergo initial triage on-board, segregating nylon-based items from polyolefin plastics using density separation (nylon sinks in 1.04 g/cm³ saltwater, polyolefin floats).
Acrylic yarn
b. Intelligent Material Sorting
At regional recycling hubs, a four-stage sorting system employs:
- NIR (Near-Infrared) spectroscopy for polymer identification (accuracy 99.6%)
- Eddy current separators to remove metallic contaminants
- Air classification to eliminate non-fibrous debris
- Manual quality control for residual foreign materials
c. Low-Temperature Depolymerization
The patented “Hydrolink” process subjects sorted nylon to:
- Cryogenic crushing at -196°C to break down fiber structures
- Alkaline hydrolysis at 235°C with controlled pH (8.5–9.2) to cleave amide bonds
- Vacuum distillation to purify caprolactam monomers (purity 99.97%)
- Catalytic hydrogenation to remove trace colorants (YI index <5)
d. Molecular Engineering Spinning
Melt spinning occurs at 265–270°C with:
- Nano-zinc oxide additives for UV protection (SPF 50+ equivalent)
- Graphene oxide interlayers to enhance tensile modulus (3.2 GPa)
- Bi-functional modifiers to improve dye affinity (ΔE <1.5 for dark shades)
| Parameter |
Test Method |
Recycled Nylon |
Virgin Nylon |
| Tensile Strength |
ASTM D885 |
5.8–6.3 cN/dtex |
6.0–6.5 cN/dtex |
| Elongation at Break |
ISO 527-2 |
28–32% |
30–35% |
| Thermal Stability |
TGA Analysis |
240°C (5% weight loss) |
245°C |
| Chlorine Resistance |
ISO 105-E01 |
≤5% strength loss after 200ppm NaCl exposure |
≤3% loss |
| Microbial Degradation |
ASTM D6691 |
0.082%/year in seawater |
0.007%/year |
a. High-Performance Textiles
A leading outdoor brand’s expedition series uses 200D recycled nylon yarn in ripstop fabrics, achieving:
- Tear strength: 32N (ASTM D1424)
- Water column resistance: 20,000 mm (ISO 811)
- Weight reduction: 15% vs. conventional fabrics
b. Marine Engineering
In offshore wind farm projects, 1000D recycled nylon ropes demonstrate:
- Breaking load: 220kN (ISO 1965)
- Fatigue resistance: 85,000 cycles at 30% of breaking strength
- Cost efficiency: 12% lower than aramid alternatives
c. Circular Fashion
A European luxury brand’s “Ocean Collection” features:
- Knitwear with 100% recycled nylon content
- Dyeing using natural pigments (e.g., indigo from Indigofera tinctoria)
- Garment-to-garment recycling programs, achieving 95% material recovery
The production network adheres to the “5R Principles”: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Restore. Key initiatives include:
- “1 Ton = 1 Reef” program: Planting 10m² of coral reef for each ton of yarn sold
- Blockchain traceability system (powered by Ethereum) for supply chain transparency
- Research partnerships with MIT on bio-catalyzed depolymerization (targeting 2025 commercialization)
To date, the initiative has:
• Removed 820,000 tons of marine plastic waste
• Supported 542 coastal communities in waste management
• Reduced cumulative carbon emissions by 1.6 million tons
By 2027, the company aims to scale operations to process 5 million tons/year, leveraging AI-driven waste prediction models and autonomous cleanup vessels to enhance efficiency. This commitment has been recognized with the “Global Ocean Award” from the World Economic Forum, positioning the yarn as a cornerstone of the blue economy transition.
