Textiles, Volume 5, Issue 2 (June 2025) – 7 articles

Humans are in constant contact with clothing and textiles throughout their lives, which can expose them to chemicals present in these materials. Chemicals used in fiber production and in material processing can be absorbed through the skin, ingested, or inhaled, causing allergic reactions. Advancements in modern textiles have made them more versatile and functional for a variety of applications, resulting in the use of more chemicals. Regarding the textile industry, several studies have focused on the environmental impact of its effluents and dyes, and, more recently, several studies have focused on textile waste impact in general. Nevertheless, few studies have been carried out on human cytotoxicity, and very little is known about the dangers of long-term use of textiles. The aim of this work was to review the literature to understand what has been done in the field of textile cytotoxicity. In addition, this work also highlights the existing gap regarding regulation and standardized tests for the analysis of everyday clothing. There is an urgent need to establish regulations and standardize testing protocols to assess the potential cytotoxic effects that may arise from finished textile products before they are marketed, in order to guarantee consumer safety. Full article

Sewing needle heating is a common problem for the sewing of technical and medical textiles. The hot needle causes burnt spots on fabric, breakage of the thread, and weak seam strength. Multiple ways are used in industry to cool the needle including compressed air, thread lubrication, and needle coatings. The most economical way of reducing needle heat is to use thread lubrication. This technique needs a lot of research because the bucket of lubrication installed on the sewing machine provides irregular amounts of the micro layer on the thread and there is no research showing how much should be used. In this research, different amounts of pre-lubricated threads are used to measure their impact on coefficient of friction, tensile strength, needle temperature, and overall performance of the seam depending on lubrication amount. The research work is focused on the disadvantages of irregular lubrication and finding optimized lubricant amount for better sewing performance with low needle temperature. Full article

A significant development has been the integration of natural elements with bio-based materials to produce entirely bio-based functional textiles. In this investigation, lycopene, derived from tomatoes, is used as a new natural red dye for silk. A suitable solvent was selected to precisely measure the lycopene content in silk. The stability of lycopene in a simulated dye bath was examined in relation to heating duration and pH values. Central composite design was employed to evaluate the impact of dyeing conditions on the color intensity of silk. The results showed that lycopene dissolves more efficiently in dichloromethane than in water or ethanol. UV–Vis absorption spectra, which remained nearly constant, indicate that lycopene retains its stability after being heated at 90 °C for 60 min or when the pH is between 3.2 and 6.2. Higher temperatures lead to increased lycopene adsorption, thereby enhancing color intensity. Based on the ANOVA analysis from the central composite design experiment, the most influential factor affecting color intensity is the concentration of lycopene, followed by temperature, and then pH. As the lycopene concentration increases, the color intensity and saturation of the dyed silk also increase. Although the lycopene-dyed silk shows good wash fastness, there is room for improvement in rub fastness. In summary, this study confirms the potential of using lycopene as a new natural red dye for silk. Full article

Smart textiles are an evolving field, but challenges in durability, washing, interfacing, and sustainability persist. Widespread adoption requires robust, lightweight, fully integrated fiber-based conductors. This paper proposes using ultralong carbon nanotube (UCNT) yarns with a width-to-length ratio of several orders of magnitude larger than typical carbon nanotube fibers. These yarns enable the manufacturing of stable, workable structures, composed of a network of twisted fibers (tows), which are suitable for fabric integration. Our research includes the creation of textile prototype demonstrators integrated with coated and non-coated UCNT yarns, tested under military-grade standards for both mechanical durability and electric functionality. The demonstrators were evaluated for their electrical and mechanical properties under washability, abrasion, and weathering. Notably, polymer-coated UCNT yarns demonstrated improved mechanical durability and electrical performance, showing promising results. However, washing tests revealed the presence of UCNT nanofibers in the residue, raising concerns due to their classification as hazards by the World Health Organization. This paper examines the sources of fiber release and discusses necessary improvements to coating formulations and testing protocols to mitigate fiber loss and enhance their practical viability. These findings underscore both the potential and limitations of UCNT yarns in military textile applications. Full article

