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Naturally sourced elements represent a sustainable alternative solution for the textile finishing industry, in the context of intense use of contamined, fossil-based raw materials. This study focuses on the exploration of an alternative naturally sourced blue colorant matter solution, by validating the possibility of the employment of Spirulina platensis sourced phycocyanin in natural fabrics coloration through the pigment printing technique. The experiments involved the laboratory-scale exploratory studies of the application of this blue colorant matter on cotton and wool textile substrates, using commercial synthetic printing mother paste. The influence of five different mordants(Cream of tartar, Alum, Tartaric acid, Tanic acid and Aluminum triformate), though pre-mordanting treatment and the printing mother paste were analyzed by measuring the chromatic coordinates and calculating the color strength (K/S), together with the measurement of VIS absorbance spectrum. The color characterization revealed good compatibility of wool -phycocyanin – synthetic paste. Results on cotton were not as good as expected. They conclusions evidence reduced affinity between the fibres and the phycocyanin. In terms of color improvements, Tannic acid revealed the most promising results, for both cotton and wool experiments. The validation of the finishing process was obtained through a fair behavior in laundering fastness, showing low response when analyzed against light degrading external factors.

In this work, the adsorption capacity of hydrotalcite on the Reactive Yellow 2 textile dye has been verified. Nanoclays are elements with a high capacity for adsorption of dyes and can be reusable as printing pigments. For this, the Lambert-Beer lines of each dye have been previously made. A dye concentration of 1 g/L and a clay concentration of 3 g/L have been used. Then the dye has been introduced into the clay by stirring for 24 hours in 100 mL of solution of the dye, to later filter it and allow to dry. The adsorption of the dye by the nanoclay has been almost absolute, leaving the initial solution very clean, which are excellent results from the point of view of cleaning wastewater. After drying and collecting the clay, a stamping paste in a substrate of PES/CO 50%/50% was made with the hybrid obtained, using a concentration of 1.5 g/kg and 7.5 g/Kg. They were then heat-set at 180ºC for 30 seconds. Finally, the samples obtained are analyzed on a Minolta CM-3600d reflection spectrophotometer to assess the color achieved. There is a difference in color when comparing the two samples, as expected, the printed sample with higher concentration of hybrid shows a greater intensity of colour. The color difference was calculated and the Kubelka-Munk theory was taken as a reference to make an assessment of the strength of the color obtained.

Textile manufacturers are demonstrating an increasing interest in the application of different types of micro or nanoparticles in order to add new properties to the fabric. For example, it is demostrated that fabrics treated with some type of silicate particles, like montmorillonite improve the wrinkle resistance of cotton fabric or improve the flame retardant effect, among other interesting properties. Usually these particles, are not a reactive agent that can react with the fibers. Because of that, the resin product are necessary to make them adhere to the fiber, otherwise they will be lost during the actions of treated fabric use and maintenance such as washing, ironing, drying, etc. The resin plays an important role in treating the fuctionalization of the textile. Instead, this compound can modify its properties. In this work, flexural rigidity of treated cotton fabrics with binder and with and without montmorillonite particles were evaluated. Two different resins were studied, acrilyc and poliurethane, and 1, 2.5 and 5 g/L of this product were applied. It was appreciated that fabric treated with particles modify the flexural rigidity in less difference than when treating it only with resin, regardless of the type of binder used.

There are some scientific papers that verify that the generation of negative ions in the air have positive consequences on people’s mood and health. In this work is intended to increase the generation of negative ions from polyester fabrics to achieve an increase in well-being and comfort through the realize of negative ions. To improve the negative ion release ability on different substrates there have been many studies which have considered silicates as a good particle with these characteristics. Polyester fabrics were treated using padding system with different tourmaline microparticles in order to modify the surface behavior when rubbed and demonstrating that it is possible to modify the number of negative ions generated. Two types of tourmaline microparticles with different size particles, 3 and 30 μm, were studied and applied on the samples with and without an acrylic resin to get a better fixation. To determine the quantity of negative ions released, an ion counter was used, testing each sample. Finally, the results were studied, analyzing the different parameters that influence them, as the concentration, the addition of resin or the kind of the particle. The best results were obtained with the Tourmaline with 30 μm at 50 g/L concentration and without the addition of the acrylic resin.

