German technology group Voith is incorporating Econyl regenerated nylon from Italian materials company Aquafil into its paper machine press felts as part of efforts to improve the recyclability of industrial textiles while maintaining their technical performance.

Press felts are used in paper manufacturing to remove water from the paper web under high mechanical pressure. These highly engineered textiles must retain dimensional stability and performance over extended operating periods, making material selection and end-of-life recycling important considerations.

Aquafil’s regeneration technology converts nylon waste into raw material suitable for manufacturing new polyamide 6 (PA6) products, with properties comparable to conventional virgin nylon. According to Voith, Econyl met the performance requirements for use in its press felts, allowing the company to incorporate regenerated nylon into these demanding industrial applications.

Alongside the use of regenerated PA6, Voith is redesigning the material structure of its press felts to improve their recyclability. Traditionally, these products contain combinations of different polyamides and other components, which can complicate material recovery and affect the quality of recycled polymers. The company aims to maximise PA6 content while reducing or eliminating materials that could interfere with subsequent recycling processes.