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In this study, graphene oxide/N-halamine nanocomposite was synthesized through Pickering miniemulsion polymerization, which was then coated on cotton surface. The modified cotton exhibited excellent superhydrophobicity, which could effectively prevent microbial infestation and reduce the probability of hydrolysis of active chlorine, with virtually no active chlorine released in water after 72 h. Deposition of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets endowed cotton with ultraviolet-blocking properties, attributing to enhanced UV adsorption and long UV paths. Moreover, encapsulation of polymeric N-halamine resulted in improved UV stability, thus extending the life of N-halamine-based agents. After 24 h of irradiation, 85 % of original biocidal component (active chlorine content) was retained, and approximately 97 % of initial chlorine could be regenerated. Modified cotton has been proven to be an effective oxidizing material against organic pollutants and a potential antimicrobial substance. Inoculated bacteria were completely killed after 1 and 10 min of contact time, respectively. An innovative and simple scheme for determination of active chlorine content was also devised, and real-time inspection of bactericidal activity could be achieved to assure antimicrobial sustainability. Moreover, this method could be utilized to evaluate hazard classification of microbial contamination in different locations, thus broadening the application scope of N-halamine-based cotton fabrics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Cotton produces natural fiber for the textile industry. The genetic effects of genomic structural variations underlying agronomic traits remain unclear. Here, we generate two high-quality genomes of Gossypium hirsutum cv. NDM8 and Gossypium barbadense acc. Pima90, and identify large-scale structural variations in the two species and 1,081 G. hirsutum accessions. The density of structural variations is higher in the D-subgenome than in the A-subgenome, indicating that the D-subgenome undergoes stronger selection during species formation and variety development. Many structural variations in genes and/or regulatory regions potentially influencing agronomic traits were discovered. Of 446 significantly associated structural variations, those for fiber quality and Verticillium wilt resistance are located mainly in the D-subgenome and those for yield mainly in the A-subgenome. Our research provides insight into the role of structural variations in genotype-to-phenotype relationships and their potential utility in crop improvement., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Landmark and sustainable eco-friendly dye treatment processes are highly desirous to ameliorate their effect on the environment. The present study investigated the azo dye degradation efficiency of adapted Enterobacter hormaechei SKB 16 from textile effluent polluted soil in optimized culture conditions. The adapted bacteria strain was identified by standard microbiological and molecular techniques. E. hormaechei was tested individually for the decolourizing of Reactive Yellow 145 (RY 145) and Reactive Red F3B (RR 180) dyes under optimized conditions of pH, temperature and dye concentration on decolourization were studied. The adapted bacteria strain exhibited maximum decolourization (98 %) of Reactive yellow 145 and Reactive red 180 in 100 ppm concentration at pH 7, temperature 37 °C after 98 h of incubation. The enzyme analyses revealed that azo reductase and laccase played major roles in the cleavage of the azo bond and desulfonation respectively of both dyes during degradation. The metabolites were further characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). Thereafter, degradation was deduced based on changes of the functional group, variation in retention times and mass/charge ratio and molecular weight. This study elucidated the promising potentials of adapted SKB 16 strain in the eco-friendly removal of textile azo dyes. In addition, repeatability and sustainability are enhanced due to effective management of time which would have been spent on rigorous and extensive screening process., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this work was to examine the influence of poly(sodium allyl sulfonate) (PSAS) branches on sizing properties of biological macromolecule (corn starch) for exploring a new anionic starch graft copolymer size (S-g-PSAS). Successful synthesis of S-g-PSAS samples was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Viscosity stability, adhesion, film properties and desizability of the samples were also investigated. Compared with HS, improved adhesion to cotton and viscose fibers, viscosity stability and desizability for S-g-PSAS as well as enhanced breaking elongation and bending endurance for S-g-PSAS film were exhibited. With the rise in grafting ratio, bonding forces to both fibers, viscosity stability and desizability of S-g-PSAS and its film properties such as breaking elongation and bending endurance, were gradually enhanced. These results indicated that S-g-PSAS showed potential for the use as a new starch-based size in the sizing of cotton and viscose warps., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This submission is the authors' original work and has not been submitted or published elsewhere, and there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we developed a novel method to prepare chemical fibers by plasticizing cotton with 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl) under high temperature and pressure. Cotton was homogeneously mixed with AMIMCl by kneading in a certain mass proportion. It would be a sheet after hot-pressing and this process could be repeated several times. The morphologies of chemical fibers showed that cotton was successfully plasticized by AMIMCl with the crystallinity of the chemical fibers increased by about 15%. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the glass transition temperature (T g ) occurred in chemical fibers and we could further verify cotton was plasticized by AMIMCl. This simple and green method will be helpful to modify and broaden the application field of cotton., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