In the process of making a print on a fabric, several steps that require many materials and substances are involved. When the purpose is to create a pattern through the use of natural products, it is necessary to pay close attention, not only to the origin and method of extraction of the pigments that you intend to use, but also, for example, to the thickeners to be added to the paste for increasing the viscosity of the pastes and molding, to the stains to be applied for better color rendering on the fabric and to the final fixatives, designed to make the product durable. Thickeners are a fundamental step in the success of printing on fabrics. These agents are generally compounds with a high molecular weight whose task is to transfer to the fabrics the dyes and chemical compounds necessary to create the printing pattern, thanks to the plastic action that they give to the compound used. As far as the environmental consequences of the use of thickeners are concerned, starting from the analysis of the wastewater of the processes, it has emerged that the use of biodegradable additives and guar rubber on the fabrics is preferable, since they are less harmful to the ecosystem. In this work different natural compounds, chitosan and alginate, are used in order to increase the viscosity of the paste prepared for printing. Color measurement of each printed cotton simple was analized and it could be appreciated that alginate paste printed on pretreated fabric with chitosan reached good results.

The absorption capacity of calcined hydrotalcite at different concentrations in a solution of 0.05 g • L-1 of 4 different dyes has been compared; Direct Blue 199, Direct Red 23, Direct Blue 71 and Reactive Yellow. For this, the Lambert-Beer lines of each dye have been previously made. Two different concentrations of clay, 5 and 10 g • L-1, have been worked. Then the dye has been introduced into the clay by stirring for 24 hours in 100 ml of solution of each dye, to later filter it and allow to dry. In all cases, the absorption of the dye by the nanoclay has been almost absolute, leaving the initial solution very clean, which are excellent results from the point of view of cleaning wastewater. However, when obtaining very similar results when scaling it to an industrial production, it would be more optimal to use the lowest concentration in order to reduce costs. Finally, a color measurement was made using a Jasco V-670 spectrophotometer, double beam spectrophotometer between 190- 2700 nm and color differences are calculated and represented in a color chart. Again, no large differences are observed and reinforce the idea of using a low concentration.

The work is framed within Printed Electronics, an emerging technology for the manufacture of flexible electronic products such as electronic textiles. Among the different printing methods, interest on roll-to-roll flexography technique has increased because it allows continuous manufacturing and high productivity at low cost. Nevertheless, the incorporation of the flexography printing technique in the textile field is still very recent due to technical barriers such as of durability and withstanding bending, stretching, abrasion and washing. Specifically, the study is focused on investigating the colour fastness to wash and rubbing of electronic inks printed on textiles through the flexography process. By a comparison of the same ink printed on different flexible substrates it has been concluded that woven and nonwoven fabrics are a suitable option regarding colour fastness to wash instead of thin polymeric and paper substrates that tear at the wash machine. The ink volume transferred to the substrate should be optimized when conductivity and colour fastness to washing are the objectives, still, several coatings could also be applied after the printing. Concerning colour fastness to rubbing where poor results were obtained, a solution for an optimal electronic printing on textiles would be the surface substrates pre-treatment by applying different chemical compounds that increase the adhesion of the ink avoiding its absorption.

Over the few past decades, preparation of uniform microparticles has received a great interest in the textile area to add new functionalities to the textile fabric. Amongst them, thermal insulation textile and more specially microencapsulation of phase change materials (PCMs) have attracted more and more attention in recent years. In an latent heat thermal energy storage system, energy is stored during the melting, and recovered during the freezing, of phase change material (PCM). It plays an important role in solving energy imbalance, by improving thermal efficiency and protecting the environment. The aim of this study is obtaining bio-degradable PCM which shell is Ethly cellulose and active agent is coconut oil by using solvent evaporation as a microencansulation method. In order to microencapsulation with solvent evaporation method: we have prepared 4 different combinations of emulsions by changing the amount of ethyl cellulose and coconut oil. We examined the samples obtained by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to see how the ratio of materials used as active agent and shell play a role in microcapsule formation. SEM analysis showed that we obtained significative results when we use ethyl cellulose and coconut oil in a ratio of 1: 1, we obtain the spherical microcapsules.

