Sustainability Issues of Various Denim Washing Methods

Denim washing is increasingly joining the list of indispensable processes of meeting the demands of the world’s shifting fashion industry. Other than this, there is a rising trend in the sustainability perception among both producers and customers in the modern world. However, denim washing is considered to have direct impacts on the environment because of its chemical discharge and many other pollutants emitted during the process which affect water supplies. In the process, the denim industry encounters challenges at every level. Therefore, there is need for studying sustainable problems associated with denim washing. The unseen soul of the denim industry is technology, as nothing can be transformed without technological advancement. Sustainability problems of conventional washing have been addressed in this paper (i.e. pp spray washing, bleaching washing, stone washing, sand blasting etc.). Furthermore, the paper describes how sustainability can be achieved through the most recent washing techniques, such as laser, waterjet, nanobubble, ozone, NoStone, potassium permanganate alternatives etc. The introduction of new technologies has triggered a dramatic shift in the denim washing industry in terms of water usage, electricity and chemicals as well as improved quality. Consequently, it is undoubtful that the recent technologies in denim washing are crucial in making the industry sustainable. Moreover, the paper describes the idea of digitally printed denim and the available software for measuring sustainability in the process of denim washing.

Analysis and improvement of tactile comfort and low-stress mechanical properties of denim fabrics

Despite the fact that the tactile comfort of a garment is an important criterion that determines consumers' preferences and has been investigated for almost a century by many researchers, the number of studies regarding tactile comfort of denim fabrics is limited. The aim of this study is to propose suggestions to enhance the tactile comfort of denim fabrics and investigate their efficiency in terms of low-stress mechanical properties and sensory evaluation results. For this purpose, the compressibility, extension ability, bending rigidity and shear rigidity of 51 denim fabrics were experimentally determined. Meanwhile, stiffness–softness, roughness–smoothness and tactile comfort scores were evaluated by consumers and specialists via sensory tests. The effects of the raw material, blend ratio, weaving parameters and washing processes were statistically investigated. Low-stress mechanical properties, particularly biaxial and multiaxial ones, were found to be highly related to the perceived tactile comfort. Statistical investigations highlighted that stone washing is the most effective method to improve the tactile comfort. Nonetheless, the effect of enzyme washing was relatively small. It was observed that the suggested weaving parameters provide a significant improvement in fabric properties. Increasing the ratio of viscose content in polyester/viscose blend weft yarns was quite effective as well.