Microplastics have become one of the most serious environmental hazards today, raising fears that concentrations will continue to rise even further in the near future. Micro/nanoparticles are formed ...when plastic breaks down into tiny fragments due to mechanical or photochemical processes. Microplastics are everywhere, and they have a strong tendency to interact with the ecosystem, putting biogenic fauna and flora at risk. Polyester (PET) and polyamide (PA) are two of the most important synthetic fibres, accounting for about 60% of the total world fibre production. Synthetic fabrics are now widely used for clothing, carpets, and a variety of other products. During the manufacturing or cleaning process, synthetic textiles have the potential to release microplastics into the environment. The focus of this paper is to explore the main potential sources of microplastic pollution in the environment, providing an overview of washable polyester materials.
The research deals with functionalization of a standard polyester fabric with biopolymer chitosan, whose premises are multifunctional and favour ecological effects. Due to the incompatibility of ...synthetic and natural polymers, the chitosan treatment was preceded by alkaline hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide with the addition of cationic and anionic surfactants as promoters. Compatibility of the chitosan with untreated and alkali-hydrolyzed fabrics was performed by analysis of mechanical and physico-chemical properties. The number of characterisation procedures performed required the use of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to identify homogeneous groups or clusters in which similarities and differences between samples are visible. Almost all applied methods and evaluation parameters have shown that alkaline hydrolysis of polyester fabric has the best potential for functionalization with chitosan. Therefore, the addition of surfactants as promoters during alkaline hydrolysis is not necessary in the pretreatment process phase.
This paper investigates a textile material of low surface mass for its protection against electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which is suitable for composite structures of garments, and for technical ...and interior applications. The shielding effectiveness against EMR of fabric knitted from polyamide threads coated with silver, measured in the frequency range of 0.9 GHz to 2.4 GHz, indicated a high degree of protection. The key contribution of the paper is the evaluation of the stability of the shielding properties against EM radiation after applying apolar and polar solvents, in synergy with the cyclic process parameters of wet and dry cleaning. The results of the study confirmed the decline in the shielding effectiveness after successive cycles of material treatment with dry and wet cleaning. The effect of wet cleaning in relation to dry cleaning is more apparent, which is due to the damage of the silver coating on the polyamide threads in the knitted fabric.
The possibility of reactive printability on protective flame—resistant fabrics, varied in composition of weft threads and weave was investigated. In addition, the wash fastness of printed samples was ...analyzed. The functional properties of fabrics were assessed by measuring of the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI). Printing was performed with two printing pastes varied in thickeners and two dyestuff concentrations. The samples were analyzed by microscopic imaging using digital microscope and spectrophotometric measurement before and after the five washing cycles. The results confirmed the printability of FR inherent fabrics specified through fine colored effects and optimal wash fastness.
Proban® is a multiphase treatment of cotton fabrics based on the formation of pre-condensates using the flame retardant (FR) agent tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium salts (THPx). The assessment of ...the durability of a product demands a preliminary understanding of how relevant it is to extend its lifetime. It is therefore important to minimize the risk of agents impacting: (1) the protection level, (2) shape and dimensions, and (3) additional comfort characteristics of the fabric. This research focused on the impact of washing conditions on the durability of FR properties and appearance of Proban® cotton fabrics, which was systematically arranged through the variation in the chemistry distribution in the Sinner’s circle. The chemical share was varied in laboratory conditions as a simulation of industrial washing based on component dosing, where the temperature, time and mechanical agitation were constant. The washing of cotton fabrics was performed through 10 cycles in four baths containing high alkali components, medium alkali components, high alkali reference detergent and water. The environmental acceptability of washing procedures through effluent analysis was assessed by physico–chemical and organic indicators. The limited oxygen index (LOI), calorimetric parameters (micro combustion calorimetry), thermal stability and evolved gases during thermal decomposition (thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) coupled with an infrared spectrometer (TG–IR)), surface examination (FE-SEM), spectral characteristics and pH of the aqueous extract of the fabrics before and after 10 washing cycles were selected for proof of durability. The medium alkali bath was confirmed as a washing concept for Proban® cotton fabric through the preservation of FR properties examined through LOI, TGA, TG–IR and MCC parameters and appearance color and low level of fibrillation.