Electrospinning was patented by Formhals in 1934. Prior to the year 2000 electrospinning was the domain of only a few specialists; This situation has changed dramatically in recent years. Many research groups in research and industry work currently on electrospinning topic, the number of conferences or sessions at conferences devoted to electrospinning is continuously increasing. Electrospinning is a fabrication technique, which can be used to create nanofibrous nonwovens from a variety of starting materials. The structure, chemical and mechanical stability, functionality, and other properties of the mats can be modified to match end applications. On the other hand cellulosic polymers have gathered great interest in recent years in the field of nanoproducts useful for high-value applications. The electrospun cellulosic composite fibers with reliable thermal properties are suitable and promising in serving as thermo-regulating materials in many fields. Based on this information, in this study we applied cellulose acetate by electrospinning into a raw cotton fabric in order to examine electrospinning effect in thermal properties. In order to analize thermal behaviour samples were tested with a thermochromic camera. It was found that coating woven cotton fabric by electrospinning with cellulose acetate, reduced the rates of cooling and heating.

Graphene is a recently discovered material that has attracted a great deal of attention in numerous fields, from electronics to textiles, including medicine and energy harvesting. Its use confers interesting properties to conventional textile substrates, providing them with great versatility and the opportunity to explore new areas and applications beyond their common uses. Despite the many properties it shows, it also faces some challenges regarding critical issues such as its stability throughout the procedures the textile is subjected to, such as rubbing, ironing or washing. In this study, the washing fastness of a cellulosic textile substrate to which a printing paste containing graphene had previously been applied was evaluated. After evaluating the behaviour of the samples after the washings by means of chromatic coordinates and the ISO 105:C06 Color fastness to domestic and commercial laundering, it came to our attention the deficient behaviour of the graphene regarding washing fastness. In order to improve it, a heat treatment was applied, which led to a significant increase of washing fastness behaviour of the samples with graphene printing, compared to non-treated samples. In this research, an efficient and affordable method to improve graphene’s stability onto cellulosic textile substrates that can be carried out with common laboratory equipment is provided.

Paraffin is often used as an organic phase change material PCM incorporated in textiles for enhancing said texiles’ thermal behavior. This material is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, is capable of storing and releasing large amounts of energy In this paper, two different densities of jute fabric was used. These phase changes take place at constant temperature and for certain materials the process of melting and crystallizing can be repeated over an unlimited number of cycles with no change to their physical or chemical properties. The aim of this work is to study the influence of structural jute fabrics treated with PCMs microencapsulated on thermal behavior, to carry aout the study two plain fabrics with different structural characteristics were used. Thermal behavior of both untreated fabrics was tested by balancing it above a heating plate. Consequently, the fabrics were measured with a TESTO 865 thermal imager. Afterwards, treated samples both with and without PCMs in printing paste were tested in the same way. The wanted effect was reached during cooling cycle of both textiles. Only the heating cycle of the treated lightest jute sample was found to be warmer than the untreated sample. More experimental testing is needed on this sample. Furthermore, the heating cycle of the densest jute sample was according to the expectations.

Nowadays, people are concerned with the use of natural products and the environment problems that some waste and chemicals products can cause. For this reason many researchers are developing new products or manufactures which use recycled materials in order to reuse waste and studying the possibility of replacing resins or synthetic materials with natural and biodegradable materials. The textile sector is making a big effort in order to carry out changes that improve the care of the enriroment. The aim of this work is the use of recycled fibres to produce nonwovens. To achieve the binding of the fibers a synthetic, acrylic resin, and natural resin, chitosan, are used. Chitosan is the N-deacetylated derivative of chitin. Chitin is the most abundant natural amino polysaccharide and is estimated to be produced annually almost as much as cellulose. It has become of great interest not only as an underutilized resource, but also as a new functional material of high potential in various fields due to its antimicrobial properties. To study the behavior of nonwovens obtained using different binders and the possibility of using chitosan as a binder to produce nonwoven fabrics, flexural rigidity and tensile tests are carried out.

