ECOFRIENDLY FINISHING OF TEXTILE

By
Dr. Pintu Pandit
Asst. Professor, NIFT Patna
1. Introduction
Today, with the increasing awareness of environmental concerns, an important
legislation on eco-toxicological considerations has been introduced. It is related to such
important issues as health and safety during storage, application and use, and safe disposal of
chemicals into landfill and water or release in air during chemical processing of textiles.
These have imposed changes in chemical finishes and finishing methods. So, integrated
pollution control is necessary for developing eco-friendly processes in this new millennium.
The driving force in the recent technology has been the economy and ecology, and finishers
are therefore trying to produce textiles more efficiently, with less water and less pollution.
Increasing concern over damage caused by exposure to microbes, chemicals,
pesticides, UV light and pollutants in the last few years, has heightened the demand for
protective garments. Clothing today is expected to be waterproof, flame resistant, self-
cleaning, insect repellent and antimicrobial to protect human being from infection, UV light,
chemical and biological agents, be warmer in winter and cooler in summer while at the same
time light and less bulky than current solutions. Textile finishing can be the ultimate solution
for all these problems.
Conventional methods of finish application, such as pad-dry-cure or coating that are
currently being used to impart antimicrobial, anti-UV, self-cleaning and FR finishes, are
often accompanied by excessive weight add on, loss of feel and drape, poor durability to
washing losses of mechanical strength and most importantly reduced comfort to wearer. In
many cases, protective garments have actually been known to impair user performance. Also,
there is several safety issues relating to the use as well as disposal of chemicals used in
contemporary finishes. Durable, cost effective and do not adversely affect the comfort
characteristic of a garment while providing optimum protection and efficiency.
In all areas of technology, progress occurs by two paths. One is an evolutionary path,
consisting of small changes or modifications to existing equipment, processes or chemicals.
The other path is the inspirational path of truly new and innovative machines and processes
or chemicals.
2. Easy Care Finishes
2.1 Cotton
Wrinkle-resistant treatment of cotton by phenol-formaldehyde resin was first
developed in 1928. At the same time, urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde and urea-
formaldehyde derivatives were developed as cross-linkers to produce wrinkle resistance of
varying degrees. The reactive groups, caused by the reaction of phenol, urea or melamine and
formaldehyde molecules, permit the formation of a lattice structure under appropriate
chemical reaction conditions, which serve to create a wrinkle-resistant finish.

In the 1980s, the market for easy care and durable press finishes was dominated by
N,N'- 1,3-dimethylol- 4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU), using magnesium chloride as
the acid catalyst to initiate chemical crosslinking of cellulose chain molecules. Cross linking
occurred within the accessible regions (i.e. the amorphous regions of the fibre) providing an
increase in the fibre resistance to deformation and improved elastic recovery from
deformation.

One approach to limit the problems of formaldehyde release has been to use glyoxal
urea based derivatives such as 1, 3-dimethyl-4, 5, dihydroxy ethylene urea. This is a zero
formaldehyde based crosslinking agent for cotton that reacts through the ring hydroxyl
groups in the 4, 5-positions of cellulose. However. Such derivatives are more expensive and
somewhat less effective than DMDHEU at the same add-on level, possibly due to hydantoin
formation, and hence more active curing systems are often required. [1]

2.1.1 Inorganic Phosphates as Crosslinking Agents

The phosphorylation of cotton cellulose can be carried out by heat curing of fabric
impregnated either with a mixture of mono- and di-sodium phosphate or preferably sodium
hexameta phosphate. When the phosphorus content of treated fabric exceeds 1.6%, the fibres
are found to be insoluble in cupriethylene diamine hydroxide solution, and the cellulose
appears to be cross-linked.

2 Cell-OH + NaH2P04 ---7 Cell O-P (O) (ONa)-O-Cell

Crosslinking of cellulosic fabric can also be achieved by phosphorylation with a

mixture of urea and mono- or di-ammonium phosphate. A moderate level of DP along with
flame retardant properties is imparted using pad-dry-cure method at a sufficiently high degree
of phosphorylate on. High levels (approx1- 2%) of monosodium or monoammonium
phosphate and, in some instances, very high levels (12-24%) of urea are required.