The reuse of decontaminated disposable medical face masks can contribute to reducing the environmental burden of discarded masks. This research is focused on the effect of household and laboratory ...washing at 50 °C on the quality and functionality of the nonwoven structure of polypropylene medical masks by varying the washing procedure, bath composition, disinfectant agent, and number of washing cycles as a basis for reusability. The barrier properties of the medical mask were analyzed before and after the first and fifth washing cycle indirectly by measuring the contact angle of the liquid droplets with the front and back surface of the mask, further by measuring air permeability and determining antimicrobial resistance. Additional analysis included FTIR, pH of the material surface and aqueous extract, as well as the determination of residual substances-surfactants-in the aqueous extract of washed versus unwashed medical masks, while their aesthetic aspect was examined by measuring their spectral characteristics. The results showed that household washing had a stronger impact on the change of some functional properties, primarily air permeability, than laboratory washing. The addition of the disinfectant agent, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, contributes to the protective ability and supports the idea that washing of medical masks under controlled conditions can preserve barrier properties and enable reusability.
The dominant type of polymer particles in water, sediment, and various organisms partly derives from natural and synthetic fibres released in the washing process. Pollution of aquatic recipients with ...these particles poses an interdisciplinary problem throughout the world. Wastewater from washing represents a dispersion system with different particle sizes that is also loaded with the source of the particles. Due to this complex system, the qualification and quantification of this type of pollution is difficult. In this paper, the laser diffraction technique was applied to characterize particles in effluents from washing and rinsing materials made of a mixture of cotton and polyester. The results obtained through the analysis prove that the laser diffraction technique is acceptable for the characterization of a composite effluent sample. The advanced statistical technique of multivariate analysis confirmed the interrelationship of the parameters of this complex dispersion system.
A contamination on a textile material is defined as an undesirable, local formation that deviates in appearance from the rest of the material. In this paper the relationship between the shape and ...surface of liquid contaminations and the firmness factor of woven fabric is investigated. The interdependence of constructional and structural parameters of raw and bleached cotton fabrics were analysed. The results show that selected contaminations are distributed differently, primarily depending on the construction characteristics of the fabric, type of contamination and hydrophilicity of cotton fabric.
This research is focused on cellulose and starch derivatives, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carboxymethyl starch (CMS), added to the detergent in washing reference cotton fabric in soft and hard ...water at 40, 60 and 90 °C. The applied polymers were analyzed through the potential of surface cellulose modification and inhibition of stain transfer from standard stain donors to modified and initial cotton fabrics. The surface modification of the cotton fabrics, characterized by the zeta potential and amounts of deposits, was coupled with the cluster analysis as well as a whiteness assessment. The obtained results of the zeta potential and degree of whiteness of the reference cotton fabrics before and after washing showed differences between CMC and CMS. The appropriateness of the cluster analysis was confirmed in assessing the potential of applied polymers for surface modification of cotton fabrics and greying inhibition.
The paper investigates the shielding effectiveness of a newly developed cotton and polyester fabric into which conductive stainless-steel threads were incorporated in the warp and weft directions at ...frequencies 0.9 GHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.4 GHz. As resistance to external influences and degradation is an additional critical factor for protective textiles, the newly developed protective fabric was exposed to cumulative wash cycles with liquid and powder detergents, which were targeted to preserve the shielding effectiveness (SE). In addition to the SE shielding effectiveness, the influence of 10 washing cycles on the change in thickness as a structural parameter was analyzed. Micro-images of fabric surfaces before and after the first, third, fifth, seventh, and tenth washing cycles were also observed. The obtained results showed that powder and liquid detergents were well formulated to preserve the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) at higher frequencies. However, their impact on the appearance of the surface was not fully consistent with the shielding effectiveness.
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