Search Results (27)

The spinning industry makes a major contribution to environmental pollution due to the excessive use of natural assets and the generation of remarkable amounts of waste during manufacturing processes. Now, the spinning industries are concentrating on sustainable activities due to environmental issues. While textile recycling efforts have been widely explored, the utilization of soft waste (process waste) in yarn production remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating a sustainable approach incorporating soft waste into producing sustainable yarn using the ring-spinning technique. The research explores the properties of yarns manufactured from a blend of virgin cotton and soft waste, and 100% virgin cotton yarn is produced for comparison. The results indicate that incorporating soft waste leads to an increase in CVm% (13 vs. 11), hairiness (6.9 vs. 5.1), and IPI (165 vs. 125) compared to virgin cotton yarn. However, the elongation percentage (7.1% vs. 8%) and tensile strength (12.6 cN/tex vs. 16.2 cN/tex) showed a reduction, highlighting potential trade-offs in mechanical properties. The statistical analysis applies one-way ANOVA to evaluate the significance of variations in yarn characteristics made from the mixture of soft waste + virgin cotton and only virgin cotton. The manufactured yarns were examined in a modern weaving machine as weft yarn for fabric (denim) manufacturing and found to be perfect for normal operation. The article focuses on reducing negative impacts on the fabric (denim) manufacturing environment by incorporating soft waste to produce sustainable yarn. This research provides important insights into the production of sustainable yarns, focusing on environmental concerns. Full article

The use of indigo carmine dye in the textile industry, particularly in denim production, presents a significant sustainability challenge due to the large amounts of wastewater generated by this process, since this fabric is one of the most produced around the world. In order to face challenges like this, effluent treatment using polymeric materials has become an area of intense research. In this study, we developed an eco-friendly hydrogel based on oligoglycerol-malic acid polyester crosslinked with citric acid, which was applied to adsorb indigo carmine. The properties of the hydrogel and its precursors were analyzed using spectroscopic, thermal, and morphologic techniques. The hydrogel demonstrated water uptake capacity up to 187% of its own mass and adsorbed approximately 73% of the dye after 24 h of contact. Tests were conducted in the presence of sodium chloride and indicated that the presence of salt impairs the adsorption process. Additionally, the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were evaluated and demonstrated that the adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating a chemisorption process, and a Langmuir isotherm, consistent with a monolayer adsorption. These results emphasize the potential of this hydrogel for removing dye and its application in textile industry wastewater treatment, aiming to minimize environmental impacts. Full article

Cotton and polyester fiber blends are commonly used to improve the aesthetic features of finished items. The denim industry’s growing need for polyester fiber aids in analyzing the performance of denim fabrics woven from rigid and stretched weft yarn combined with cotton and polyester. This study evaluates the weight, dimensional changes, stiffness, tensile and tearing strength, stretch, and comfort properties of denim fabric woven from cotton and polyester in various blended ratios. Here, Ne 14/1 (42 tex) 100% cotton warp yarn and Ne 18/1 (33 tex) weft yarns, consisting of 100% cotton, 75/25, 50/50, and 25/75 cotton/polyester (CO/PES) blends, as well as 100% polyester, were used to produce 3/1 Z twill denim fabric. The weft yarns were categorized into three groups: rigid, core-spun, and dual-core-spun yarns. Experimental results showed a higher polyester content in weft yarn, and denim fabrics’ tensile and tearing strength was improved, whereas fabrics’ weight loss, dimensional changes, and stretch properties were reduced. Furthermore, different statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the type of weft yarn and blending ratio interaction and correlation with fabric properties. Additionally, a regression model was developed with the weft yarn type and blending ratio as independent variables to predict the fabric properties. Full article