2.1.2 Durable Press (DP) Finishing with Polycarboxylic acids

Citric acid was found to be the most effective polycarboxylic acid, in the absence of
added catalyst by pad-dry-cure treatment, although it produced more fabric discoloration than
the other agents. The cross links were formed in cellulose by acid-catalysed esterification
with citric acid itself, furnishing the protons needed for the autocatalysis.

Polycarboxylic acids with 4-6 carboxyl groups per molecule in the presence of
alkaline catalysts were found to be more effective than with acids having only two or three
carboxyl groups. Sodium carbonate or trimethyl amine was added as a catalyst. These salts
act as buffers and greatly diminished acid induced tendering during high temperature curing.
The wrinkle-resistant finished fabrics obtained were recurable. In the presence of heat, the
trans esterification of ester crosslinks by neighbouring cellulose hydroxyl is causes the
crosslinks to be mobile.

The newer catalysts which are more effective than sodium carbonate or tertiary
amines are alkali metal salts of phosphorus containing minerals acids. The order of
decreasing effectiveness is as follows:

NaH2P02> Na2HP03 = NaH2P03 > NaH2P04> NaH2P20 7 > Na2P20 7 >

Na3P30JO = (NaP03)6> Na2HP04 = Na3P04 > Na2C03.

Sodium hypophosphite is however, most expensive. Thus, other catalysts are used in
the mixture. The use of sodium bromide as a co-catalyst for DP finishing of cotton fabrics
with polycarboxylic acid s which permits a decrease of as much as 75% in the amount of
sodium hypophosphite required as a curing catalyst. This lowers the chemical costs and the
amount of phosphorus compounds that need to be recovered from spent treating solutions
which, in many states cannot be disposed of in rivers or lakes. Tertiary alkanolamines and
their phosphoric and metaphosphoric acid salts also help in decreasing the amount of
hypophosphite catalyst needed.

A feature of triethanolamine as a crosslink modifier is that it increases the strength

and flex abrasion resistance retained by the fabric during DP treatment. In this respect,
triethanolamine is superior to glycerol or pentaerythritol. The sodium salts of alpha-hydroxy
polycarboxylic acids can serve as direct replacement for sodium hypophosphite or other
phosphorus compounds as curing agents for 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid (BTCA).

In presence of weak bases as esterification catalyst, the reactions proceed by

intermediate formation of cyclic anhydrides of BTCA (Fig. 2) as the actual esterify in g
agents. Catalyst increases the rate of anhydride formation as well as the rate of crosslinking.
It was found that loss of weight corresponds to water loss as anhydrides were formed on
heating BTCA and cis-cyclopentane tetracarboxylic acid (CPT A). [2]

Fig. 2-Reaction of polycarboxylic acid with cellulose

2.1.3 Upgrading both the wrinkle free and softness properties of cotton
Factors affecting the performance properties of the finished substrate such as pre-
treatment, i.e., carboxymethylation (CMC) or ionic-crosslinking, post-treatment with amino
functional silicone softener. The obtained results revealed that post-treatment with the amino
based silicone micro emulsion (SiE) up to 30 g/L at pH 4 to a wet pickup of 100% followed
by drying at 1000C for 5 min and curing at 1700C for 3 min results in a remarkable
improvement in fabric resiliency (expressed as dry and wet wrinkle recovery angles), as well
as in softness degree, without seriously affecting its retained strength. Improvement extent of
the aforementioned properties is governed by the nature of the pre-treatment steps. Fixation
of the amino-functional silicone softener onto/or within the modified cellulose structure is
accompanied by a formation of semi-inter and/or intra-penetrated network (semi-IPN)
thereby enhancing both the extent of crosslinking and networking as well as providing very
high softness.

Schematic representation show the final proposed semi-interpenetrate network (semi-

IPN) obtained inside the cotton fibers. Ionic crosslinked, ether crosslinking, hydrogen
bonding and van der Waal interaction are formed between cotton or carboxymethylated
cotton fabric and amino silicon softener.