As it is well known, the textile industry generates a large amount of wastewater with varied composition that need to be treated. In particular, the Sergipe state, in Brazil, is a region that requires attention due the presence of several local textile industries. In this study, the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation (EO) process applied in the samples of Brazilian textile industry effluents previously treated by physical-chemical process coagulation-flocculation (CF) was evaluated by the reduction in TOC parameter and by the ecotoxicity using Lactuca sativa and Raphidocelis subcapitata bioassays. The optimized experiments achieved for the CF ([Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ] 0  = 1.5 mg L -1 , pH = 6.0, alkalinity = 0.675 mg L -1 , [flocculating agent] = 61 mg L -1 , rapid mixing = 100 rpm for 1 min, slow stage = 20-60 rpm for 20 min) a reduction of 20% on TOC. The best results obtained for EO was using the DSA electrode (I = 300 mA) reaching a TOC removal efficiency of 82% after an electrolysis time of 180 min. The ecotoxicity experiments indicated that the proposed treatment (CF + EO, I = 300 mA) was effective to decrease the dissolved pollutants presented in the treated samples. In comparison with raw samples, the treatment achieved a reduction of 52% for IC50 72h value using R. subcapitata as bioindicator, and a 98% reduction of LC 50 (Lactuca sativa)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chemical catalysts are being replaced by biocatalysts in almost all industrial applications due to environmental concerns, thereby increasing their demand. Enzymes used in current industries are produced in microbial systems or plant seeds. We report here five newly launched leaf-enzyme products and their validation with 15 commercial microbial-enzyme products, for detergent or textile industries. Enzymes expressed in chloroplasts are functional at broad pH/temperature ranges as crude-leaf extracts, while most purified commercial enzymes showed significant loss at alkaline pH or higher temperature, required for broad range commercial applications. In contrast to commercial liquid enzymes requiring cold storage/transportation, chloroplast enzymes as a leaf powder can be stored up to 16 months at ambient temperature without loss of enzyme activity. Chloroplast-derived enzymes are stable in crude-leaf extracts without addition of protease inhibitors. Leaf lipase/mannanase crude extracts removed chocolate or mustard oil stains effectively at both low and high temperatures. Moreover, leaf lipase or mannanase crude-extracts removed stain more efficiently at 70 °C than commercial microbial enzymes (<10% activity). Endoglucanase and exoglucanase in crude leaf extracts removed dye efficiently from denim surface and depilled knitted fabric by removal of horizontal fibre strands. Due to an increased demand for enzymes in the food industry, marker-free lettuce plants expressing lipase or cellobiohydrolase were created for the first time and site-specific transgene integration/homoplasmy was confirmed by Southern blots. Thus, leaf-production platform offers a novel low-cost approach by the elimination of fermentation, purification, concentration, formulation and cold-chain storage/transportation. This is the first report of commercially launched protein products made in leaves and validated with current commercial products., (© 2019 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To determine the perceived health and safety needs identified by textile workers, managers and experts as well as direct observation of the prevailing health and safety practices in the textile industry., Methods: The qualitative study using the needs assessment conceptual framework was conducted in July-August 2015 in Karachi, and comprised focus group discussions with textile workers, in-depth interviews with factory managers and health and safety officers, and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders and experts. A walk-through survey was also conducted in selected mills for which the Checklist of hazards in textiles was used., Results: A total of 6focus group discussions, 6 in-depth interviews and 5 key informant interviews were conducted. Workers were found to have limited knowledge of occupational hazards, preventions and diseases. They identified lack of awareness and non-existent safety mechanisms as areas for improvement. Managers thought preventive practices and health services were not standardised while influence of buyers in the form of international business regulations and legislations were thought to be the enabling factors for enforcing health and safety standards. Poor governance, lack of knowledge regarding labour rights, low literacy level, poor compliance and low wages were the barriers for health promotion at workplace, as identified by the experts. Walk-through survey found mechanisms in place for fire safety, but the workers and managers were generally not using Personal Protective Equipment despite the presence of several hazards at workplace., Conclusions: There was found a need for context-specific occupational health and safety interventions at individual, organisational and policy levels.

In this work we have assessed the decolorization of textile effluents throughout their treatment in a solid-state fermentation (SSF) system. SSF assays were conducted with peach-palm (Bactris gasipaes) residue using the white rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum EF 31. The influence of the dye concentration and of the amounts of peach-palm residue and liquid phase on both the discoloration efficiency and enzyme production was studied. According to our results, independently of experimental conditions employed, laccase was the main ligninolytic enzyme produced by G. lucidum. The highest laccase activity was obtained at very low effluent concentrations, suggesting the existence of an inhibitory effect of higher concentrations on fungal metabolism. The highest percentage of color removal was reached when 10 grams of peach palm residue was moistened with 60 mL of the final effluent. In control tests carried out with the synthetic dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) decolorization efficiencies about 20% higher than that achieved with the industrial effluent were achieved. The adsorption of RBBR on peach-palm residue was also investigated. Equilibrium tests showed that the adsorption of this dye followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Hence, our experimental results indicate that peach-palm residue is suitable substrate for both laccase production and color removal in industrial effluents.

