This study proposed a base framework for creating sustainable designs with textile production waste and unused neckties with the “design thinking” approach, which is an iterative process. It aimed to set an example of how fashion designers can plan and manage their clothing design processes in a more sustainable way by recycling textile production scraps and unused neckties into unique clothing pieces with the upcycling method. Unused neckties and upholstery scraps were turned into skirts, blouses, and dresses by using creative techniques in line with current fashion trends. In addition, the five-stage iterative design process followed was explained, and the way in which the waste textile materials gained value by being converted into unique garments was discussed in terms of the user and the designer. Through the study, it was observed that the smallest amount of textile waste can be transformed into upcycled clothing via the iterative process, and original, value-added products enjoyed by consumers can be created. In addition, it was observed that the design thinking approach improves the understanding of the context of the problem, creativity in the generation of insights and solutions, skills to materialize those solutions through iterative prototyping, and the ability to combine these factors. Promising ideas to help designers develop recycling strategies were also provided.

The process of clothing production creates waste and scrap, which creates environmental, economic, and ethical issues. With this in mind the concept of ethical and sustainable fashion is discussed on many platforms as an important and timely topic. Many solutions have been presented on this subject. For the solution of this problem which has been increasing in the fashion and textile industry, the usage of sustainable materials and production methods is needed. There in a ‘recyclable material cycle’ should be adapted, instead of a ‘traditional material cycle’. New methods and techniques should be developed with multi-disciplinary design approaches to produce creative and high value-added products in the name of fashion and sustainability. This is seen as one of the more effective solutions. This study aims to show that production scraps can be transformed into timely clothing designs with samples. The fabric scraps from different brands were turned into unique clothing designs with up to date trends by designer. In the practices completed while following the design process, collage and patchwork techniques were applied depending on the characteristics of the scrap fabric, artistic figures were hand-stitched onto the design. With this study, the scraps that get thrown into dumping grounds and damage the ecosystem can turn into ethical and economic benefits for the manufacturer. How to choose new high value-added products and create an awareness of social responsibility is also shown with examples in this study.

This study is carried out to obtain basic data regarding oxidation and reduction reactions, originated on the recycling of waste tungsten hard scraps by oxidation and reduction processes. First, it is estimated that the theoretical Gibbs free energy for the formation reaction of WO2 and WO3 are calculated as ΔG1,000K= -407.335 kJ/mol and ΔG1,000K = -585.679 kJ/mol, from the thermodynamics data reported by Ihsan Barin. In the experiments, the oxidation of pure tungsten rod by oxygen is carried out over a temperature range of 700-1,000oC for 1 h, and it is possible to conclude that the oxidation reaction can be represented by a relatively linear relationship. Second, the reduction of WO2 and WO3 powder by hydrogen is also calculated from the same thermodynamics data, and it can be found that it was difficult for the reduction reaction to occur at 1,027oC, in the case of WO2, but it can happen for temperatures higher than 1127oC. On the other hand, WO3 reduction reaction occurs at the relatively low temperature of 827oC. Based on these results, the reduction experiments are carried out at a temperature range of 500-1,000oC for 15 min to 4 h, in the case of WO3 powder, and it is possible to conclude that the reduction at 900oC for 2h is needed for a perfect reduction reaction.

The GaN-powder scrap generated in the manufacturing process of LED contains significant amounts of gallium. This waste can be an important resource for gallium through recycling of scraps. In the present study, the influence of annealing temperatures on the structural properties of GaN powder was investigated when the waste was recycled through the mechanochemical oxidation process. The annealing temperature varied from 200oC to 1100oC and the changes in crystal structure and microstructure were studied. The annealed powder was characterized using various analytical tools such as TGA, XRD, SEM, and XRF. The results indicate that GaN structure was fully changed to Ga2O3 structure when annealed above 900oC for 2 h. And, as the annealing temperature increased, crystallinity and particle size were enhanced. The increase in particle size of gallium oxide was possibly promoted by powder-sintering which merged particles to larger than 50 nm.

The electrochemical properties of cells assembled with the LiNiO2 (LNO) recycled from cathode materialsof waste lithium secondary batteries (Li[Ni,Co,Mn]O2), were evaluated in this study. The leaching, neutralization andsolvent extraction process were applied to produce high-purity NiSO4 solution from waste lithium secondary batteries.High-purity NiO powder was then fabricated by the heat-treatment and mixing of the NiSO4 solution and H2C2O4.Finally, LiNiO2 as a cathode material for lithium ion secondary batteries was synthesized by heat treatment and mixingof the NiO and Li2CO3 powders. We assembled the cells using the LiNiO2 powders and evaluated the electrochemicalproperties. Subsequently, we evaluated the recycling possibility of the cathode materials for waste lithium secondary bat-tery using the processes applied in this work.

Cathode materials and their precursors are prepared with transition metal solutions recycled from the thewaste lithium-ion batteries containing NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) cathodes by a H2 and C-reduction process. Therecycled transition metal sulfate solutions are used in a co-precipitation process in a CSTR reactor to obtain the tran-sition metal hydroxide. The NCM cathode materials (Ni:Mn:Co=5:3:2) are prepared from the transition metal hydroxideby calcining with lithium carbonate. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses show that the cathodematerial has a layered structure and particle size of about 10 µm. The cathode materials also exhibited a capacity ofabout 160 mAh/g with a retention rate of 93~96% after 100 cycles.