Textile Waste Fibre Regeneration via a Green Chemistry Approach: A Molecular Strategy for Sustainable Fashion

Fast fashion has been widely criticised for its excessive resource use and high generation of textile. To reduce its environmental impacts, numerous efforts have focused on finding sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to textile recycling. However, waste textiles and fibres are still mainly disposed of in landfills or by incineration and thereby pollute the natural environment, as there is still no effective strategy to separate natural fibres from chemical fibres. Herein, we developed a green chemistry strategy for the separation and regeneration of waste textiles at the molecular level. Cellulose/wool keratin composite fibres and multicomponent fibres were regenerated from waste textiles via ionic liquids. Our strategy attempts to reduce the large amount of waste textiles generated by the fast-developing fashion industry and provide a new source of fibres, which can also address the fossil fuel reserve shortages caused by chemical fibre industries and global food shortages caused by natural fibre production.

Biosynthesis of magnesium Oxide nanoparticles using the extracts of puniga granatum peels and brassica oleracea

Nanotechnology brings the enormous application in the field of medicine, agriculture and aquaculture technologies, which is shifted from the chemical based solutions. The current work concerned on green synthesis of Magnesium Oxide nanoparticle from the extracts of pomegranate peels and cauliflower, in which the Magnesium Sulphate Heptahydrate has been act as a precursor. Because of its high hardness property of Magnesium Oxide,it is used as fire retardant in plastic tubes and chemical fibre. The various analytical studies and morphological characteristics were taken for MgO nanoparticles such as XRD, SEM, FTIR, EDS, UV-Vis and Antibacterial activity. From the XRD, the crystallinity of MgO particles was found out. From the FTIR and UV-Vis spectrum, the powdered composition of the samples and their optical properties were determined. SEM predicts the morphological structure of MgO nanoparticles and their elemental composition were determined in the EDS analysis. Antibacterial activity for MgO nanoparticles exhibited good results against gram positive and gram negative bacterial.

Thermoplastic Multi-Material Nonwovens from Recycled Carbon Fibres Using Wet-Laying Technology

In this study, multi-material nonwovens were produced using a wet laying nonwoven batch process. The aim of this work is to investigate and develop nonwoven material solutions that can be used for a substitution of pure glass fibre (GF)-applications and also provide a more cost-sensitive option compared to nonwovens purely made from recycled carbon fibres (rCF). The multi-material-nonwovens of this study consisted of the functional components rCF and GF as well as a thermoplastic matrix, built by the admixture of PA6-fibres. All three fibre types were mixed directly within the nonwoven manufacturing process, respectively in the course of the initial weighed portions. Six different material compositions with individual amounts of rCF and GF were produced, but a constant overall fibre volume content (FVC) as well as a uniform grammage was defined. A hot pressing technique was used to consolidate these multi-material-nonwoven layers. Subsequently, the sheet materials were examined using tensile and 4-point bending tests, as well as wet-chemical fibre volume content determinations and micrographic sections. With regard to the mechanical performance, a near-linear increase is observed for increased proportions of recycled carbon fibres. In this context a potential for the use of multi-material-nonwovens consisting of rCF and GF can be found. It is demonstrated that rCF might be an adequate substituent for classical GF-applications. The results contribute to broadening the performance spectrum of rCF and thus to its substantial recycling route.

Directions of the Finishing of Fibres and Textile Development

The development of textile finishing techniques and technologies outside of reports in world-wide publications is also very visible at subsequent fairs. At international fairs, such as ITMA, ATMA and FESPA, machine, equipment and dye manufacturers present new techniques and technologies. The development of chemical fibre processing nowadays goes mainly towards the “ecological optimisation” of technological processes as well as the economics of processes. In this article, the main development directions of the chemical treatment of textiles in the field of the pre-treatment, bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing of textile products are discussed.

Structural Changes and Growth Factors of China’s Textile Industry: 1997-2012

In this study, the Input-Output Structural Decomposition Analysis (I-O SDA) method is adopted to analyze the structural change in China’s textile industry during 1997-2012 and to measure the contribution rate of the growth factors (consumption, investment, inventory, exports and imports) affecting change in its gross output. Then the key factors and main driving forces promoting textile industry development are figured out. The results show that China’s textile industry has experienced great change both in scale and structure. Among the growth factors, the contribution rate of exports is the largest, followed by investment, consumption, imports and inventory. The textile industry still relies heavily on exports, investment and consumption, while the contribution rate of imports is relatively small. In addition, technological change makes a positive contribution with technological innovation. Among the industrial sectors, the cotton & chemical fibre textile industry holds dominance, with the textile manufactured goods industry exhibiting tremendous development, the growth of the knitted textile industry fluctuating, and the wool textile industry and hemp & silk textile industry progressing slowly. Finally relevant policy suggestions are proposed to promote the balanced and coordinated development of China’s textile industry.