The effluent discharged by the textile dyehouses has a seriously detrimental effect on the aquatic environment. Some dyestuffs produce toxic decomposition products and the metal complex dyes release toxic heavy metals to watercourses. Of the dyes used in the textile industry, effluents containing reactive dyes are the most difficult to treat because of their high water-solubility and poor absorption into the fibers. A range of treatments has been investigated for the decolorization of textile effluent and the adsorption seems to be one of the cheapest, effective and convenient treatments. In this review, the adsorbents investigated in the last decade for the treatment of textile effluent containing reactive dyes including modified clays, biomasses, chitin and its derivatives, and magnetic ion-exchanging particles have been critically reviewed and their reactive dye binding capacities have been compiled and compared. Moreover, the dye binding mechanism, dye sorption isotherm models and also the merits/demerits of various adsorbents are discussed. This review also includes the current challenges and the future directions for the development of adsorbents that meet these challenges. The adsorption capacities of adsorbents depend on various factors, such as the chemical structures of dyes, the ionic property, surface area, porosity of the adsorbents, and the operating conditions. It is evident from the literature survey that decolorization by the adsorption shows a great promise for the removal of color from dyehouse effluent. If biomasses want to compete with the established ion-exchange resins and activated carbon, their dye binding capacity will need to be substantially improved., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ginger peroxidase (GP) was entrapped into the hydrogels of guar gum (GG)-alginate/agarose and these immobilized GP preparations were employed for the treatment of textile effluent. GG is a natural hydrophilic polysaccharide, the average size of which increases in its hydrated form that helps in retaining the enzyme inside the entrapping support. Therefore, the activity retention by alginate-guar gum (ANGG) and agarose-guar gum (AGG) was higher than that of alginate and agarose alone. ANGG-GP and AGG-GP were highly stable against various physical and chemical denaturants during the decolorization of textile effluent. As compared to free GP, both the immobilized preparations were more efficient in the decolorization of textile effluent in batch processes. After 10th repeated use in batch processes, ANGG-GP and AGG-GP was quite effective in removing up to 68% and 55% of the color from textile effluent, respectively. Continuous packed bed reactors containing ANGG-GP and AGG-GP were able to decolorize around 80% and 69% of the effluent color, respectively, even after 30 days of their continuous operation at room temperature (30 °C). Genotoxicity of textile effluent was significantly reduced after GP mediated decolorization., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, pollutants from textile industry wastewater were transformed/oxidized using Ti/RuO 2 electrode by Electro-Fenton (EF) method in a continuous reactor. The performance was evaluated in terms of % COD removal, % color removal and energy consumed. Electrolysis time, retention time, current, and ferrous sulphate concentration as Fenton catalyst were selected as EF process parameters. To determine the optimum operating conditions multiple response optimization with desirability approach based on central composite design under response surface methodology was used. Spectrophotometric and GC-MS analysis were performed to identify the degraded/transformation compounds, and on this basis degradation mechanism during EF process as well as disposability of treated wastewater was analyzed. Further, bioassay test of treated textile wastewater was conducted for toxicity analysis in view of its disposal quality. Results showed that all the components of textile wastewater were totally eliminated/transformed in lower molecular weight compounds after EF treatment of textile effluent. Further, bioassay test analysis confirmed the nontoxic nature of treated wastewater., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this research, extraction of colouring matter from date pits powder was conferred by conventional and ultrasonic methods. Phenolic compounds present in the resulted extract were identified by HPLC analysis. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and total metallic contents were quantified; and the highest levels were obtained in case of ultrasonic extraction process at a frequency of 25 kHz. The different resultant extracts were diluted with distilled water and unified to a polyphenolic content of 48 mg per 100 mL. Dyeing results have been discussed as a function of the bio-metallic contents present in the extract. It was found that the highest colour strengths and the better fastness properties were registered in case of dyeing experiments developed using the ultrasonic extracts. Those above results could be due to the highest metallic content present in the ultrasonic extracts, which has functioned as a bio-mordant properly extracted from date pits powder.

Microfibers have received much attention due to their promise for creating flexible and highly relevant tissue models for use in biomedical applications such as 3D cell culture, tissue modeling, and clinical treatments. A generated tissue or implanted material should mimic the natural microenvironment in terms of structural and mechanical properties as well as cell adhesion, differentiation, and growth rate. Therefore, the mechanical and biological properties of the fibers are of importance. This paper briefly introduces common fiber fabrication approaches, provides examples of polymers used in biomedical applications, and then reviews the methods applied to modify the mechanical and biological properties of fibers fabricated using different approaches for creating a highly controlled microenvironment for cell culturing. It is shown that microfibers are a highly tunable and versatile tool with great promise for creating 3D cell cultures with specific properties., (© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Intensifying legislation and increased research on the toxicological and persistent nature of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have recently influenced the direction of liquid repellent chemistry use; environmental, social, and sustainability responsibilities are at the crux. Without PFAS chemistry, it is challenging to meet current textile industry liquid repellency requirements, which is a highly desirable property, particularly in outdoor apparel where the technology helps to provide the wearer with essential protection from adverse environmental conditions. Herein, complexities between required functionality, legislation and sustainability within outdoor apparel are discussed, and fundamental technical performance of commercially available long-chain (C8) PFASs, shorter-chain (C6) PFASs, and non-fluorinated repellent chemistries finishes are evaluated comparatively. Non-fluorinated finishes provided no oil repellency, and were clearly inferior in this property to PFAS-finished fabrics that demonstrated good oil-resistance. However, water repellency ratings were similar across the range of all finished fabrics tested, all demonstrating a high level of resistance to wetting, and several non-fluorinated repellent fabrics provide similar water repellency to long-chain (C8) PFAS or shorter-chain (C6) PFAS finished fabrics. The primary repellency function required in outdoor apparel is water repellency, and we would propose that the use of PFAS chemistry for such garments is over-engineering, providing oil repellency that is in excess of user requirements. Accordingly, significant environmental and toxicological benefits could be achieved by switching outdoor apparel to non-fluorinated finishes without a significant reduction in garment water-repellency performance. These conclusions are being supported by further research into the effect of laundering, abrasion and ageing of these fabrics., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Effluents from textile industries are highly colored due to vast use of various azo dyes and color is the first visual indicator of pollution. Biological treatment of textile effluent is often hampered due to the alkaline pH and high salinity; a common characteristic of many textile industrial wastewaters. Considering this, the present study explores the potential of a newly isolated halotolerant and alkaliphilic bacterium Nesterenkonia lacusekhoensis EMLA3 for degradation of methyl red (MR) dye under alkaline condition. Strain EMLA3 showed 97% degradation of 50 mg L -1 MR after 16 h at initial pH of 11.5 in nutrient medium. Dye degradation by the isolate is supported by the formation of low-molecular weight metabolites as divulge through GC-MS & FTIR studies Optimum dye degradation was observed in the pH range of 8.0-11.5 and temperature range of 30-35 °C. Significant MR degrading activity of the strain could be achieved in the presence of very high salt level (100-120 g L -1 NaCl) and in co-presence of different heavy metals. Application of strain to alkaline pH, salt, and heavy metals laden-textile effluent resulted in overall 83% dye removal from the effluent after 120 h of treatment under static condition. Furthermore, the property of microbe to drop-down the pH of wastewater from 11.5 to 8.60 after treatment also lowers the need of additional neutralization treatment. The entire study thus comes out with novel application of N. lacusekhoensis-a less explored extremophilic bacterium-for treatment of alkaline and salt-rich azo dye-containing wastewaters.