3. Enzyme-mediated crosslinking of wool

A variety of chemical methods to produce shrinkproof wool goods are known and
widely used commercially. The most common methods involve an acid chlorination of the
wool goods or the application of permonosulphuric acid (PMS), followed by a polymer
application. An alternative method involves coating of the wool fibres using a polymer or
monomers that are polymerised on the fibre surface, masking the scalar structure of the
fibres. Such methods achieve a significant level of shrink-resistance to wool textiles, but may
affect adversely the handle properties, as well as generating damaging substances that may be
released into the environment. Therefore, environmentally friendly methods such as enzyme
based processes as well as combination treatments have been suggested. An enzymatic
process using the protein-crosslinking enzymes trans-glutaminases may overcome this
problem.
Transglutaminases (TGases) are aminoacyltransferases that catalyze an acyl transfer
between peptide-bound glutamine (acyl-donors) and a suitable primary amine (acyl
acceptors). They are found widely in a host of different organisms including mammals,
plants, fish and microorganisms. In most instances the result of their reaction is the
crosslinking of proteins via intra or inter ε(glutamyl)lysine isodipeptide bridges if the primary
amine is the ε-amino group of the peptide-bound lysine. This leads to increased protein
stability and increased resistance to chemical and proteolytic degradation [3].

Figure2. Transamidation reaction of enzyme-induced transglutaminase

crosslinking.
This enzyme has an application in the modification of wool textiles. The use of the protein-
crosslinking enzymes transglutaminases, as biocatalysts in the processing of wool textiles
offers a variety of exciting and realistic possibilities, which include reducing the propensity
of wool fabric to shrink and maintaining or increasing fabric strength. Guinea pig liver (GPL)
transglutaminase or the microbial transglutaminase isolated from Streptoverticilium
mobaraense, when applied to wool, resulted in an increase in wool yarn and fabric strength
(up to a 25% increase compared to a control). An enzymatic process using TGases may
overcome this problem by reversing the negative effects of chemical and enzymatic processes
currently used.
Figure 3. Tensile strength of yarn samples treated with 5, 20 and 100 g/ml of GPL
tTGase in Tris–HCl buffer pH 8, with 37°C for 2 h tTGase and mTGase in 50mM Tris–
HCl buffer pH 7, at 50°C for 2 h.[4]

4. Finishing of Silk Fabrics

Finishing of silk fabrics with a mixture of glyoxal and urethane compounds for
improving the crease recovery, drape and tear strength. In addition good durability against
ultra violet rays and laundering has been demonstrated from glyoxal and urethane mixture
finishing agent. A non-formaldehyde crease-resistant finish for silk has been developed by
using citric acid as a crosslinking agent . The finished silk had a dry wrinkle recovery angle
of more than 280° compared to 265° for the untreated control. The finished fabric retained 84
-98.5% of its breaking strength and there was an increase of 40-80% in its tear strength. The
whiteness retention was about 65 %.

Durable press finishing with BTCA produced excellent res ults. Both the dry and wet
resiliency of finished silk were remarkably improved. The finished fabric had a dry wrinkle
recovery angle (WRA) of 301-311 ° and wet WRA of 252-263° compared to 265° and 217°
respectively for the untreated control. After 50 cycles of home laundering, almost all the
finished fabrics retained a DP rating higher than 3.5 compared to 1.9 for the control which
was washed once. The dyeing behaviour of crease-resistant silk finished with BTCA and
citric acid has also been studied using acid, direct and cationic dyes. Whether dyed before or
after finishing, the fabric had good dye ability with improved resilience.

A new easy-care finishing method for silk fabrics with epoxy resin EPTA has been
introduced. Silk fabric was padded twice with 100giL EPTA aqueous solution, dried at 40°C
and then treated with 8gpl Na2C03 at 75°C for 15 min. The wet crease recovery angle was
improved from 200° (untreated) to 282° after finishing. The breaking strength of finished silk
increased by more than 10% and the whiteness decreased by about 2.8%. Finished silk fabrics
have good laundering durability; after 20 cycles of home laundering, the wet resiliency
retained was 95% of that of the unwashed fabrics durability. [1]

5. Softeners in Wrinkle-free Garments

Durable press fabrics suffer decreased tensile strength, tear strength and abrasion
resistance, and often have a stiff, harsh and uncomfortable feel. A quality fabric
softener/lubricant will readily mitigate these deficiencies, adding value to a wrinkle – free
garment. One function of a softener is to modify the hand or feel of a fabric to reach the
desired effect. The softener must also lubricate the fibres to increase abrasion resistance and
tear strength. The softener also functions as a sewing lubricant, as high needle speeds can
generate enough heat to melt and fuse synthetic fibres. Sewing damage, such as broken or
fused yarns, causes garments to be rejected by the customer.

There are four basic classes of softeners, viz. anionic, cationic, non-ionic and blended
systems like silicon softener.

