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Documentation-of-recent-advancements-in-finishing-methods-and-chemicals (1)
Documentation-of-recent-advancements-in-finishing-methods-and-chemicals (1)
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Article in Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology · June 2024
DOI: 10.51201/JUSST/24/06241
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Deepak Mehra
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Abstract
Global Textile Market size was valued at 1.69 billion USD in 2022 and is poised to touch
USD 3.27 billion by 2031. The expansion of demand from the fashion industry and the
growth of the e-commerce sector drive the textile sector, both globally and in India. The rapid
progress and advancements in the field of the textile industry are being made to fulfil the
demands of the customer concerning cloth and fabric quality, design and aesthetic appeal.
Textile finishing plays a key role to improve the aesthetic qualities of fabrics and add specific
technical properties to each fabric. The advancement of finishing methods in terms of
knowledge-based, eco-friendly and smart textile finishing methods redefines the role of
contemporary textile materials by expanding their capabilities to meet the expectations of
modern lifestyles. These advancements have paved the way for functional textiles with
multiple properties, opening new opportunities for the industry. Further, there has been a
noticeable shift in the textile sector toward environmentally friendly finishing techniques as
well as general production procedures. However, the challenges continue regarding
production costs, product affordability, and the environmental impact of the finishing
methods and processes of the textile industry. The quest continues for advanced techniques
that balance cost-effectiveness, durability, aesthetic appeal, comfort, and sustainability in the
textiles and apparel industry.
1. Introduction
The industrial production of textiles is a long and complex process where natural or manmade
fibers are converted into yarn and fabrics. The textile industry generates a wide range of
goods, such as industrial textiles, sports textiles, medical textiles, automotive textiles,
construction textiles, geotextiles, and agrotextiles (Roy et al., 2020; Sun et al., 2018).
Humans have been utilising natural fibres derived from plants and animals for thousands of
years. Natural fibres are ecologically sound unless fertilisers, pesticides, and other hazardous
chemicals are applied to increase their productivity. Abruptly, at the beginning of the
twentieth century, major advancements in the field of synthetic fibres were accomplished.
Their quick and increased output and other qualities decreased the need for natural fibres and
quickly gained a significant portion of the market.
In the context of textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the operations that turn
woven or knitted fabric into a workable material; more precisely, finishing refers to any
procedure carried out following yarn or fabric dyeing to enhance the appearance,
functionality, or "hand" (feel) of the finished garment or textile. A finish is a procedure
applied to a cloth to alter its handling, touch, or Its goal is to improve the fabric's suitability
for the intended usage. It encompasses all standard procedures used to iron, clean, and
produce unique variants of fabrics utilising chemical treatments, dyeing, and printing to
enhance the visual attractiveness of the cloth.
Traditional textile finishing can be classified into dry methods, which utilize mechanical
techniques, and wet methods, which involve chemical processes. The typical sequence of
steps in traditional textile finishing comprises washing and drying, stabilizing the yarns, and
finally, pressing, ironing, or calendaring to enhance the aesthetics of the yarns.
This process employs brushing, ironing, or other physical treatments to enhance the shine and
texture of textiles using mechanical equipment such as calendars, rollers, and pressing irons.
The raising and calendaring procedures do not contribute to pollution.
Applying chemical finishes to textiles yields advantageous outcomes such as reducing static
cling and improving flame retardancy. This procedure typically involves dissolving
chemicals in a solvent medium and subsequently applying the solution to treat textile
materials. The solvent medium can vary, encompassing water, starch, organic liquor
containing dyes and pigments, or chemicals dissolved in water.
• Optical finishes are utilized on textile materials to alter light scattering, thereby either
enhancing brightness or dulling the fabric.
• Absorbent and soil release treatments adjust surface tension and other properties to
improve water absorbency or facilitate soil release.
• Softeners and abrasion-resistant coatings are administered to improve texture or
reinforce the textile's resistance to abrasion and tearing.
• Physical stabilization finishes are applied to stabilize cellulosic fibers during
laundering and shrinkage.