Wood–polymer composites (WPCs) with polypropylene (PP) matrix suffer from low toughness, and fossil-based impact modifiers are used to improve their performance. Material substitution of virgin fossil-based materials and material recycling are key aspects of sustainable development and therefore recycled denim fabric, and elastomer were evaluated to replace the virgin elastomer modifier commonly used in commercial WPCs. Microtomography images showed that the extrusion process fibrillated the denim fabric into long, thin fibers that were well dispersed within the WPC, while the recycled elastomer was found close to the wood fibers, acting as a soft interphase between the wood fibers and PP. The fracture toughness (K_IC) of the WPC with recycled denim fabric matched the commercial WPC which was 1.4 MPa m^1/2 and improved the composite tensile strength by 18% and E-modulus by 54%. Recycled elastomer resulted in slightly lower K_IC, 1.1 MPa m^1/2, as well as strength and modulus while increasing elongation and contributing to toughness. The results of this study showed that recycled materials can potentially be used to replace virgin fossil-based elastomeric modifiers in commercial WPCs, thereby reducing the CO₂ footprint by 23% and contributing to more efficient use of resources. Full article

In this study, a combined multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that integrates the logarithm methodology of additive weights (LMAW) and the double normalization-based multiple aggregation (DNMA) methods has been utilized to determine the optimal fabric structures considering the performance characteristics of denim fabrics containing recycled cotton. This approach focuses on sustainability and performance criteria, applying advanced decision-making methodologies to provide in-depth analysis and guidance for denim fabric selection. In this research, 15 distinct criteria were taken into account. Alternatives were ranked based on outcomes obtained from these methods. Although it was not anticipated that the top-ranked alternatives would simultaneously fulfill the beneficial or non-beneficial orientation of all criteria, an examination of the top three alternatives (A12, A5, and A15) for both garment groups revealed that they indeed aligned with the pre-determined criterion orientation. This highlights the effectiveness of the multi-criteria decision-making approach in the context of this study. Full article

This study explores previous research efforts concerning prediction models related to the textile and polymer industry, especially garment seam strength, emphasizing critical parameters such as stitch density, fabric GSM, thread type, thread count, stitch classes, and seam types. These parameters play a pivotal role in determining the durability and overall quality of denim jeans based on cellulosic polymer. A significant focus is dedicated to the mathematical computational models employed for predicting seam strength in five-pocket denim jeans. Herein, the discussion poses the application of AI for manufacturing industries, especially for textile and clothing sectors, and highlights the importance of using a machine learning prediction model for sewing thread consumption, seam strength analysis, and seam performance analysis. Therefore, the authors suggest the significant importance of the machine learning prediction model, as future trends anticipate advancements in AI-driven methodologies, potentially leading to high-profile predictions and superior manufacturing processes. The authors also describe the limitation of AI and address a comprehensive model of risk outlines of AI in the manufacturing-based industries, especially the garments industry. Put simply, this review serves as a bridge between the realms of AI, mathematics, and textile engineering, providing a clear understanding of how artificial-neural-network-based models will be shaping the future of seam strength prediction in the denim manufacturing landscape. This type of evolution, based on ANN, will support and enhance the accuracy and efficiency of seam strength predictions by allowing models to discern intricate patterns and relationships within vast and diverse datasets. Full article

Body fluid identification plays a crucial role in criminal investigations. Because of their presence in many cases, blood and semen are the most relevant body fluids in forensic sciences. Based on antigen–antibody reactions binding unique proteins for each body fluid, serological assays represent one of the most rapid and highly specific tests for blood and semen. Currently, few studies have assessed the factors affecting body fluid identification by applying these assays. This work aimed to study the effect of different fabrics from clothes and time since deposition on identification through immunochromatographic tests for blood and semen, DNA isolation, and STR profiling from these samples. Body fluids were deposited on black- and white-dyed denim and cotton fabrics, and on leather. Afterward, blood and semen were sampled at 1 day, 30 days, and 90 days after deposition and identified by using the SERATEC^® HemDirect Hemoglobin Test and the PSA Semiquant and SERATEC^® BLOOD CS and SEMEN CS tests, respectively. Laboratory and crime scene tests presented similar performances for the detection of blood and semen stains on every tested fabric. No differences were found on band intensities between timepoints for all fabrics. It was possible to recover and identify blood and semen samples up to three months after deposition and to obtain full STR profiles from all the tested fabrics. Both body fluid STR profiles showed differences in their quality between 1 and 90 days after deposition for all fabrics except for black cotton for semen samples. Future research will expand the results, assessing body fluid identification on other substrates and under different environmental conditions. Full article