In the environment, there is no evidence that silicones adversely affect eco-systems

nor has there been any experience of toxic effects on animals or aquatic life. Polydimethyl
siloxane (PDMS) is ecologically inert and has been found to have no effect on aerobic or
anaerobic bacteria. It does not inhibit the biological process by which waste water is treated.
Silicones are a minor part of the waste water discharged. They are highly resistant to
biodegradation by micro-organisms, but they undergo very effective degradation via natural
chemical processing and PDMS breaks down into lower molecular weight silanols. No
adverse effects were seen for seed germination. Their molecular size prevents them from
passing through the biological membranes of fish or other animals. PDMS fluids exhibit
insignificant biological oxygen demand (BOD). Thus, the new aminofunctional silicone
softeners have many advantages over initial PDMS like low yellowness, high softness,
require low concentration and environmentally safe. In addition, they have the ability to
blend with other organic softeners while retaining their original performance. [1]
6. Biofinishing
Processing of cellulosic fabrics and garments with cellulase enzymes, generally
referred as biofinishing, started in the late 1980s. Superior hand and novelty finishes on
rayon, linen and cotton knits can be achieved with cellulases.

Biofinishing consists o f a cellulase enzyme treatment to give a partial hydrolysis of

cotton fibre, with a weight loss of around 3-5% and strength loss of 2-7%. However the
strength loss (25-30 %) of cotton knit and viscose rayon for high surface polishing under
acidic conditions at 60°C. With proper control of pH and temperature, standard whole acid
cellulases can be used to finish delicate cellulosic fabrics

Enzymatic softening of cotton and cotton blend fabrics results in:

• Less fuzz and pilling,

• Better fabric feel,

• Increased gloss or lustre, and

• Increased durable softness.

7. Antimicrobial Finishes
Antibacterial finishes are germicides applied to fabrics to prevent odours produced by
bacterial decomposition, such as perspiration odours, and also to reduce the possibility of
infection by contact with contaminated textiles. Fabrics may also be treated with germicides
to prevent mildew, a parasitic fungus that may grow on fabrics that are not thoroughly dried.
Both mildew and rot may be controlled by treatment with resins.

The protection of cellulosics and manufactured fibres or fabrics to control the growth
of bacteria can be accomplished by:

• A finishing process in which an antibacterial additive is fixed on the surface of the

material

• Grafting of antibacterial agents on the cellulosic chain, and

• Incorporating agents into the spinning solution of manufactured fibres.

New Antimicrobial agents
 Chitosan
 Natural dyes (Azadirachtin, Nimbin, Salannin)
 Aloe Vera
 Tea tree oil
 Eucalyptus Oil
 Tulsi leaf (Ocimum basilicum)
 Neem extract[5]

8. Halogen-free and formaldehyde-free flame retardant

A novel halogen-free and formaldehyde-free flame retardant (FR), which contains
phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon, was synthesized for cotton fabrics considering the
synergistic effect of phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon. phosphorus- containing compounds
are well known for their effectiveness in providing flame retardancy to cellulosic fibres. Their
generation during a fire is innocuous or relatively low toxic to the environment. Their
contribution to flame retardancy of cellulosic fibres comes from the modification of the
decomposition mode of fibre during a fire.

During the process of decomposition, a surface layer of char rather than yielding CO
or CO2 is formed when cellulosic fibres are treated with phosphorus-containing compounds.
Nitrogen-containing compounds produce incombustible gases without toxic smoke or fog
when they degrade at high temperature. These gases do not support burning of the materials.
They dilute the concentration of the oxygen near the flame and are often used together with
phosphorus-containing compounds. Silicon-containing compounds are considered to be
environment-friendly FRs, because their generation is harmless to human and the eco-system.
They generate mostly silicon dioxide which is unable to react with oxygen also they form a
protective silica layer and protect polymer residues from further thermal decomposition at
high temperatures.

When FRs contain these three elements, they are likely to produce synergistic effect.
The reason for the synergistic effect is that phosphorus offers the tendency of char formation
and nitrogen produces incombustible gases forming the protective barriers, while silicon
provides the thermal stability of the forming char during fire. [6]
9. Surface modification of polyester
Surface treatments after the formation of fibers can generate well-defined and specific
features on fiber surfaces. Much research effort has been dedicated to improving the
hydrophilicity of PET because hydrophobicity of PET contributes its less desirable properties
such as poor wetting and soil-release behavior in aqueous liquids, attraction to oily soils, low
adhesion to rubber and plastics, and the tendency for static electricity buildup.