• Dyeing involves fixing dye chemical compounds onto a substrate, which may be
fiber, yarn, or fabric, to achieve a uniform color effect on the substrate.
• Textile fabrication: Fabrics necessitate meticulous arrangement before cutting to
ensure precision in the process. Sewing basic industrial and household items is
generally straightforward. Subsequently, the finished product may undergo pressing
to attain crisp edges on the fabric.
Growing concerns regarding degradation from chemical and microbial assaults, exposure to
pesticides, pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, and recent climatic shifts attributed to air
pollutants and intense solar heat leading to heat waves and excessive perspiration, have
spurred the demand for futuristic, adaptive, form-fitting garments. These garments are crafted
from materials now referred to as "knowledge-based" textile materials (Jocic, 2012). These
materials, also known as "functional textiles," are designed with inherent functionalities
aimed at embracing futuristic, body-friendly capabilities. Essentially, functional textiles are
conceived from the outset, starting from fiber development to finishing, to adapt to the body
and its surroundings in a user-friendly manner. They are intended to redefine the role of
contemporary textile materials by expanding their capabilities to meet the advanced
expectations of modern lifestyles. However, the majority of modern functional finishing
techniques employed in the textile treatment sector now integrate nanotechnology and
directly embed functional agents into textile materials. Examples of these functional agents
include antimicrobial agents, water repellents, self-cleaning surface treatments, anti-crease
agents, fire retardants, fluorescent whitening agents, and UV blockers.
Eco-friendly finishes are suitable textile processing techniques that produce finished goods
that are not only environmentally friendly but also do not negatively impact the air and water
quality in the surrounding area by emitting dangerous gases into the atmosphere and
discharging effluent water. The following are some methods that are becoming more popular
these days to reach the goal of environmentally friendly textile finishing: Plasma technology,
Laser treatment, Nanotechnology, Bio-technology, Biopolymer, Microencapsulation Method,
Herbal Textiles, Ultrasonic assisted wet-processing.
4.1. Microencapsulation
Textile finishes that release fragrances, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical substances are
sometimes referred to as wellness finishes, offering appealing incentives for consumers. A
wide range of water- or oil-soluble compounds, such as fragrances, cosmetics, vitamins, and
drugs, can be encapsulated in the biopolymer chitosan. These finishes come in various
formulations with different capsule ingredients, including moisturizing, relaxing, and anti-
cellulite properties, or capsules containing a hair growth inhibitor or a sun-tan inducer.
The enzymatic surface modification involves altering the chemical and physical surface
properties of fibers or biopolymers to enable processes such as adsorption, covalent bonding
of functionalities, entrapment/immobilization, and encapsulation of moieties on textile
material substrates. This process utilizes biological catalysts known as enzymes. Enzymes
used in the surface modification of textiles during finishing include xyloglucanendo-
transglycosylase, pectinases, cellulases, cutinases, tyrosinases, amylases, peroxidases, and
nitrilases.
Insect resistance finishes can be categorized into two types: those containing poisons that
disrupt the keratin-digesting process of larvae, and nerve poisons derived from agricultural
pesticides specifically formulated for textile applications. Examples of chemicals involved in
the digesting process include chlorinated triphenylmethanes, chlorphenylids, sulcofenurons,
and flucofenurons, while nerve-poisonous substances used include dieldrin, permethrin, and
hexahydropyrimidine. The carpet industry is a significant market for insect-resistant finishes.
Elastomeric finishes, also known as stretch or elastic finishes, are crucial for knitwear.
Currently, these finishes are achieved primarily with silicone-based products. Another
approach to providing fabrics with elastomeric finishes involves incorporating a small
percentage of elastic fibers, mainly segmented polyurethanes, into the yarn-making process
before fabric manufacture.