Alternative food sources are essential in both low-resource settings and during emergencies like abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios. Seaweed presents a promising option but requires investigation into the viability of unconventionally sourced ropes for harvesting. In this regard, a low-cost reliable method to test the tensile strength of rope is needed to validate alternative materials for use in harvesting seaweed. Commercial rope testing jigs alone range in price from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, so there is interest in developing a lower-cost alternative. Addressing these needs, this article reports on an open-source design for tensile strength rope testing hardware. The hardware design focuses on using readily available parts that can be both sourced from a hardware store and manufactured with simple tools to provide the greatest geographic accessibility. The jig design, which can be fabricated for CAD 20, is two to three orders of magnitude less expensive than commercially available solutions. The jig was built and tested using a case study example investigating denim materials (of 1 5/8”, 3 1/4”, 4 7/8”, 6 1/2”, and 8 1/8” widths) as a potential alternative rope material for seaweed farming. Denim demonstrated strengths of up to 1.65 kN for the widest sample, and the jig demonstrated sufficient strength and stiffness for operations at forces below 4 kN. The results are discussed and areas for future improvements are outlined to adapt the device to other circumstances and increase the strength of materials that can be tested. Full article

In this paper, within the framework of increasing the contributions to sustainable development goals and reducing the water footprint, the sustainable production potential of a factory producing denim fabrics have been studied in association with the sustainable development goals. For this purpose, Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods were used to determine the environmental impact factors of the factory and the existing water footprint. Calculations were made in three different ways, taking the factory’s total production capacity, a selected product, and the wet processes into account. Although the sustainable production potential of the factory is demonstrated with the Sustainable Development Goals, it has been determined that the contribution rates differ according to both the calculation method and the production data taken into account. As a result of the evaluations, it has emerged as a more dominant view that the factory’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals should be evaluated according to the total production capacity. The sustainability evaluation made according to the total production capacity determined that the factory contributed approximately 12% to Sustainable Development Goal 12 in the period examined, according to both Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods. Although there is inconsistency in the Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service method results, it was predicted that there are economic and environmental gain potentials related to Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14, and 15, and the sustainable production potential of the factory can be increased. Full article

A detachable miniaturized three-element spirals radiator button antenna integrated with a compact leaky-wave wearable antenna forming a dual-band three-port antenna is proposed. The leaky-wave antenna is fabricated on a denim (ε_r = 1.6, tan δ = 0.006) textile substrate with dimensions of 0.37 λ₀ × 0.25 λ₀ × 0.01 λ₀ mm³ and a detachable rigid button of 20 mm diameter (on a PTFE substrate ε_r = 2.01, tan δ = 0.001). It augments users’ comfort, making it one of the smallest to date in the literature. The designed antenna, with 3.25 to 3.65 GHz and 5.4 to 5.85 GHz operational bands, covers the wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency (5.1–5.5 GHz), the fifth-generation (5G) communication band. Low mutual coupling between the ports and the button antenna elements ensures high diversity performance. The performance of the specific absorption rate (SAR) and the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) are also examined. The simulation and measurement findings agree well. Low SAR, <−0.05 of LCC, more than 9.5 dBi diversity gain, dual polarization, and strong isolation between every two ports all point to the proposed antenna being an ideal option for use as a MIMO antenna for communications. Full article

This study analyzed what design elements are attractive to consumers of denim fabric products. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the brands and design elements that consumers prefer. Subsequently, the degree to which participating consumers liked the five design elements (traditional, transformative, pattern, multi-material, and decorative designs), fast fashion brands, and luxury brands were used as explanatory variables to determine the consumers’ willingness to pay. A multiple regression analysis was performed on these variables. The results indicated that consumers who preferred traditional and transformative designs showed a positive effect on their willingness to pay for denim fabric products. Therefore, these elements could be attractive design elements that may command a high price point in new product planning proposals. Moreover, depending on the type of brand preferred by consumers, the impact of design elements on their purchase intention of denim fabric products has different consequences. This study analyzes the design elements preferred by consumers and contributes to the creation of design proposals by designers and apparel firms. Full article

Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology combined with orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) is an enabling technology used in WiFi 6/6E (IEEE 802.11ax) to increase the throughput. With the addition of WiFi 6/6E and taking advantage of MIMO and OFDMA, many applications of wearable WiFi can be imagined. For example, WiFi can be used for tracking and fall detection. Wearable devices, such as those used in gaming, vital sign monitoring, and tracking, can also take advantage of wearable MIMO antennas. In this paper, a wearable small dual-band antenna is proposed that can be fabricated on felt or denim substrate. In the proposed antenna, a conductive layer is used as a reflector to improve the gain and reduce the sensitivity of the antenna performance to the body loading effects. The details of the design and its performance in a sample indoor MIMO setting are provided. The MIMO antenna is proposed for WiFi tracking and sensing applications. The performance of the MIMO antenna in an indoor setting is examined. Full article

An empirical method for simplified dimension estimation of patch antennas is proposed in this work based on characteristic mode analysis (CMA). This method involves generating formulae to calculate substrate-independent antenna patch widths produced from the antenna’s characteristic angle. This enables the definition of a relationship between the characteristic angle and the natural resonant frequency of an antenna structure, bridging the changes of resonant frequencies contributed by possible variation in substrate properties. From here, the end ‘calibrated’ results can be used to generate specific formulae for each antenna to determine the width of the patch at different operating frequencies, making it time- and resource-efficient. This method was validated using conventional and slotted antennas designed using different substrates, both rigid (RO4003C, Rogers RT/Duroid 5880) and conventional (felt, denim fabric). Measurement results obtained were in satisfactory agreement with simulated results, even without considering the substrates and excitations. Finally, this method was also applied in designing dual-band antennas using flexible materials for wearable applications, indicating good agreement with experimental results. Full article

Fragments of single textile fibres are one of the most commonly found microtraces at crime scenes. Among them, the widespread blue and black/grey cotton fibres should be recognized. The analytical methods routinely used in fibre examination mainly focus on color assessment and determination of the fibres’ morphological features as well as chemical composition. This publication presents the physicochemical characteristics of blue and black/grey denim fabrics and fibres as well as an overview of the non-destructive and destructive methods used in the discrimination of these fibres. Usually, such fibre microtraces are very difficult to distinguish in forensic examinations due to their widespread abundance, and, thus, their evidential value is not significant. As previous research shows, most denim material samples were colored with indigo dye. However, due to the changing trends in denim production and the fashion market, indigo derivatives may play a more critical role. The literature review shows significant shortcomings in the development of techniques focusing on the analysis of the dyes contained in denim fibres, and this is a research direction worth pursuing. Full article

Body fluid identification at crime scenes can be crucial in retrieving the appropriate evidence that leads to the perpetrator and, in some cases, the victim. For this purpose, immunochromatographic tests are simple, fast and suitable for crime scenes. The potential sample is retrieved with a swab, normally a cotton swab, moistened in a specific buffer. Nonetheless, there are other swab types available, which have been proven to be efficient for DNA isolation and analysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of different swab types for body fluid identification as well as DNA isolation and characterization. Fifty microliters of human saliva were deposited in three different types of fabric (denim, cotton, and polyester). After 24 h at room temperature, samples were recovered by applying three different swab types, and the tests were performed. Subsequently, total DNA was recovered from the sample buffer. Cotton swabs performed worse in denim and cotton fabrics in both immunochromatography tests and DNA yield. No differences were observed for polyester. In contrast, and except for two replicates, it was possible to obtain a full DNA profile per fabric and swab type, and to identify the mtDNA haplogroup. In this paper, the impact of swab types on body fluid identification through the application of immunochromatographic tests is analyzed for the first time. This work corroborates previous research related to the influence of swab types in nuclear DNA isolation and characterization. Full article