Families of new hydrophobic and/or oleophobic triarylmethane dyes possessing long hydrocarbon or polyfluorinated chains have been prepared. When covalently grafted on to cotton fabric, these dyes give rise to a new type of colored superhydrophobic fibers., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Fully biodegradable textile sizes with satisfactory performance properties were developed from soy protein with controlled hydrolysis and dis-entanglement to tackle the intractable environmental issues associated with the non-biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in textile effluents. PVA derived from petroleum is the primary sizing agent due to its excellent sizing performance on polyester-containing yarns, especially in increasingly prevailing high-speed weaving. However, due to the poor biodegradability, PVA causes serious environmental pollution, and thus, should be substituted with more environmentally friendly polymers. Soy protein treated with high amount of triethanolamine was found with acceptable sizing properties. However, triethanolamine is also non-biodegradable and originated from petroleum, therefore, is not an ideal additive. In this research, soy sizes were developed from soy protein treated with glycerol, the biodegradable triol that could also be obtained from soy. The soy sizes had good film properties, adhesion to polyester and abrasion resistance close to PVA, rendering them qualified for sizing applications. Regarding desizing, consumption of water and energy for removal of soy size could be remarkably decreased, comparing to removal of PVA. Moreover, with satisfactory degradability, the wastewater containing soy sizes was readily dischargeable after treated in activated sludge for two days. In summary, the fully biodegradable soy sizes had potential to substitute PVA for sustainable textile processing., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microbial biotechnologies for the decolorization of textile wastewaters have attracted worldwide attention because of their economic suitability and easiness in handling. However, the presence of high amounts of salts and metal ions in textile wastewaters adversely affects the decolorization efficiency of the microbial bioresources. In this regard, the present study was conducted to isolate salt tolerant bacterial strains which might have the potential to decolorize azo dyes even in the presence of multi-metal ion mixtures. Out of the tested 48 bacteria that were isolated from an effluent drain, the strain NA6 was found relatively more efficient in decolorizing the reactive yellow-2 (RY2) dye in the presence of 50 g L(-1) NaCl. Based on the similarity of its 16S rRNA gene sequence and its position in a phylogenetic tree, this strain was designated as Proteus sp. NA6. The strain NA6 showed efficient decolorization (>90 %) of RY2 at pH 7.5 in the presence of 50 g L(-1) NaCl under static incubation at 30 °C. This strain also had the potential to efficiently decolorize other structurally related azo dyes in the presence of 50 g L(-1) NaCl. Moreover, Proteus sp. NA6 was found to resist the presence of different metal ions (Co(+2), Cr(+6), Zn(+2), Pb(+2), Cu(+2), Cd(+2)) and was capable of decolorizing reactive dyes in the presence of different levels of the mixtures of these metal ions along with 50 g L(-1) NaCl. Based on the findings of this study, it can be suggested that Proteus sp. NA6 might serve as a potential bioresource for the biotechnologies involving bioremediation of textile wastewaters containing the metal ions and salts.