Phase change materials (PCM) are very useful in many fields due to their capacity to absorbe and release heat energy when it is necessary. In this paper it was managed to microencapsulate 100% biodegradable PCMs to apply them into textile fiber in order to regulate its temperature. The microencapsulation method used in the present work was solvent evaporation with oil-in-water emulsification. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was conducted to confirm the successful microencapsulation. Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to evaluate thermal properties of the core material and also efficience of the microencapsulation. Coconut oil and bee wax were used as PCM due to their melting point (Coconut oil - 23°C, Beeswax – 60°C) and, Polylactide (PLA) and Ethyl cellulose (EC) as shell materials because of their biodegradable nature. The microPCMs were applied onto the non-woven PLA with the help of a binder which in this case was calcium alginate and chitosan and then it was confirmed by SEM the microcapsules were inside the fabric and stick them to it. The thermal regulating properties of modified textiles were investigated by an IR camera. The results obtained from thermal analysis of samples showed that the temperature of the unmodified sample decreases faster than the modified sample.

Entrepreneurial intention among university students may be conditioned by following training activities related to entrepreneurship during the course of their degree studies. There has clearly been an increase in the number of university graduates who become entrepreneurs, so it is necessary to determine the services that should be offered by the university as a platform to support university entrepreneurship. This research examines this issue through the use of statistical analyses. The main objective of this research is to determine the different types of entrepreneurial training offered to students and the services they think the university should establish as a platform to support entrepreneurship, thereby enabling a comparison of current and desired practices. The study determines whether access to training activities conditions the entrepreneurial intention of university students. Descriptive statistics have been used to conveniently present the information and to identify behavioral patterns of the variables analyzed. Data have thus been examined using frequency analysis, contingency tables and independence tests. The variables used in this survey are designed to represent the role of the university in fostering entrepreneurial culture and the intention among the university community to start their own business, having first extensively analyzed the concept of an entrepreneurial university

Natural dyes derived from flora and fauna are believed to be safe because of non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and biodegradable nature. Furthermore, natural dyes do not cause pollution and waste water problems. Natural dyes as well as synthetic dyes need the optimum parameters to get a good dyeing. On some occasions, It is necessary the use of mordants to increase the affinity between cellulose fiber and natural dye, but there are other conditions to optimize in the dyeing process, like time, temperature, auxiliary porducts, etc. In addition, the optimum conditions are different depends on the type of dye and the fiber nature. The aim of this work is the use of carrot extract to dye cotton fabric by exhaustion at diverse dyeing conditions. Diffferent dyeing processes were carried out to study the effect of pH condition and the temperature, using 7, 6 and 4 pH values and 95 ºC and 130ºC for an hour. As a result some images of dyed samples are shown. Moreover, to evaluate the colour of each sample CIELAB parameters are analysed obtained by reflexion spectrophotometre. The results showed that the temperature used has an important influence on the colour of the dyed sample.

Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained from chitin, and among their most important aspects highlights its applications in a lot of industrial sectors due to its intrinsic properties, especially in the textile sector. In the last years, chitosan is widely used in the cotton and wool finishing processes due to its bond between them and its properties as an antifungical and antimicrobial properties. In this paper three different molecular weight chitosan are used in the finishing process of cotton to evaluate its influence in the surface properties modification. In order to evaluate the effect of the treatment with chitosan, flexural stiffness test is performed in warp and weft direction, and then the total value is calculated. The cotton fabric is treated with 5 g/L of different types of chitosan in an impregnation bath. This study shows the extent of surface properties modification of the cotton provided by three types of chitosan treatment. The results show that all types of chitosan modify the cotton flexural rigidity properties but the one which modifies it in a relevant manner is chitosan originated from shrimps. Chitosan, textile, flexural stiffnes, chitin, cotton.