9.1 Oil and Water Repellent Finish

The chemical finish traditionally used to make textile fabrics oil and water resistant
involves conventional long chain fluorocarbons (FCs) that are suspected to harm humans as
well as environment. For making O/W resistant textiles, the conventional fluorocarbons (C8-
based fluorocarbons) polymers have been used for over 30 years. The conventional
fluorocarbons (C8-based fluorocarbons) mean that the polymers consist of 8 carbon and 17
fluorine atoms. These conventional fluorocarbons (C8- based fluorocarbons) are suspected to
release the bio-persistent and toxic component perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOS was discovered to affect our reproduction, hormone
system and cell processes. Legislations regarding PFOS were established by European Union
on June 27, 2008 regarding marketing and use of PFOS in all member states.
The Eco-friendly approach towards this problem can be the use of non PFOS and
PFOA releasing fluorocarbon. That’s why many manufacturers optimised there ranges and
came up with new product of the so called C6- technology. Perflurocarbon monomers from
telomerisation with a chain length of 6 carbon atoms are used. The fluorocarbon polymers
made from C6-monomers are PFOS and PFOA free.
The production of C6-monomers is very expensive, because short-chain and longer
chain components have to be separated. This leads to higher raw material and higher product
costs. The fluorine side-chains of these products are shorter than those of the standard
fluorocarbon polymers, the effects are therefore poorer. 50% higher chemical may be
requiring for getting the same results, as that of with conventional fluorocarbon.[9]

9.2 Alkaline hydrolysis

Alkaline hydrolysis is one of the most documented methods for modifying the
chemical and physical characteristics of polyester fabrics. The mass loss, porosity and
thickness reduction on these fabrics increase with increasing hydrolysis temperature or time.
The optimal hydrolysis condition to achieve the highest wettability on both types of fabrics
was at a 3N NaOH concentration and 55°C. At higher hydrolysis temperatures, further
enlargement of the fabric pore structure was observed with no further improvement in
wetting.

9.3 Enzyme hydrolysis of polyester

Enzymes are natural catalysts that aid reactions in living systems. The recent surge in enzyme
use in textile processing reflects the interest and need for discovering more environmentally
sustainable chemical finishing alternatives as well as the significant advancements in
biotechnology. Hydrolytic enzymes have also been successfully applied in organic synthesis.
Esterases and lipases catalyze the hydrolysis and formation of ester and amide bonds
respectively.

9.4 Polyester fabric modification by lipases

Lipases are known to catalyze the hydrolysis of lipids of fatty acids and glycerol at
the lipid-water interface. It is therefore conceivable that hydrolyzing enzymes may also
catalyze the hydrolysis of the ester linkage in PET. Lipases can catalyze both the hydrolysis
of esters in aqueous solution and synthesis of esters in nonaqueous media. Lipases have been
obtained from bacterial, fungal, and animal pancreases and are used as a crude mixture with
other hydrolases or as a purified type. However, the industrial applications of lipases have
been limited due to their high production cost and low number of available lipases in
industrial amounts [7].

9.5 Polyester fabric modification by cutinase

Cutinases are inducible extracellular enzymes secreted by microorganisms capable of
catalyzing the cleavage of ester bonds in cutin [5]. This enzyme belongs to the family of
hydrolases. The systematic name of this enzyme class is cutin hydrolase. They display
hydrolytic activity not only towards cutin but also a variety of soluble synthetic esters,
insoluble triglycerides, synthetic fibers (polyethylene terephthalate fibers), plastics
(polycaprolactone) and others. Therefore, cutinases have been recognized as versatile
lipolytic enzymes in laundry and dishwashing detergent formulations, and for other
applications in the textile, food and chemical industries [8].
The comparative properties of both the types are discussed as follows in the table no.2
 Sr. no. Properties Alkaline hydrolysis Enzymatic hydrolysis

1 Water contact angle Normal Superior

2 Water retention value Low High

3 Production cost Low High

4 Effluent treatment cost High Low

5 Ecofriendliness Low High

6 Process parameters Simple Critical

7 Industrial application More Limited

Table no.2. Comparison of polyester surface hydrolysis methods

10. Eco friendly approach through machinery modification

Earlier trough was used of rectangular shape , due to that high amount of liqur
wastage is observed during and after the proces . This wastage also contribute to high
effluent load. So to solve this problem trough is changed to U-shape with insertion of dead
weigh roller.