Textile technologies in which fibers containing biological factors and cells are formed and assembled into constructs with biomimetic properties have attracted significant attention in the field of tissue engineering. This Forum article highlights the most prominent advances of the field in the areas of fiber fabrication and construct engineering., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Several ionic liquids are excellent solvents for cellulose. Starting from that finishing of PET fabrics with cellulose dissolved in ionic liquids like 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate, diethylphosphate and chloride, or the chloride of butyl-methyl imidazolium has been investigated. Finishing has been carried out from solutions of different concentrations, using microcrystalline cellulose or cotton and by employing different cross-linkers. Viscosity of solutions has been investigated for different ionic liquids, concentrations, cellulose sources, linkers and temperatures. Since ionic liquids exhibit no vapor pressure, simple pad-dry-cure processes are excluded. Before drying the ionic liquid has to be removed by a rinsing step. Accordingly rinsing with fresh ionic liquid followed by water or the direct rinsing with water have been tested. The amount of cellulose deposited has been investigated by gravimetry, zinc chloride iodine test as well as reactive dyeing. Results concerning wettability, water up-take, surface resistance, wear-resistance or washing stability are presented., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films composed of two natural polysaccharides (hyaluronic acid and chitosan) were deposited through layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly on top of biocompatible mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs). Polyelectrolyte multilayer coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (PEM-MSNPs) were characterized by using attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, UV-vis and fluorescence spectrophotometer. A commercially available and industrially used optical brightener, 4,4'-distyrylbiphenyl sulfonate sodium salt (CBSX) was loaded into nanocontainers (CBSX@PEM-MSNPs) to evaluate their use for the pH-sensitive release. The controlled release of CBSX from nanocontainers in response to pH is monitored by using UV-vis and fluorescence spectrophotometer in water and the almost 100% of encapsulated CBSX is released within 2h at pH 7. The increase in both whiteness and total color change at pH 7 on a cellulose fabric demonstrates the great potential of nanocontainers as pH-sensitive whitening agents for optical bleaching of cellulose fabrics., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Leather making is one of the most widespread industries in the world. The production of leather goods generates different types of solid wastes and wastewater. These wastes will pollute the environment and threat the health of human beings if they are not well treated. Consequently, the treatment of pollution caused by the wastes from leather tanning is really important. In comparison with the disposal of leather wastewater, the treatment of leather solid wastes is more intractable. Hence, the treatment of leather solid wastes needs more innovations. To keep up with the rapid development of the modern leather industry, various innovative techniques have been newly developed. In this mini-review article, the major achievements in the treatment of leather solid wastes are highlighted. Emphasis will be placed on the treatment of chromium-tanned solid wastes; some new approaches are also discussed. We hope that this mini-review can provide some valuable information to promote the broad understanding and effective treatment of leather solid wastes in the leather industry., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

The thermal decomposition of chrome tanned leather before and after a soaking treatment with NaOH was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effect of the solution concentration (0.2M and 0.5M) and the soaking time (5min and 15min) was evaluated. TGA experiments at four heating rates (5, 10, 15 and 20°Cmin(-1)) were run in a nitrogen atmosphere for every treatment condition. A kinetic model was developed considering the effect of the three variables studied, i.e.: the NaOH solution concentration, the soaking time and the heating rate. The proposed model for chrome tanned leather pyrolysis involves a set of four reactions, i.e.: three independent nth order reactions, yielding the corresponding products and one of them undergoing a successive cero order reaction. The model was successfully applied simultaneously to all the experimental data obtained. The evaluation of the kinetic parameters obtained (activation energy, pre-exponential factor and reaction order) allowed a better understanding of the effect of the alkali treatment on these wastes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Wool and silk are major protein fiber materials used by the textile industry. Fiber protein structure-function relationships are briefly described here, and the major enzymatic processing routes for textiles and other novel applications are deeply reviewed. Fiber biomodification is described here with various classes of enzymes such as protease, transglutaminase, tyrosinase, and laccase. It is expected that the reader will get a perspective on the research done as a basis for new applications in other areas such as cosmetics and pharma.

The present study describes a unique way of integrating substrateless electrospinning process with textile technology. We developed a new collector design that provided a pressure-driven, localized cotton-wool structure in free space from which continuous high strength yarns were drawn. An advantage of this integration was that the textile could be drug/dye loaded and be developed into a core-sheath architecture with greater functionality. This method could produce potential nanotextiles for various biomedical applications.

Alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEO), surfactants used in the production of textiles, have the potential to move from the fabric to the skin of the person wearing the clothes, posing an inherent risk of adverse health consequences. Therefore, the textile industry needs a fast, robust method for determining aqueous extractable APEO in fabrics. The currently-favored HPLC methods are limited by the presence of a mixture of analytes (due to the molecular weight distribution) and a lack of analytical standards for quantifying results. As a result, it has not been possible to reach consensus on a standard method for the determination of APEO in textiles. This paper addresses these limitations through the use of reaction-based head space-gas chromatography (HS-GC). Specifically, water is used to simulate body sweat and extract APEO. HI is then used to react the ethoxylate chains to depolymerize the chains into iodoethane that is quantified through HS-GC, providing an estimate of the average amount of APEO in the clothing. Data are presented to justify the optimal operating conditions; i.e., water extraction at 60°C for 1h and reaction with a specified amount of HI in the headspace vial at 135°C for 4h. The results show that the HS-GC method has good precision (RSD<10%) and good accuracy (recoveries from 95 to 106%) for the quantification of APEO content in textile and related materials. As such, the method should be a strong candidate to become a standard method for such determinations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cocoonase is a serine protease produced by silk moths and used for softening the cocoons so that they can escape. Degumming is one of the important steps in silk processing. This research aimed to produce an active recombinant Bombyx mori cocoonase (BmCoc) for the silk degumming process., Results: A recombinant BmCoc was successfully expressed in a Pichia pastoris system. The purified enzyme showed specific activity of 227 U mg(-1) protein, 2.4-fold purification, 95% yield and a molecular weight of 26 kDa. The enzyme exhibited optimal temperature at 40 °C and optimal pH at 8, and showed thermal stability at 25-45 °C and pH stability at 5-9. The recombinant enzyme exhibited sericin degumming ability and color bleaching characteristics, and did not affect the fibroin fiber. The enzyme also degraded sericin substrate with a product size about 30-70 kDa., Conclusion: In this study, we successfully produced the active recombinant BmCoc in P. pastoris with promising functions for the Thai silk degumming process, which includes degumming, sericin degrading and color bleaching activities. Our data clearly indicated that the recombinant enzyme had proteolytic activity on sericin but not on fibroin proteins. The recombinant BmCoc has proven to be suitable for numerous applications in the silk industry., (© 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.)

