The recycling process of waste polyester/cotton fabrics presents an enormous challenge due to a considerable quantity of waste

the intricate methodology and the minimal value of reused mixed products. The synergistic effect of citric acid and zinc chloride is utilized to effectively break cotton fibers while investigating the underlying mechanism of separation. By employing a concentration of 30% citric acid

35% zinc chloride

a temperature of 90 ℃

and 3 hours

successful separation between polyester and cotton is achieved. The recovery rate of cellulose attains 84.1%

while retaining its crystalline structure characteristic of cellulose I. However

the degree of polymerization and crystallinity experience a decrease of 83.8% and 27.3%

respectively. Polyester fibers demonstrate a remarkable recovery rate of 97.8%

remaining largely undamaged throughout the separation process. The citric acid and zinc chloride acidolysis system can be recycled several times

enabling the separation and recovery of waste polyester/cotton blended fabrics.