10.1 Eco friendly approach through low wet pick-up

In the conventional pad-mangle, the fabric is impregnated in a liquor-containing
trough until fully saturated and then squeezed in the nip between two heavy rollers (or bowls)
to remove the excess liquor before the drying stage. Typical liquor-pick-up values are 70
80% for cotton. 60-70% for cotton / polyester-fibre blends and 50-60% for polyester-fibre
and other synthetic-fibre fabrics. The very high wet-pick-up values associated with the pad-
mangle system are disadvantageous because of the high thermal-drying cost. [10]

Rüttiger has pointed out that levels of pick-up are unnecessarily high. It is considered that
application levels of 25–40% liquor pick-up could be advantageous, not only giving the
opportunity for energy savings in subsequent drying, but also resulting in improvements in
the finished product. Low wet pick-up application methods can be used instead of
conventional padding to decrease the amount of water to be evaporated, so avoiding
migration of chemical finishes to the fabric surface. On the other hand, too low a pick-up can
also result in an uneven distribution of chemical in the fabric, as the liquid phase is
discontinuous.

➢ Low wet pick-up application methods

Two main types of low wet pick-up application methods have been developed. In the first
type, the fabric is fully saturated with the finish liquor in the normal manner and then the
excess liquor in the capillary spaces (or interstices) of the fabric is removed by a suitable
method. Methods used for fabric de-watering (that is, mechanical drying) are widely used
such as porous bowls (for example, Roberto bowl), or vacuum extraction (suction slot hydro
extraction) or by blowing compressed air through the fabric. In the second type of low wet
pick-up applicator, an exact quantity of the finish liquor is uniformly applied to the fabric
using a lick-roller, kiss-roll), spray or foam application technique. In all of the saturation-
removal methods and in the spray and foam application methods, any excess liquor removed
from the fabric may be recovered and re-used, provided that only one finish liquor is
involved.

➢ Porous Bowl Techniques

Porous bowls can be constructed from a mass of fibres with each fibre being coated with a
thin film of rubber of microscopic thickness and then processed under carefully controlled
heat and pressure to give a resilient and durable microporous structure. Roberto bowl/steel
bowl combination.

Porous bowl techniques

 ➢ Vacuum Extraction
Vacuum extraction using vacuum slot extractors (also termed suction slot extractors) is now a
common method for applying chemical finishes to all types of fabric at open-width. The
principle of the method involves passing the fabric into the pad bath and then over a vacuum
slot to remove most of the pad liquor. An increase in vacuum pressure can usually be attained
only at the expense of higher energy costs because of the larger electric motors required for
driving liquid-ring, positive displacement or stage-turbine pumps.

Monforts matex vac system

➢ Air-Jet Ejectors
Air-jet ejectors work on a broadly similar principle to vacuum extraction, using compressed
air to remove the excess liquor from the fabric. The advantage over vacuum extraction is that
the pressure differential can be appreciably higher than that operating in vacuum extractors.
 Pletec ejector

➢ Spray Application Systems

Finish liquors may be sprayed in controlled quantities onto fabrics to give a low wet pick-up.

WEKO applicator (Weitmann and Konrad) [11]

10.2 Eco friendly approach through Ben-Booster

Ben-Booster is generally used in dyeing process. Now a days it is used in finishing
process for better chemical penetration into the fabric. Fabric goes for chemical padding in
Ben-booster unit for uniform liquor application .In this, dipping length is kept short and no
heating is needed but a good penetration into the fabric is achieved.

• The liquor pick-up can be adjusted from 70–130%.

• Easy cleaning due to pneumatically lifted body
• Cylindrical ground soft rubber roller liftable liquor displacement body chemical feed
distributed over entire width [12]
10.3 Eco friendly approach through heat recovery system in stenter
Heat recovery system recovers heat from exhausted air and reuses this air to heat up
fresh air entering into the stenter. In the same manner this system also enables reuse of
exhausted air to heat up service water which is used in wet finishing. This system can reduce
energy consumption upto 35 % depending upon the temperature of stenter. [13]
Eco – Heat Statistic
 Temperature inside stenter 2200C
 Exhaust Air Temperature 1400C
 Heat recovery system can recover 700C

