Textile Research Journal

Manuela Lageiro and Maria Costa-Ferreira1 Bioengineering and Bioprocessing Unit, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute for Industrial Engineering and Technology (INETI), Portugal Abstract An enzymatic cocktail was used for the decolorization of process wastewater, containing mainly three reactive azo dyes, from a textile dyeing and printing company. Water sampled from different processing streams and combinations thereof was decolorized to different extents. The decolorization was greatest for C.I. Reactive Black 5, followed by C.I. Reactive Red 158, whereas C.I. Reactive Yellow 27 was the least decolorized. As wastewater from the printing process was inhibitory, the 1 mistirred tank type reactor prototype was installed near the outlet prior to the discharge of wastewater from the printing process. Temperature and pH control systems were installed to ensure optimal enzymatic decolorization, this being about 45 ° C and pH 6.4. The average temperature observed at the reactor was 42.1 ° C, which indicated the need for improved temperature control. Laboratory scale tests were done to assess the reuseability of the biotreated wastewater for the washing of dyed cotton fabrics.

In order to perform virtual reality fitting of a garment through the Internet, an effective method of three-dimensional (3-D) garment modeling is developed. The garment is simulated using a 3-D quadrangular mesh based on a mass– spring system. To demonstrate the dynamical draping behavior of particular woven fabrics, the material properties adopted in the simulation, including tensile, shear, and bending, were measured using the Kawabata system. In animating the garment, a method of minimal enclosure was introduced to facilitate fast and reliable detection of cloth–body and cloth–cloth collisions.

X-ray-tomography was used to investigate the moisture distribution of multilayered textiles under praxis conditions. It was possible to follow the dynamics of the moisture transport without disturbing an ensemble during measurement, and to make quantitative statements concerning the localization of the moisture, both for a given layer as a whole, and within a layer. The second possibility was exploited to visualize the in-plane moisture distribution, providing a full, three-dimensional quantification.

This paper describes research on the effects of absorbed moisture on the thermal protective performance of the fire fighter turnout materials exposed to thermal assaults lower than flashover conditions. A thermal testing platform and sensor are used to measure thermal protective performance of turnout systems exposed to a sub flashover heat flux range 6.3 kw/m2 (0.15 cal/ cm2 s). The effects of moisture level on predicted second-degree burn injury for turnout systems having different moisture vapor permeability and total heat loss are discussed. Heat transfer analysis and experimental results show that, for selected test conditions, moisture negatively impacts protective performance most severely when the amount of added moisture is at a comparatively low level (15–20% of turnout system weight).

Polyethylene terephalate (PET) samples were modified by Cu, C, Ti, and Cr implantation using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) implanter. The ions were implanted at an accelerating voltage of 30 kV with a dose ranging from 1 × 1014 to 1 × 1017 ions/cm2. In the first part of this study, Cu ions were implanted to improve the electrical properties of PET woven fabrics, and in the second part, C, Ti and Cr ions were implanted to enhance the mechanical properties of PET membrane fabrics. After implantation, the results showed that the half-charge decay time of implanted fabric lessened to milliseconds, and the friction coefficient and wear loss values decreased significantly. The surface morphologies of the samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The changes in chemical structure were observed by IR spectra.

For care of the elderly in a rapidly aging society, a new type of nonwoven fabric care sheet made from cellulosic fibers laminated with a plastic film has been developed. Fiber orientation, friction, tensile strength, local deformation distribution during a tensile test and water absorbency were examined, with a view to practical application. The best fiber mixture ratio in the trial sheets was concluded to be 75% Manila hemp and 25% rayon fibers. In comparison with a linen cloth the addition of rayon fibers at about this ratio gives the most satisfactory properties in terms of soft touch and sensory smoothness to the nonwoven fabric as well as not being slippery. It also gives relatively high water absorbency and moderate elongation under tensile force providing shock-resistance, in spite of a rather low tensile strength, to the nonwoven fabric. Uniquely, a new method to analyze the tensile deformation distribution of nonwoven fabrics using a pattern-matching technique has been developed and demonstrated. Using this method it was found that, during tensile deformation in the machine direction, the addition of rayon fibers allows even elongation in that direction but increases contraction in the cross direction.

