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ITMA birmingham 2003

Textile technology - A global edge

P R Rastogi

After India’s decision to adopt open economy concept in 1991, it has opened the doors to competition at the highest level in every industry. As the number of products are increasing, wider choice of the products is available in the market and now the market is dominated by the buyers. To survive in this tough competition, manufacturers should offer the best in everything, at the best prices. For the Indian textile industry, the challenges are even greater. Technologically speaking, in the textile processing industry there is still a lot to ask for. Traditional textile chemicals used in this segment like soda ash, caustic, acetic acid, etc are basic requirements, which aid the processing activity. To get the best results in terms of process yields and uniformity, special care has to be taken about the inputs which go into the processes even if auxiliaries, m/c, fabric quality, etc vary. The output must offer the best quality to cost ratio to the customer.

The thrust areas in textiles, in the coming years will centre around:

• Process optimisation through improved shorter duration processes i.e. efficient and effective processes
• Customised solutions
• Value addition
• Global competitiveness : High standards of quality at lowest possible costs
• Eco awareness

Development in wet processing

a) Development in sizing / spin finish

In the area of sizing, the current trend is to use more of starch-based products which produces high BOD. Insoluble sizes put a lot of stress on the effluent treatment plant. The future trends will be to use more and more recycling sizes which are loading low BOD in some process. We do not require enzyme desizing, just hot wash is enough. The details are available for this concept in the smart sizing concept.

b) Development in pretreatment chemicals

The current trend is mostly in discontinuous operation. There has been a trend of getting rid of AOX, APEO, solvents, silicones present in the PTC recipes. Clariant’s efforts in this area have resulted in development of process like Bio Scour and Black Magic which take into consideration the economical, ecological and efficient aspects of processing.

c) Development in optical brightening agents

There has also been a lot of efforts to get into one bath processing for blends. Demand for high light-fast and wash-fast is increasing and manufacturers are able to fulfill these requirements for nylon and polyester. But for cotton, the processes and products still need to be developed - we are far from reaching the goals.

d) Development in finishing

There have been developments in the machinery used, the process sequence, the auxiliaries and so on. Nanotechnology is the in word in finishing. Technological developments have taken place by leaps and bounds in this area. Developments like smart fabric, thermo sensitive fabric are becoming popular in the industry and among consumers. In my view, value addition will be the most important factor, wherein “VFM” (value for money) principle will also hold good.

Below are a few examples of the chemicals Clariant has to offer which I feel are good examples of the above. These fall in the category of value-addition but simultaneously also meet the other requirements mentioned above.

Value added finishes:

• UV absorbers for automotive fabricsFadex
• Water-oil repellent finishes Nuva
• Flame retardant finishes Pekoflam
• Anti-microbial finishes Sanitized
• Enzyme treatments for special surface effectsBioplus
• Speciality lubricants for improved sewability Sandolubes
• Resins for wrinkle resistant propertiesFinish

e) Development in dyeing & printing

The dyestuffs industry is placing more emphasis on:

• One batch operation
• High exhaust dyeing
• High mercerising
• Fast dyes
• High fixation with the advent of new machineries.

Each of these stages has witnessed a lot of developments over the years. There have been developments in the machinery used, the process sequence, the auxiliaries, etc. Studies indicate that India will be an overall gainer in the post quota period as India’s industry is competitive at every stage of the supply chain, although weaving and processing remain the weak links. Thus, the coming years are sure to usher in a very competitive era wherein only the best will survive.

Ecological challenge

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is becoming a common environmental management tool and a good analytical method for assessing and optimising the environmental quality of a system over the entire lifecycle.

The LCA approach is a global one, covering the complete manufacturing process, from the product’s birth to recycling to the disposal of waste. It aims at improvement of the production process for all types of fibres, with the promotion of a protected environment, by establishing an eco-balance between the inputs, processes and outputs.

1,000 kg of fabric requires 290 kg chemistry, 26 kg packaging, 1,100 kg raw fibre, 100 tons of water, 44 GJ energy. The outputs are made up of the four domains of air, soil, water and the textile substrate.

Let’s look at each of these in detail.

The air we breathe (1652 kg of air-waste)

In the textile industry, atmospheric pollution can be caused by processes using preparations of solvents, substances that can be harmful to the air and inhalation of which may have harmful effects on the health of the operatives.