As hides and skins are processed to produce leather, chemical and physical changes take place that affect the strength and other physical properties of the material. The structural basis of these changes at the level of the collagen fibrils is not fully understood and forms the basis of this investigation. Synchrotron-based small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is used to quantify fibril orientation and D-spacing through eight stages of processing from fresh green ovine skins to staked dry crust leather. Both the D-spacing and fibril orientation change with processing. The changes in thickness of the leather during processing affect the fibril orientation index (OI) and account for much of the OI differences between process stages. After thickness is accounted for, the main difference in OI is due to the hydration state of the material, with dry materials being less oriented than wet. Similarly significant differences in D-spacing are found at different process stages. These are due also to the moisture content, with dry samples having a smaller D-spacing. This understanding is useful for relating structural changes that occur during different stages of processing to the development of the final physical characteristics of leather.

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders of back among weavers are prevalent. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between poor working postures and back disorders among carpet weavers. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the traditional (A) and ergonomically designed (B) workstations on trunk posture and cumulative compression load in carpet weavers., Methods: In this study, subtasks were identified in terms of stressful postures and carpet weaving process. Postural data were collected during knotting and compacting subtasks using inclinometer during four hours for each workstation. Postural data, weight and height of the weavers were entered into the University of Michigan three-dimensional static biomechanical model for estimation of the compression load and cumulative load were estimated from the resultant load and exposure time., Participants: Thirteen healthy carpet weavers (four males and nine females) participated in the study., Results: Median trunk flexion angle was reduced with workstation B during knotting subtask (18° versus 8.5°, p< 0.01 in males; 18.5° versus 7°, p< 0.001 in females). Average cumulative compression load was reduced with workstation B (22.17MN-s versus 16.68MN-s, p < 0.01 in males; 13.05 MN-s versus 10.14, p < 0.001 in females)., Conclusions: Using workstation B led to significant decrease in cumulative compressive loading during an entire shift (8 hours), which indicates reduced level of stress on the back. It is suggested to conduct biomechanical studies on the shoulder and wrist regions in carpet weavers in order to achieve further development and improvement in the ergonomically designed workstation.

The objective of this work was to investigate vacuum influence on hide preservation time and how it affects hide structure. It was established that vacuum prolongs the storage time without hide tissue putrefaction up to 21 days when the storage temperature is 4°C. The microorganisms act for all storage times, but the action is weak and has no observable influence on the quality of hide during the time period mentioned. The hide shrinkage temperature decrease is negligible, which shows that breaking of intermolecular bonds does not occur. Optical microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry also did not show any structural changes which can influence the quality of leather produced from such hide. The qualitative indexes of wet blue processed under laboratory conditions and of leather produced during industrial trials are presented. Indexes such as chromium compounds exhaustion, content of chromium in leather, content of soluble matter in dichloromethane, strength properties, and shrinkage temperature were determined. Properties of the leather produced from vacuumed hide under industrial conditions conformed to the requirements of shoe upper leather.

Background: Textile factory is among the most common manufacturing industries that has higher rate of work-related injuries. Knowing the associated factors of work-related injuries can be a critical step for improving the working condition of workers in the sector., Objective: To assess the major determinants of occupational injury among workers in Kombolcha textile factory, North-East Ethiopia., Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1 to 15, 2013 on 455 randomly selected workers after stratification by working departments. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interview by data collectors of 6 occupational health experts and 6 nurses., Results: Working >48 hrs/wk (aOR: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.18-6.24), handling objects >20 kg (aOR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.24-4.45), visual concentration (aOR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.42-6.75), timely maintenance of machine (aOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.11-2.93), and sleep disorder (aOR: 2.95, 95% CI: 1.47-5.92) were significant factors for the occurrence of occupational injuries., Conclusion: Many factors including working for a long time with accurate instruments and sleep disorders can cause occupational injury in textile industries.

A bidirectional optimizing approach for the melting spinning process based on an immune-enhanced neural network is proposed. The proposed bidirectional model can not only reveal the internal nonlinear relationship between the process configuration and the quality indices of the fibers as final product, but also provide a tool for engineers to develop new fiber products with expected quality specifications. A neural network is taken as the basis for the bidirectional model, and an immune component is introduced to enlarge the searching scope of the solution field so that the neural network has a larger possibility to find the appropriate and reasonable solution, and the error of prediction can therefore be eliminated. The proposed intelligent model can also help to determine what kind of process configuration should be made in order to produce satisfactory fiber products. To make the proposed model practical to the manufacturing, a software platform is developed. Simulation results show that the proposed model can eliminate the approximation error raised by the neural network-based optimizing model, which is due to the extension of focusing scope by the artificial immune mechanism. Meanwhile, the proposed model with the corresponding software can conduct optimization in two directions, namely, the process optimization and category development, and the corresponding results outperform those with an ordinary neural network-based intelligent model. It is also proved that the proposed model has the potential to act as a valuable tool from which the engineers and decision makers of the spinning process could benefit.