This experimental study mainly focuses on the effects of overfeed ratio, twist direction and amount of twist of the binder yarn, and the effect of yarn count on the properties of bouclé yarns and their performance in single jersey and rib (1 × 1) structures. Based on the results, it is evident that the twist direction of the binding and the effect yarns as well as changes in the overfeed ratio influence the amount and height of the effect of the bouclé yarns. It was observed that changes in the studied parameters affect the thickness and the abrasion behaviour of both types of fabric. Furthermore, the weight loss due to abrasion on the actual face and back of both single jersey and rib fabrics is influenced by the type of effect and the yarn material employed. The actual face and back of single jersey fabrics are less resistant to abrasion than the rib structures.

Metallization is one of the finishing processes in textile treatment that can produce a unique fabric appearance. It appears to have great potential for application to garments for both functional and decorative effects. Chemical plating is an autocatalytic deposition method that can be used for precision work in conventional manufacture. This study has investigated the method for using chemical silver plating on cotton and polyester fabrics and the final properties of the metalized fabrics. The results showed that specific performance of the silver-plated fabric could be obtained if the optimum chemical plating condition was chosen. In addition, fabric design practice employing this chemical technique with the design method could achieve diverse effects.

An approach based on the shock tube experiment is proposed to evaluate the permeability of airbag fabrics. Shock tube experiments were conducted to imitate airbag inflation by fixing an airbag fabric sample near the end of an open driven section. When a plane shock wave impinges the airbag fabric, it will be reflected. Meanwhile, an increase in pressure will form at the front face of the airbag fabric and this will lead to a flow through the fabric, due to the permeable structure of the fabrics. The air permeability of airbag fabrics can therefore be determined by measuring the velocity of the reflected shock wave. It was found that at relatively high pressure the dynamic permeability results from the shock tube experiment were lower than the static results from the conventional permeability testing method. This phenomenon appears to be related to the different influences on the airbag fabric structure of the steady pressurization that occurred in the static experiments and the instantaneous pressurization that occurred in the shock tube experiments.

This study was mainly focused on the theoretical analysis of the influences by protruding fiber ends on the change in hairiness during the winding process by using a parameter Kand a critical length LCC, both of which are functions of forces acting on the fiber and the fiber hair properties, to describe the likelihood of the hairs being pulled out, for two cases, namely when the initial yarn tension is zero and non-zero, respectively.

Wool fabrics treated for shrinkage control by applying a novel two-step ARS process3 involving an activated peroxide bleach followed by enzyme treatment were dyed at lower temperatures within shorter dyeing times than conventional dyeing with acid dyes which require 90 ° C or higher for 60 minutes or longer. The shrinkage control process involved bleaching pretreatment with dicyandiamide in alkaline hydrogen peroxide and with gluconic acid additive at 30 ° C (86 ° F) for 30 minutes followed by sulfite-assisted serine protease treatment for biopolishing and shrinkage prevention at 45 ° C (113 ° F) for 40 minutes. Dye uptake with time over the temperature range of dyeing showed that untreated fabrics and pretreated fabrics exhibited sigmoidal dyeing behavior with exhaustion within 55–70 minutes at 55–60 ° C. Fabrics pretreated and subsequently treated with enzyme exhibited exponential dyeing behavior with exhaustion within 20–30 minutes at 30–55 ° C. We attributed low temperature dyeing with reduced dyeing times to changes in wool morphology and chemical structure as documented by both scanning electron and confocal fluorescent microscopy. The ARS process provides shrinkage control with greater ease of bleaching and dyeing.

Twenty-three woolen, mixed and worsted woven fabrics made of wool, polyester/ wool, polyester/cellulosic and waste fibers underwent four different finishing treatments. The effect of the finishing on gray goods was studied by comparing the structural parameters and the results obtained by compressive and cyclic multiaxial strain testing. It was observed that finishing lead to a more fully, dimensionally stable and more relaxed fabric structure. By comparing the results obtained from finished fabrics it was possible to distinguish between the different groups of finished fabrics: Pure wool fabrics, non-pure wool fabrics, woolen fabrics made of warp worsted yarns (mixed fabrics) and pure worsted fabrics. The measured structural parameters were fabric density, thickness and mass per square meter, Eurotex and image analysis cover factors, air permeability and sonic velocity. The results given by compressional testing were compressibility, the Onions compressive index and Kawabata's linearity of compression. The results of the cyclic multiaxial strain testing were initial deformation, relaxation and creep indexes and bagginess after five deformation cycles.