Commercial applications of microcapsules began to appear in the textile industry in the late 1990s increasing investments in research to develop functional tissues, with a special focus on value aggregation, coating them with various active substances for the development of innovative products and according to fashion. Microcapsules have been presented as an alternative with regard to the encapsulation of essential oils since it is one of the most effective methods to achieve the goal of controlled release. The orange essential oil has biocidal properties and has been used microencapsulated as an ecological botanical insecticide. The characteristics of microcapsules containing aromatic oils, such as morphology and particle size distribution, depend on the preparation conditions such as the type of emulsifier used and the viscosity of the core material. Thus, for the microcapsules to be effectively used for the development of innovative products in the textile industry, studies on their formulation and characterization are necessary. This article proposes to compare the use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and polysorbate surfactants by means of their morphology, by scanning electron microscopy analysis on the formulation of microcapsules whit melamine formaldehyde shell with core of orange essential oil (citrus sinensis) combined with a non-volatile oil Medium Chain Triglycerides produced by interfacial polymerization method. At the end, the microcapsules were analyzed by microcoscopies and the differences in microcapsule morphologies were observed according to the kind of surfactant used.

Posidonia oceanica is the most extended sea grass in the Mediterranean Sea. Important quantities of this alga are accumulated on coasts making necessary the cleaninness of those beaches where it can be found. For this reason, many authors are developmenting new products made by this raw material, like green composites or are studing this material to be used as biomass, for example. The aim of this study is to dye the Posidonia Oceanica fiber using commercial natural dye to change their appearance to get a material more attractive for different areas. To achieve this aim, fibers were scoured and bleached in order to remove the brown colour of the Posidonia Oceanica fibers. Scoured and bleached processes were followed by the treatment done for cellulosic fibers, because some researches indicate that P. Oceanica is composed of high quantity of cellulose. Different types of biomordants were use in the pre-treatment of the fiber to improve the affinity between the fiber and the dye used. To compare the results, we evaluate the colour of each sample using CIELAB parameters and colour differences (ΔE*), which are obtained by reflexion spectrophotometre. The results showed that medium molecular weight chitosan, which was used as biomordant, gets the highest intensity of colour

Environment preservation is a common worry not only for people but for companies as well. Industry is more and more concern about the necessity of developing new and more respectful processes. Dye is one of the most important processes in the textile industry but it is also considered as no too safe regarding environment issues. This process uses large amounts of water and generates big volumes of wastewater. Following this issue, new regulations and laws emerge to control the waste generated. This leads to the companies and increased costs in terms of wastewater treatments and high water consumption. In this research we compare two systems on garment finishing application, the conventional bath process and the new Ecofinish system that is able to save water and product. To compare these processes, we carried out a reactive dyeing using both systems in order to determine the quality differences in the final product. For this purpose, the samples have been tested to washing and rubbing fastness, according to UNE EN ISO 105 C10 and UNE- EN ISO 105 X12 standards, respectively. This study confirms that this system achieves water savings and reduces the wastewater produced, getting a good dyeing. This process can be considered as an alternative to the conventional one.

Wool surface comprehends numerous scales which are responsible of certain undesirable behavior of this fiber during its use and maintenance. One of the most significant issues is related to shrinkage, caused during washing, as a consequence of friction between the fibers. Chemical modification of wool is considered a useful option to avoid these kind of circumstances. During the last years, multiple alternatives for chemical modification of wool have been studied, comprising enzymes or acids amongst others. In this case of study, three different treatments were carried out in order to evaluate wool morphological appearance. The first treatment was an oxidative procedure, containing Basolan DC and sodium acetate as the main components. The second treatment was accomplished using Lanaperm VPO, a commercial finishing agent for wool fiber that claims to soften its surface. The third finishing process was performed employing Siligen FA, a commercial agent intended to act as an antimigrant for dye baths and also provide a smoother and regular surface. After said treatments, microphotographs of all treated and untreated fibers were taken so that a comparison between final appearance could be done. Analyzing results and conclusions, it can be stated that chemical modification of fiber does change its surface appearance and, consequently, its behaviour. Oxidation, Lanaperm, Siligen, wool cuticle, scales

Knitting fabrics are characterized by the confort they confer on the wearer. Textiles with mcirocpsules are bocoming more popular and nowadays Phase Change Materials (PCM) are used for thermal control and to avoid temperature changes to be clearly noticeable. Consequently, they can control variations in temerpature and make the user feel more confortable. Washing durability and rigidity are very important when considering fabrics treated with microencapsules. In this study we first aimed to study what influence has the resin concentration with the durability of microencapsules on the fabric after having washed it and its confort. To observe the presence of microcapsules after washing procedure the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used. SEM analysis showed different density of microcapsules with PCMs depending on the binder concentration used. It could be clearly noticieable that 5times washed fabric and 10times washed fabric still show microacapsules on it. On the other hand we used padding method for the application of PCMs into the fabris and this study put forth the binder effect on rigidity. We have demonstrated that when we increase the binder concentration for padding bath, after 10th laundry cycles for the same fabric, we still have microcalsules on it. On the other hand, density of binder effect negatively influences on rigidity of the fabric.