Water pollution due to release of industrial wastewater has already become a serious problem in almost every industry using dyes to color its products. In this work, polyphenol oxidase enzyme from quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaves immobilized on calcium alginate beads was used for the successful and effective decolorization of textile industrial effluent. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzyme was extracted from quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaves and immobilized on calcium alginate beads. The kinetic properties of free and immobilized PPO were determined. Quince leaf PPO enzyme stability was increased after immobilization. The immobilized and free enzymes were employed for the decolorization of textile dyes. The dye solutions were prepared in the concentration of 100 mg/L in distilled water and incubated with free and immobilized quince (Cydonia Oblonga) leaf PPO for one hour. The percent decolorization was calculated by taking untreated dye solution. Immobilized PPO was significantly more effective in decolorizing the dyes as compared to free enzyme. Our results showed that the immobilized quince leaf PPO enzyme could be efficiently used for the removal of synthetic dyes from industrial effluents.

Seven reactive dyes judiciously selected based on chemical structures and fixation mechanisms were applied at 2% of of shade on amidoximated acrylic fabrics. Amidoximated acrylic fabric has been obtained by a viable amidoximation process. The dyeability of these fabrics was evaluated with respect to the dye exhaustion, fixation, and colour strength under different conditions of temperature and dyeing time. Nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes show higher colour data compared to nucleophilic substitution ones. FTIR studies further implicate the binding of reactive dyes on these fabrics. A tentative mechanism is proposed to rationalize the high fixation yield obtained using nucleophilic addition type reactive dyes. Also, the levelling and fastness properties were evaluated for all dyes used. Excellent to good fastness and levelling properties were obtained for all samples irrespective of the dye used. The result of investigation offers a new method for a viable reactive dyeing of amidoximated acrylic fabrics.

An innovative atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition method toward the deposition of polymeric layers has been developed. This latter involves the use of a nanopulsed plasma discharge to initiate the free-radical polymerization of an allyl monomer containing phosphorus (diethylallylphosphate, DEAP) at atmospheric pressure. The polymeric structure of the film is evidence by mass spectrometry. The method, highly suitable for the treatment of natural biopolymer substrate, has been carried out on cotton textile to perform the deposition of an efficient and conformal protective coating.

Retting of jute is essentially microbiological and biochemical in nature. Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) as well as genomic diversity of bacterial communities were assessed in water samples collected during pre-retting, after 1st and 2nd charges of retting. The water samples were collected from two widely cultivated jute growing locations, Sonatikari (22 degrees 41'27"N; 88 degrees 35'44"E) and Baduria (22 degrees 44'24"N; 88 degrees 47'24"E), West Bengal, India. The CLPP, expressed as net area under substrate utilization curve, was studied by carbon source utilization patterns in BIOLOG Ecoplates. Molecular diversity was studied by polymerase chain reaction followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) of total DNA from water samples. Both between locations and stages of retting, substrate utilizations pattern were carbohydrates > carboxylic acids > polymers > amino acids > amines/amides > phenolic compounds. Differential substrate utilization pattern as well as variation in banding pattern in DGGE profiles was observed between the two locations and at different stages of retting. The variations in CLPP in different stages of retting were due to the change in bacterial communities.

In this study we report on the economic evaluation of a participatory ergonomics process undertaken at a clothing manufacturer in Southwestern Ontario, Canada that employs approximately 300 workers. We undertake a cost-benefit analysis from the company perspective. Intervention costs amounted to $65,787 and intervention benefits $360,614 (2011 Canadian dollars). The net present value was $294,827, suggesting that the intervention was worth undertaking based on the costs and consequences over the measurement period spanning more than four years. Based on these costs and benefits, the benefit-to-cost ratio is 5.5. Overall, the findings from this study suggest that participatory ergonomics interventions can be cost beneficial from the company perspective. Even though the changes were typically low-cost and low-tech interventions implemented by the plant mechanics and maintenance personnel, benefits were realized on both the health and financial fronts., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.)

A bio-catalyzed process has been developed for treating jute fibers to enhance their tensile strength and resistance against biodegradation. Lipolytic bacteria were used in the process to transesterify jute fibers by replacing hydrophilic hydroxyl groups within cellulose chains with hydrophobic fatty acyl chains. Transesterification of some of the hydroxyl groups within the fiber was confirmed with FTIR, UV-vis spectroscopy, (13)C solid state NMR, gas chromatography and analytical determination of ester content. Biomodified fibers exhibited remarkably smaller affinity to water and moisture and retained 62% of their initial tensile strengths after being exposed to a composting environment over 21 days. The corresponding figure for untreated fibers was only 30%. Efficacy of the process reported herein in terms of tensile strength and biodegradation resistance enhancement of fibers achieved after treatment appears to be comparable with similar chemical processes and better than the enzyme-catalyzed alternatives., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization is a useful technique because of the possibility of forming very thin film of pure polymers on substrates with any geometric shape. In this work, thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA were formed on the surfaces of wool fabrics by a CVD polymerization process. Various polymerization initiators including dicumyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxide, and potassium peroxydisulfate have been investigated to polymerize methyl methacrylate onto the surfaces of wool by the CVD polymerization. The wool fabrics were impregnated with initiators and were then exposed to MMA monomer vapor under vacuum at the boiling temperature of the monomer. Wool fabrics with vapor-deposited PMMA surfaces were characterized by elemental analysis, TGA, FTIR, disperse dye absorption, contact angles measurement, AFM, and SEM. PMMA-coated wool fabrics showed higher contact angle and absorbed more dyes than that of the control wool. It was evident from the results obtained by various characterization techniques that MMA was successfully polymerized and formed thin films on the surfaces of wool fabrics by all initiators investigated but the best results were achieved with tert-butyl peroxide.