Non-slip finishes enhance adhesion between fibers and yarns, irrespective of fabric
construction. These finishes are commonly referred to as fiber and yarn bonding finishes or
by terms such as anti-slip, non-shift, and slip-proofing finishes. Enhanced adhesion between
yarns is particularly important in woven fabrics at seams and in highly stretched areas like
shirt, blouse, and jacket elbows. Friction-enhancing agents used in these finishes are typically
based on dispersions of silicic acid known as "sols".
In today's market, colored textiles must meet various standards. Therefore, improving color
fastness through chemical finishing holds significant practical importance. These finishes
primarily focus on enhancing wet fastness properties such as washing, water, perspiration,
and ironing fastness, as well as improving light fastness to a lesser extent, with minor
improvements in crocking and rubbing fastness. Quaternary polyheterocycles like
polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC) are commonly used for improving wet
fastness, particularly in direct and reactive dyed cellulose fabrics. For other types of color
fastness, such as dry ironing, chlorine exposure, peroxide treatment, and carbonization, there
are limited known methods for post-treatment improvement. Ultraviolet (UV) light absorbers,
including colorless organic compounds with aromatic structures like benzophenone,
benzotriazol, phenyl triazine, and α-cyanoacrylic acid derivatives, are also utilized.
Additionally, titanium dioxide, a common delustering agent in synthetic fibers, exhibits
strong UV light absorption. The significance of these finishes in the market is driven by
customer preferences and economic production demands.
Clay materials are utilized in textile finishing to leverage their microstructural properties for
enhancing technical textile materials into composite fabrics. Polymers reinforced with 2–5%
nanoclays show improvements in flame retardancy, barrier properties, dimensional stability,
and, to some extent, electrical properties. Functionalized nanoclays, particularly
Aerodynamic dyeing, also known as "jet dyeing," involves dye application through air flow
or advanced spraying mechanisms. This sustainable dyeing solution aims to reduce water,
energy, and chemical usage during textile processing, which is particularly significant in
finishing compared to yarn spinning and fabric production processes like weaving and
knitting.
Nanotechnology is the science of the small with immense potential. It is one of the 21st-
century's key technologies that is advancing the quickest. In recent years, metallic
nanoparticles have been applied in many different fields. Materials in the 1–100 nm range are
quite interesting since many of the more recent characteristics become useful in this
range. Textile nanofinishing involves composite materials comprising nanoparticles enclosed
in a carrier matrix. Nanosphere finishes provide water repellency and color resilience,
repelling liquids, dirt, and stains from substances like ketchup, oil, and red wine. These
finishes are particularly beneficial for fabrics used outdoors, such as polyester awnings,
sunshades, flags, and sails, which cannot be easily machine-washed. Additionally, metal
nanoparticles and metal oxide nanoparticles offer desirable effects in textile materials through
interactions with light and microorganisms.
Laser treatment is another physical surface treatment technique that forms hydrophilic
groups on hydrophobic fibres to improve the colouring process. Particularly well suited for
textiles, which are composed of a combination of gases including CO 2 , nitrogen, hydrogen,
and helium, are carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers. Numerous studies have been conducted to
investigate the potential of laser irradiation for surface finishing of various textile types. It is
necessary to choose a laser type that irradiates in the highly absorbent spectral area of the
high polymers. Surface structuring may be achieved with laser technology without
compromising the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the fiber's body (Unal., et al.,
2020).
4.13. Biotechnology
Using a lot of water and creating a lot of salts, acids, and alkalis in the process of preparing
cotton fiber, yarn, and the fabric is one of the most harmful aspects of textile manufacturing
to the environment. Cotton fibers can be treated via bio-preparation with an enzyme under
very mild circumstances. The new technique can be profitably employed when water and
effluent loads are reduced through the use of the bio-preparation approach. Similar to hot
sodium hydroxide, enzymes protect the cotton fiber from deterioration without endangering
any of the fiber's constituent parts. As an example, a very powerful alkaline pectinase has just
been found. This enzyme is a useful tool for biopreparation since it maintains the cellulose in
cotton fibers (Mojsov, 2012)
4.14. Biopolymer
Biopolymers are sourced from biological sources, including marine and agricultural
feedstock. These materials are appropriate and sustainable for the creation of bioactive
textiles. Biopolymers such as polysaccharides, chitosan, and sericin proteins are substitutes
for chemical-based finishing agents in the functional finishing of textile fabrics (Abdellatif, &
Abdellatif, 2021). Biodegradability, biocompatibility, and wide availability are three of
biopolymers' main benefits. Finishes with antibacterial, UV protection, insect repellent, and
flame-retardant qualities may be made with biopolymers (Shahid, & Mohammad, 2013).