The emissions of powerhouses represent the most important cause of pollution. During the latest decades, the temperature has increased by an average of 0.5ø C and humans are responsible for it basically by the atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions (7.1 billion of tons per year). Maybe a half degree celsius is not big. But it shows that something is happening. And if the greenhouse effect is spreading in this way, in 100 years the temperature of the earth will have increased by 3.5ø C.

The water we drink (98 tons of contaminated water)

The pollution of water by residual waste will, without doubt, be the object of new international regulations with severe controls in order to limit damage. The recycling of waste water and the development of manufacturing processes that cause minimal pollution and require minimal consumption of water will be imperative.

Water is one of the most important factors for the textile industry. This is because it is involved at the level of conditioning textile substrates during manufacturing processes and its use is indispensable as a relational fluid during finishing processes. With an average consumption level of 100 litres per kilogram of textile material treated, the textile industry is one of the biggest consumers and polluters of water. In the 21st century, “blue gold” will be among the most precious possessions of man. At Clariant we are working on the following properties of a chemical that can also directly affect the quality of the effluent by minimising their influence:

• products containing AOX (absorbable organic halogens), chlorine treatments, phosphorus, phosphates, nitrogen.

Phosphorus elements present in dyes, chemicals such as phosphates or polyphosphate sequestrants used to soften hard water can lead to the atrophication or even the death of rivers and lakes. For example, 1 kg of phosphorus induces the proliferation of 114 kg of algae, which consume the oxygen contained in 14 million litres of water, equivalent to a column corresponding to a 1 kilometre length of river 10 metres wide and 1.4 metres deep, thus contributing to the death of aquatic fauna (eutrophication).

• Formaldehyde
• Carcenogenic products (pentachlorophenol, amino azo dyes, pesticides)
• COD (chemical oxygen demand)
• Colour in open waterways
• Degradability
• Toxicity to aquatic organisms
• Unpleasant odours

Wastewaters must be capable of permitting a global evaluation of their probable quality and amounts respectively in the textile mill at the level of the treatment plant and of the natural waterways.

The soil we cultivate (183 kg of solid wastes)

The soil is generally not influenced during textile finishing processes. It can however be contaminated by toxic chemicals that are improperly stored. Would your organisation be able to deal with this problem if it would be confronted with it?

In future, the problem of soil contamination will occur with increasing frequency when sludge is produced at wastewater treatment plants or in the disposal of finished textiles.

The fabric we wear (1000 kg of garments)

Garment is man’s most immediate housing. It represents protection. Its contact with the skin can cause irritations or even diseases, deriving from the following principal causes:

• Content of metals
• Content of organic substances or chemical elements
• pH

This being the case, the first steps toward standards for textiles have been made in Europe with the MST standards and by Eco-Tex, which serve as world-wide references and are only the premises of international legislation.

The manifest interest in ecology is also found in the boom enjoyed by natural fibres and the multitude of heterogeneous blends that are constantly appearing. Moreover, the new manmade “ecological” fibres such as Tencel, Lyocell, Newcell, etc have recently come out in the market. Their “ecological” characteristics come partly from their manufacturing processes, which does not involve any chemical reaction, and partly from the total recovery of the solvent used in their manufacture.

New areas for value addition

• Functional Finishes
• Nonwovens
• Coating industries
• Construction fibres
• Lining fabrics
• Automotive fabrics
• Fibre glass

Conclusion

To have global competitiveness, the textile wet processing industry should:

• Optimise the number of products used. We find that normally for a large unit more than 100 auxiliaries/chemicals are used from grey to finish, and we should look for 50 per cent optimisation.
• Conduct process audits for process-cost rationalisation. This will help in avoiding wastages, better controls, less handling and defects, also look for optimised quality control and not over control as this could be expensive.
• Training for competency development of the shopfloor and laboratory executives is important
• Integration of market/buyers needs with production resources, that means do not commit for supplies which can’t be managed with referece to specification and consistency. Once resources like machines, manpower and material is not built, the commitments will never be fulfilled.
• Optimum capacity utilisation in each section of the plant. This can be done by process rationalisation.
• Reduction in inventory levels of raw material and finished goods.
• Look at overall cost and not only product cost. The use of techno-economic working of the process cost including dyes/chemical and utility has to be done.

(The author is managing director, Clariant)