Recently, biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles has drawn considerable attention due to environment-ecofriendly and sustainable methods. Herein, fungus Fusarium solani was selected as candidate for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Factors affecting the biomass concentration, pH of the reaction medium, AgNO(3) concentration and the ratio of AgNO(3) to biomass concentration on the production of AgNPs were extensively studied. Optimum conditions for biosynthesis of AgNPs could be attained using biomass of F. solani (10 g/100ml); AgNO(3) (0.078 g/100 ml); pH, 12; temperature, 25 °C and duration, 24h. Under these conditions, the maximum concentration of well stabilized AgNPs obtained was 2000 ppm with a mean diameter range of 8-15 nm. Such solution is unequivocally feasible for industrial applications. A diluted solution containing 50 ppm AgNPs was applied to cotton fabrics which imparts antibacterial activity to the fabric with 97% and 91% reduction of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to upgrade the UV-protection and antibacterial functional properties of cotton/polyester (80/20), cotton/linen (50/50) and linen/viscose-polyester (50/50) fabric blends, they were treated with different plasma gases (oxygen, air, and argon) followed by subsequent treatment with certain metal salts namely Zn-acetate, Cu-acetate, Al-chloride, and Zr-oxychloride. The obtained results show that the type of plasma gas, the kind of metal salt as well as the nature of the treated substrate play an important role in the extent of enhancing the demanded functional properties. Oxygen plasma treatment followed by Cu-acetate or Zn-acetate treatment gives the best UV-protection or antibacterial activity respectively, keeping other parameters constant. The surface morphology of some untreated and plasma-treated samples was also analyzed by SEM., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Solution blowing is an innovative process for spinning micro-/nano-fibers from polymer solutions using high-velocity gas flow as fiber forming driving force. Submicron-scale cellulose fibers were successfully solution blown by two improvement measures. First, cellulose solution was directly blown to fibers of 260-1900 nm in diameter by raising the air temperature along the spinning line which was proved to accelerate the evaporation of solvent and fiber forming. Second, coaxial solution blowing technique was established with cellulose solution and polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution used as core and shell liquids, respectively. The core-shell structures of the fibers were examined by SEM and TEM. Cellulose fibers with diameter between 160 nm and 960 nm were further obtained after removing PEO shell. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the two kinds of submicron-scale cellulose fibers are mostly amorphous., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

High calcium content in cellulose materials can cause considerable problems in pulp processing, textile chemical treatment and consumer use, e.g. dyeing operations or household laundry. The Ca(2+) binding capacity of cellulose also is of relevance in food and medical applications. Through their carboxyl group content regenerated cellulose fibres can act as weak anion exchangers, thus all types of regenerated cellulose fibres such as lyocell, viscose and modal fibres, show a distinct ability to bind Ca(2+) ions. The binding capacity is limited by the carboxyl group content, which was determined with 15 mmol/kg for lyocell fibres and 20 mmol/kg for viscose fibres, using the Methylene Blue sorption method. The presence of bound Ca(2+) also was demonstrated by complex formation with alizarin. The molar ratio between carboxylic group content and bound Ca(2+) ions was one Ca(2+) ion for a single carboxyl group. As a result of Ca(2+) sorption a positive net charge of the cellulose results and another anion has to be bound as counter ion for reasons of charge neutralisation. Results of potentiometric titrations indicate HCO(3)(-) to be present as counter ion in the Ca(2+) cellulose system. Thus under the experimental conditions studied, bound Ca(2+) is proposed to be present in the form COO(-)Ca(2+)HCO(3)(-)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Unbleached cotton fabrics (UCF) with 12.5% polypropylene scrim treated with two phosphate-urea based fire-retardant (FR) formulations were evaluated for FR properties using thermogravimetry/differential thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTG/DTA) method. In addition to testing the two FR-treated unbleached cotton fabrics (CF-FR1 and CF-FR2), bleached cotton fabric (BCF) treated with the two FR formulations (BCF-FR1 and BCF-FR2) was evaluated. Both formulations were washable with add-on of FR chemicals at 18.7% (FR1) or 17.4% (FR2) for UCF and 22.5% (FR1) or 24.9% (FR2) for BCF. The decreasing order of sums at maximal rates of samples degradation in air environment according to DTG method was: BCF (21.40%/min)>UCF (12.91%/min)>BCF-FR2 (12.83%/min)>BCF-FR1 (11.68%/min)>CF-FR2 (10.20%/min)>CF-FR1 (9.73%/min). It indicates that both formulations cause the decrease of thermooxidation of the products at slower rates than the starting material. Several endo- and exothermic peaks observed by DTA in inert and oxidative environment gives additional information about the degradation process. The order of decreasing thermal responses of the studied samples based on sums of DTA peak values of endothermic and exothermic peaks in air environment is: UCF (0.597 °C/mg)>BCF (0.120 °C/mg)>CF-FR1 (0.089 °C/mg)>BCF-FR1 (0.077 °C/mg)>CF-FR2 (0.062 °C/mg)>BCF-FR2 (0.053 °C/mg). This is in agreement with the cone calorimeter results according to which the flammability properties are improving with the decreasing heat release rates or ignition time prolongation in order: UCF>CF-FR1>CF-FR2. The advantage of TG/DTG/DTA method is slower linear heating rate, which allows the more detailed evaluation of the light and flammable cotton fabric., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)