 Energy saving of up to approx. 20 %with 140°C dryer temperature

 Energy saving of up to approx. 35 % with 190°C dryer temperature

Line Diagram of Air / Air heating Line Diagram of Air / Water heating

10.4 Automatic Dosing Systems for Textile Auxiliaries

Color Service was the first company to produce this innovative and reliable system.
Weighing unit model TRS automatically weighs any type of dyestuff and auxiliaries,
guaranteeing accuracy of the dosing, reproducibility of the recipes and the maximum hygiene
in the working environment. The machine structure is very strong and durable as the boxes
are made in aluminum, from 90 L to 450 L capacity. The system is both modular and
expandable. The chemical transfer is made through suction with high head and low delivery.
This characteristic offers rapid loading performance and it has a low air consumption with
low filtering surface. Moreover the lower contact between air and chemical or dyestuff
guarantees the original level of moisture content. Automatically a counter flow air circuit
cleans the filter.

It has been the first model engineered for the dispensing of liquid auxiliaries,
produced since 2005. In the years, its technology is evolved until the actual configuration.
This system is equipped with a robotic trolley coupling the dosing valve that corresponds to
the products to be dispensed. Dosing valves are independent and each one is separately
connected to the feeding storage tank. Product is pumped through a self-priming lubes pump
to finishing machines. This system can be furnished with the gravimetric section, to gain
more accuracy in the dosing of small quantities. This model in particular prevents any chance
of pollution among different products.
 ✓ Fastest and probably most competitive doser. It can simultaneously manage multiple
product feeds to several machines. It is very versatile, it can dose both
auxiliaries/chemicals and liquid pigments.
✓ Mass flow meter for product control (to signal air pockets in the piping)
✓ Product incompatibility management
✓ Position sensor on each dosing valve
✓ Pressure control on the valve head (a drop in pressure means a valve is leaking)
✓ Separate heads for auxiliary/liquid pigment dosing. [14]

10.5 Eco friendly approach through MXL machine

Monforts MXL (moist cross linking) process, which widely adopted by manufacturers
of bed linen, can produce wrinkle-resistant bed sheets which require limited ironing. The
system differs significantly from both conventional dry cross linking methods and other
technologies for moist cross linking, which has such advantages as vast reduction in
processing times, greater flexibility and increased safety compared to other systems,
according to Monforts.
MXL process can carry out the complete process and drying simultaneously at a
higher temperature of 100°C and relative humidity of 30%. Basically, MXL reduces the
processing time required to just three minute. Because of the very special climate that’s
created, the process is much less risky, since the residual moisture is consistent from start to
finish, and very good control can be achieved with the unit’s measurement system. [15]
11. Foam Finishing
A foam system could be the most logical alternative to the conventional pad-mangle
system. It has offered solutions to the basic problems encountered with the other low-add-on
topical and expression systems. The problem of the low-add-on topical systems, namely, the
difficulty of distributing a relatively small quantity of liquor uniformly over a large surface of
fabric, is particularly acute with hydrophilic fibres. The important aspect of foam processing
is that the reagent is applied to the fabric in the form of foam in contrast to the conventional
process of impregnating the fabric with a dilute solution of the reagent. Because air replaces
water as the transport medium for the reagents, substantial energy-saving in the drying of
fabrics, less waste disposal, and enhanced quality of the product may be realised.

11.1 Types of foam application systems

There are many types of foam application systems available for applying finishes to
textile fabrics. In the main, these are based upon modified padding, coating and printing
systems together with the FFT (Foam Finishing Technology) slot applicator unit of Gaston
County which is a direct pressurised foam application method. [16]

• Horizontal pad mangle

• Kiss-coating system
• Knife-over-roller coating systems
• Knife-on-air system
• Screen printing systems
• Slot applicator systems

12. Conclusion
Producers of textiles, chemical finishes and finishing equipment are responding to
demands for environmentally-friendly finishes by coming up with novel multi-functional
surface finishes and modified machineries. These leading edge technologies are set to
revolutionise the way textiles are treated and to accelerate the pace of innovation in chemical
finishing. Such improvement helps to stimulate market demand by providing opportunities
for introducing greater novelty, innovation, higher quality and greater added value to finished
materials. As the humanity moves forward to sustainable development & due consideration to
mother earth this new technologies are need of the hour. Growing concerns across the world
about eco-friendliness of products and machinery used has become answerable with these
novel innovations. These technologies will enhance the present & the future of textile
processes!!

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