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Textile recycling and reuse for circular economy

TEAM is currently developing biobased textile materials and innovative technologies for recycling and reuse of post-consumer and post-industrial waste textile materials to support textile sectors transition towards circularity.

Research project (ENZBIOTEX) received research funding from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for developing novel approaches of enzyme-based biotechnology to achieve textiles recovery and reuse for circularity.

Natural bast fibres (Flax, hemp and nettle fibres) for sustainable textile materials

Flax, hemp and nettles are all bast fibres which are harvested from the stems of plants. These fibres are a sustainable choice for textiles as their cultivation requires little to no irrigation and no chemical pesticides, and these plants all capture carbon from the atmosphere while growing.

TEAM have developed an optimised mechanical process to produce clean and well separated fibres from the woody core of the stem. After they are further cottonised into individual fibres, these fibres are very soft and can be blended with cotton for spinning into yarns. Laboratory trials led to the development and establishment of a commercial scale decortication system and cottonisation process for flax, hemp and nettle fibre.

A significant benefit for using bast fibres in textiles is demonstrated from the wool/hemp blended upholstery fabrics, as these have an intrinsic flame-retardant property without the requirement of flame-retardant chemical finishing.

3D print for textile surface design

The current research is to developing 3D printing technology on textile materials to create textile surface design with specific functionality. The quality and the performance of 3D printing on textile fabrics based on FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) were investigated in term of dimensional stability and sufficient attachment of the printed patterns on the fabrics. The current work demonstrated the ability to create different design patters in 3D on the fabrics. High quality of 3D patterns with precise and detail design can be printed on textile fabrics in strong attachment durable to wash.

Electroforming for metallised embellishment on textiles

Research of electroforming technology for textile surface metallised embellishment led to unique textile surface design effects. An interdisciplinary approach has been taken using knowledge from electrochemistry, electronic conductive circuit technology and computer-controlled machinery to advance aesthetic metallic textile design. This work was undertaken by Dr Jo Horton (now at the National Maritime Museum, London).

Sol-gel technology for textile multifunctionality

The application of sol-gel based hybrid polymers onto textile fabric can modify the surface of the fabric to give specific properties or combine functionalities. The sol-gel hybrid-based polymers were synthesised and applied to wool to impart specific functional or multifunctional properties. Properties imparted have included abrasion resistance, dimensional stability, antibacterial and hydrophobicity for water repellence, extending and improving on the natural properties of these fibres.

Biotechnology for textile coloration and patterning

The current research is developing a sustainable enzyme-catalysed in-situ coloration process for textiles without the use of synthetic dyestuffs and chemical auxiliaries, resulting in the benefit of energy saving as well as the reduction of waste effluents. In addition, enzymatic dyeing process offers opportunities for multiple colours and shading to be achieved through the alteration of processing conditions.

Machine washable wool

The recent development of textile biotechnology contributes to an understanding of the use of enzyme protease for wool surface modification and the innovative technology of enzyme modification for specific finishing process to achieve machine washable wool with the benefits of energy saving, reduction of chemical consumption and prevention of fibre damage.

Currently TEAM received the research funding for Development of enzyme-based coloration and coating for sustainable machine washable wool to support the wool industry transition to a circular system, from .

Laser enhanced biotechnology for Textile design and patterning (LEBIOTEX)

LEBIOTEX was a collaborative research project between Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ and Loughborough University to to explore new technologies for textiles and boosting sustainability of the industry. The project was led by Professor Jinsong Shen (Âéw¶¹´«Ã½) and Dr Faith Kane (now at Massey University, NZ) with consultation from Professor John Tyrer (Loughborough University, UK) and Dr Edward Smith (Âéw¶¹´«Ã½, UK), and research work undertaken by Dr Laura Morgan (now at University of the West of England) and Dr Chetna Prajapati (now at Loughborough University). The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/J002666/1) and was supported by industrial project partners Camira Fabrics, Speedo, and Teresa Green Design.

The project received subsequent follow-on funding for ‘Industrial Exploitation of Laser-Dyeing Processes for Apparel and Furnishing Textiles Markets’, also from (AH/P0149251), and continues through various research impact and commercialisation activities.