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Textile catalysts are a new approach utilizing immobilization of different classes of catalysts onto textile materials such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide. Robust, inexpensive fibrous materials are chosen because they are available in many variations. By a photochemical approach a series of different supported organocatalysts (organotextile catalysts) has been prepared, showing high catalytic activity and good reusability. The aim of this concept article is to present the scope, limits and open questions of our innovative approach. The working principle of the immobilization and its control parameters will be explained and the scope of useable catalysts is shown. Therefore we will show the significant influence of the anchoring group on loading and more importantly on catalyst activity. This concept is also applicable to organometallic catalysts and enzymes. Understanding the different phenomena allows us to develop “textile catalysts” as a new powerful tool for heterogeneous catalysis.

Despite their excellent flame retardant properties, polyphosphazenes are currently not used as flame retardant agents for textile finishing, because a permanent fixation on the substrate surface has failed so far. Here, we present the successful synthesis and characterization of a noncombustible and foam-forming polyphosphazene derivative, that can be immobilized durably on cotton and different cotton/polyester blended fabrics using photoinduced grafting reactions. The flame retardant properties are improved, a higher limiting oxygen index is found, and the modified textiles pass several standardized flammability tests. As flame retardant mechanism a synergistic effect between the immobilized polyphosphazene and the textile substrate was observed. The polyphosphazene finishing induces an earlier decomposition of the material with a reduced mass loss in thermogravimetric analysis. The decomposition of cotton and polyester leads to the formation of phosphorus oxynitride, which forms a protecting barrier layer on the fiber surface. In addition, the permanence of the flame retardant finishing was proven by laundry and abrasion tests.

The soil and groundwater of many old industrial areas are polluted by different environmental hazards. Because of their high toxicity and carcinogenic potential, chromate contaminations are especially problematic and a complete cleanup of such areas is necessary to avoid fatal environmental and sanitary impacts. Conventionally, decontamination is carried out by the removal of the soil and a long-term filtration of groundwater with various chromate-adsorbing materials over a period of many years. Efficient, reusable and cheap adsorbing materials, however, are still missing. Here, we present a new, cheap and reusable chromate-adsorbing substrate based on polyvinylamine-coated polyester fibers. The surface modification of the fibrous material is realized by common methods in textile finishing yielding a durable, high-performing and reusable adsorbent for water-dissolved chromate. The functionalized nonwoven fabric has a high binding capacity for chromate and the chromate concentration of highly polluted waters (with concentrations around 50 mg L−1) can easily be decreased below the limit of 50 μg L−1 recommended by the WHO. Moreover, the material is reusable after regeneration under aqueous alkaline conditions. The adsorption properties at different pH values were determined with different adsorption models. In addition, adsorption kinetics were evaluated using artificial and real life chromate-contaminated water samples.

Textile catalysts are a new approach utilizing immobilization of different classes of catalysts onto textile materials such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide. Robust, inexpensive fibrous materials are chosen because they are available in many variations. By a photochemical approach a series of different supported organocatalysts (organotextile catalysts) has been prepared, showing high catalytic activity and good reusability. The aim of this concept article is to present the scope, limits and open questions of our innovative approach. The working principle of the immobilization and its control parameters will be explained and the scope of useable catalysts is shown. Therefore we will show the significant influence of the anchoring group on loading and more importantly on catalyst activity. This concept is also applicable to organometallic catalysts and enzymes. Understanding the different phenomena allows us to develop “textile catalysts” as a new powerful tool for heterogeneous catalysis.

Three established test methods employed for evaluating the abrasion or wear resistance of textile materials were compared to gain deeper insight into the specific damaging mechanisms to better understand a possible comparability of the results of the different tests. The knowledge of these mechanisms is necessary for a systematic development of finishing agents improving the wear resistance of textiles. Martindale, Schopper, and Einlehner tests were used to analyze two different fabrics made of natural (cotton) or synthetic (polyethylene terephthalate) fibers, respectively. Samples were investigated by digital microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to visualize the damage. Damage symptoms are compared and discussed with respect to differences in the damaging mechanisms.

A new strategy for the biological transformation of sugar-containing wastewaters from the textile desizing process to biogas was developed. Here, industrial liquors were separated from the following washing step by squeezing the impregnated fabrics after desizing. These waters exhibit a chemical oxygen demand of 40 g/L and allow a direct use in microbial biogas reactors without further treatment or accumulation. After reaching balanced conditions, the microbes continuously produce biogas. Moreover, the chemical oxygen demand can be reduced up to 75%. This new technology seems to be practicable and even attractive for small- and medium-sized enterprises with an annual cotton production down to 2000 t. At this stage, a reliable eco-balance of the overall process is still pending. Further investigations will be carried out soon.

The enzymatic desizing of starch-sized cotton fabrics leads to wastewaters with an extremely high chemical oxygen demand due to its high sugar content. Nowadays, these liquors are still disposed without use, resulting in a questionable ecological pollution and high emission charges for cotton finishing manufacturers. In this paper, an innovative technology for the production of energy from textile wastewaters from cotton desizing was developed. Such desizing liquors were fermented by methane-producing microbes to biogas. For this purpose, a semi-industrial plant with a total volume of more than 500 L was developed and employed over a period of several weeks. The robust and trouble-free system produces high amounts of biogas accompanied by a significant reduction of the COD of more than 85%. With regard to growing standards and costs for wastewater treatment and disposal, the new process can be an attractive alternative for textile finishing enterprises in wastewater management, combining economic and ecological benefits. Moreover, the production of biogas from textile wastewaters can help to overcome the global energy gap within the next decades, especially with respect to the huge dimension of cotton pretreatment and, therefore, huge desizing activities worldwide.