The cornerstone of textile manufacturing lies in quality control, with the early detection of defects being crucial to ensuring product quality and sustaining a competitive edge. Traditional inspection methods, which predominantly depend on manual processes, are limited by human error and scalability challenges. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI)—encompassing computer vision, image processing, and machine learning—have transformed defect detection, delivering improved accuracy, speed, and reliability. This article critically examines the evolution of defect detection methods in the textile industry, transitioning from traditional manual inspections to AI-driven automated systems. It delves into the types of defects occurring at various production stages, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of conventional and automated approaches, and underscores the pivotal role of deep learning models, especially Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), in achieving high precision in defect identification. Additionally, the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as high-resolution cameras and real-time monitoring systems, into quality control processes is explored, highlighting their contributions to sustainability and cost-effectiveness. By addressing the challenges and opportunities these advancements present, this study serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers and industry professionals seeking to harness AI in optimizing textile production and quality assurance amidst the ongoing digital transformation. Full article

The objective of this study is to investigate the performance of the ultrafiltration process as a purification method on the dyeing properties of a newly synthesized homobifunctional reactive dye. This is a green–blue reactive dye with two vinylsulfone groups. Namely, several properties, such as exhaustion, substantivity, fixation, time to half dyeing, migration index, light fastness, and the effect of metal salts, were studied thoroughly. It was proven that the processed bifunctional reactive dye shows higher exhaustion, substantivity, and dye-uptake values than the untreated one. It was found that the dye fixation is higher for the ultrafiltrated (92%) compared to the non-ultrafiltrated (85%) dye, while the migration index is slightly lower. It is indicated that, due to the possible chemical affinity between the dye and the substrate, a stronger retention is noticed for the treated dye. All in all, high fixation and substantivity lead to higher dye valorization and result in less hydrolyzed waste dyestuff, leading to less water and organic liquid waste at an industrial scale. The effect of metal salts addition (Fe³⁺, Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺) was studied as well, for comparison reasons, but it was found to be unnecessary. It is proven by the property values calculated that the overall process is valuable, since lower dyebath concentrations are required for satisfactory results. Thus, in large-scale dyeings, the ultrafiltration process can be proven to be valuable for environmental protection reasons. Full article

Parachute suspension lines shed vortices during descent, and these vortices develop oscillating aerodynamic forces that can induce forced parasitic vibrations of the lines, which can have an adverse impact on the parachute system. Understanding the line’s mechanical behavior can assist in studying the vibrations experienced by the suspension lines. A well-calibrated structural model of the suspension line could be used to help to identify how the braid’s architecture contributes to its mechanical behavior and to explore if and how a suspension line can be designed to mitigate these parasitic vibrations. In the current study, a mesomechanical finite element model of a polyester braided parachute suspension line was constructed. The line geometry was built in the Virtual Textile Morphology Suite (VTMS), and a user material model (UMAT) was implemented in LS-DYNA^® release 14 to describe the material behavior of the individual tows. The material properties were initially calibrated using experimental tension tests on individual tows, which exhibited an initial modulus of ~4100 MPa before transitioning to ~3200 MPa at a stress of 30 MPa. When these properties were applied to the full braid model, slight adjustments were made to account for geometric complexities in the braid structure, improving the correlation between the model and experimental tensile tests. The final calibrated model captured the bilinear tensile behavior of the braid, with an initial modulus of 2219 MPa and a secondary modulus of 1350 MPa, compared to experimental values of 2253 MPa and 1420 MPa, respectively, showing 2% and 5% differences. The calibrated model of the braided cord was then subjected to torsion, and the results showed good agreement with dynamic and static experimental torsion tests, with a difference of 8–19% for dynamic tests and 13–27% for static tests when compared to experimental values. The availability of virtual models of suspension lines can ultimately assist in the design of suspension lines that mitigate flow-induced vibration. Full article