temperatures. In addition to saving time and energy during processing, ultrasound also
preserves or enhances product quality and uses fewer auxiliary chemicals. Ultrasound waves
with high frequencies can create tiny bubbles in liquids, known as cavitation. A little yet
strong shock wave is produced when the bubbles burst, and this shock wave appears to be the
ideal stirring mechanism (Vouters, et al., 2004).
The need for UV protective finishes arises from the ongoing depletion of the ozone layer.
These finishes are crucial for resisting the harmful impact of UV rays on human skin. UV
protective finishes are applied during dyeing through a reductive process and can be applied
via exhaust or padding methods. Nanosilver and nanometal oxides like TiO2 and ZnO are
commonly used for coating.
This goes beyond the conventional protective function of textiles, leading to the emergence of
functional textiles. A notable innovation is textiles that adjust to temperature changes, cooling
down as ambient temperatures rise and warming up as they drop, achieved by incorporating
phase change materials (PCM) into the fabric. These materials, mainly paraffins with melting
points in the desired temperature range (e.g., 20-30°C), undergo phase transitions to provide a
cooling effect when surroundings heat up and a warming effect when they cool down.
Paraffin is encapsulated into microbubbles and integrated either into the fibers, typically
acrylic, or into a foam coating on the fabric.
a) Utilizing eco-friendly fibres: Using organic fibres that aren't subjected to toxic
pesticides or genetically modified organisms reduces the harm that conventional
farming practices contribute to the environment. These ecological fibres include
hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton.
b) Recycled resources: On the other hand, recycled fibres save natural resources, reduce
the need for energy-intensive extraction and production processes, and lessen the need
for new materials. such as using recycled polyester, which is created by reusing post-
consumer plastic bottles, or other recycled materials, to make clothing.
dyeing and finishing. Manufacturers are responding to this by minimising wastewater through
the use of water-efficient technology and treatment procedures. Purchasing water recycling
systems guarantees appropriate water management while assisting in reducing the negative
environmental effects of textile production.
In essence, there has been a noticeable shift in the textile sector toward
environmentally friendly finishing techniques as well as general production procedures. The
industry's realisation of its part in contributing to global ecological difficulties, customer
demand for sustainable products, and a growing knowledge of environmental concerns are
the driving forces behind these developments. The textile industry has entered a good and
revolutionary phase with the introduction of eco-friendly approaches in finishing procedures
and overall practises. Even while there are still obstacles to overcome, the industry's
dedication to sustainability portends a bright future where textiles and fashion coexist
peacefully with environmental responsibility. As innovation, technology, and consumer
consciousness all continue to advance, the textile sector is ideally positioned to take the lead
in ushering in a more environmentally conscious and sustainable future (Manasmita, M.,
Kumar, S., & Mehra, D. 2024).
The advanced textile finishing methods offer numerous advantages over the conventional
finishing methods. Some of the salient features of the advanced textile finishing methods are
given below;
8. Conclusion
Textile finishing has evolved significantly, moving from traditional batch-wise or exhaust
processes to innovative techniques like aerodynamic dyeing, aimed at minimizing
wastewater, energy, and chemical usage. Nanotechnology has further enhanced textile
appearance and quality. These advancements have paved the way for functional textiles with
multiple properties, opening new opportunities for the industry. However, challenges remain,
particularly regarding production costs, product affordability, and environmental impact. The
quest continues for advanced techniques that balance cost-effectiveness, durability, aesthetic
appeal, comfort, and sustainability in the textiles and apparel industry.
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