Nowadays, textile technologies develop to adapt their different techniques for creating new products for the different sectors of application every day. Particularly, warp knitted fabrics and warp-knitting technology have applications in all different groups of technical textiles. It could be the most applied technique, the most versatile technology to develop new textile products for the new textile market. Warp knitted fabrics play the most important role among the technical textile fabrics. This technology is used in different product groups such as mobile textiles (car seat covers, dashboard cover), industrial textiles (composites), medical textiles (anti-decubitus blankets), sports textiles and foundation garments (bra cups, pads for swimwear). This study presents some examples of the application of this technology in some markets Within the market of technical textile, medical textile has an increasing relevance and knitted fabrics and knitting technology, at the same time, play a very important role in the fields of technical and medical textiles. Studies have demonstrated that knitted structures possess excellent mechanical properties and can promote more effective regenerative medicine, tissue repair, ligament, tendon cartilage, reconstruction, etc. The aim of this paper is to present different possibilities of textiles developed with this kind of structures, to present different alternatives, different examples of products obtained with this kind of textile structure combined with the correct kind of textile fiber. In this kind of technology, double-bar Raschel machines used for producing three-dimensional textiles, spacers, play an important role.

Nowadays natural products interest has increased. However, when some products are included on textile fibers, they have no affinity and need some binders or other kind of auxiliaries to improve the yeld of the process, and some of them are not so natural as the product which are binding and consequently the “bio” definition is missed as some of them can be considered as highly pollutant. Chitosan is a common used bonding agent for cotton. It improves the antimicrobial and antifungal activity, improves wound healing and is a non-toxic bonding agent. The biopolymer used in this work is chitosan, which is a deacetylated derivative of chitin. These properties depend on the amount of deacetylation (DD) and the Molecular weight (MW). Along with these improving properties, as it requires some acid pH to ve solved the treatment with chitosan can have some decreasing mechanical properties. The aim of that paper is to evaluate the change in breaking force of the treated samples and a change in elongation of those samples. It compared different amounts of concentration of chitosan with non treated cotton. The traction resistance test were performed on a dynamometer. The test was conducted according to the UNE EN ISO 13934-1 standard.

The innovative integration of phase change materials (PCMs) into textiles through microencapsulation presents a transformative approach to developing thermally regulated fabrics. This study explores the synthesis and characterization of microcapsules containing a coconut oil core and an ethylcellulose shell, and their application on cotton fabrics coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers. The dual-layer system involving microcapsules and nanofibers is designed to enhance the thermal insulation properties of textiles by regulating heat through the absorption and release of thermal energy. The microencapsulation of PCMs allows for the effective incorporation of these materials into textiles without altering the fabric's inherent properties. In this study, the coconut oil serves as the PCM, known for its suitable phase change temperature range, while ethylcellulose provides a robust shell, enhancing the microcapsules' structural integrity. The application of a PVA nanofibers layer not only strengthens the thermal regulation properties but also protects the microcapsules from release while the fabric is manipulated, thereby prolonging the functional life of the fabric. Comprehensive testing, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), confirms the successful application and durability of the microcapsules on the textiles. Thermal imaging studies demonstrate the fabric's enhanced capability to maintain a consistent temperature, highlighting the potential of this technology in applications ranging from smart clothing to energy-efficient building materials or automotive isolation. The integration of PCMs in textiles via microencapsulation and nanofiber technology marks a significant advancement in textile engineering, offering new opportunities for the development of smart and sustainable materials. The study demonstrates the promising potential of integrating PCMs into textiles using microencapsulation and nanofiber technologies. Despite the initially modest insulation improvements, the methodology provides a robust foundation for further research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]