Search Results (1,469)

The textile industry’s reliance on synthetic dyes contributes significantly to pollution, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives like biopigments. This study investigates the production and application of the biopigment prodigiosin, which was produced by Pseudomonas putida with a yield of 1.85 g/L. Prodigiosin was prepared under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions, resulting in varying protonation states that influenced its affinity for cotton and polyester fibers. Three surfactants (anionic, cationic, non-ionic) were tested, with non-ionic Tween 80 yielding a promising color strength (above 4) and fastness results with neutral prodigiosin at 1.3 g/L. Cotton and polyester demonstrated good washing (color difference up to 14 for cotton, 5 for polyester) and light fastness (up to 15 for cotton, 16 for polyester). Cellulose acetate, used in the conventional printing process as a thickener, produced superior color properties compared to commercial thickeners. Neutral prodigiosin achieved higher color strength, and cotton fabrics displayed halochromic properties, distinguishing them from polyester, which showed excellent fastness. Prodigiosin-printed samples also exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and retained halochromic properties over 10 pH cycles. These findings suggest prodigiosin as a sustainable dye alternative and pH sensor, with potential applications in biomedical materials, such as antimicrobial and pH-responsive wound dressings. Full article

Rising volumes of textile waste necessitate the development of more efficient recycling systems, with a primary focus on the optimization of sorting technologies. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a state-of-the-art method for fiber identification; however, its accuracy in quantifying textile blends, particularly common polyester/cotton blend textiles, still requires refinement. This study explores the potential and limitations of NIR spectroscopy for quantifying cotton content in post-consumer textiles. A lab-scale NIR sorter and a handheld NIR spectrometer in complementary wavelength ranges were applied to a diverse range of post-consumer textile samples to test model accuracies. Results show that the commonly assumed 10% accuracy threshold in industrial sorting can be exceeded, especially when excluding textiles with <35% cotton content. Identifying and excluding the range of non-linearity significantly improved the model’s performance. The final models achieved an RMSEP of 6.6% and bias of −0.9% for the NIR sorter and an RMSEP of 3.1% and bias of −0.6% for the handheld NIR spectrometer. This study also assessed how textile characteristics—such as color, structure, product type, and alkaline treatment—affect spectral behavior and model accuracy, highlighting their importance for refining quantification when high-purity inputs are needed. By identifying current limitations and potential sources of errors, this study provides a foundation for improving NIR-based models. Full article

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a highly pure biopolymer with promising applications in the biomedical, food, and textile industries. However, the high production costs and low yields obtained in static conditions limit its scalability and industrial applications. This study addresses the sustainable production of BNC using a rotary disk bioreactor (RDB) and explores the use of grape pomace extract as an alternative carbon source for BNC production. Parameters such as the BNC production and biomass yield were evaluated using Komagataeibacter xylinus ATCC 53524 under different operational conditions (disk surface, rotation speed, and number of disks). The results showed that cellulose production increased using silicone-coated disks at 7–9 rpm (up to 2.72 g L⁻¹), while higher yields (5.23 g L⁻¹) were achieved when using grape pomace extract as the culture medium in comparison with conventional HS medium. FTIR and TGA characterizations confirmed that BNC obtained with grape pomace extract presents the same thermal and chemical characteristics than BNC produced with HS medium. This work provides insight into the feasibility of upscaling BNC production using a bioprocessing strategy, combining production in the RDB system and the use of an agro-industrial waste as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. Full article

Moringa oleifera (MO), a nutritionally and pharmacologically potent species, is emerging as a sustainable candidate for applications across bioenergy, agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and biomedicine. This review explores recent advances in MO-based biotechnologies, highlighting novel extraction methods, green nanotechnology, and clinical trial findings. Although MO’s resilience offers promise for climate-smart agriculture and public health, challenges remain in standardizing cultivation and verifying therapeutic claims. This work underscores MO’s translational potential and the need for integrative, interdisciplinary research. MO is used in advanced materials, like electrospun fibers and biopolymers, showing filtration, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties—important for the biomedical industry and environmental remediation. In textiles, it serves as an eco-friendly alternative for wastewater treatment and yarn sizing. Biotechnological advancements, such as genome sequencing and in vitro culture, enhance traits and metabolite production. MO supports green biotechnology through sustainable agriculture, nanomaterials, and biocomposites. MO shows potential for disease management, immune support, metabolic health, and dental care, but requires further clinical trials for validation. Its resilience is suitable for land restoration and food security in arid areas. AI and deep learning enhance Moringa breeding, allowing for faster, cost-effective development of improved varieties. MO’s diverse applications establish it as a key element for sustainable development in arid regions. Full article

This work analyzes the performance of a photoreactor built with UV-LED technology. For this task, a UV-LED wavelength of 365 nm was used as an irradiation source, and it was electrically and spectrally characterized to ensure correct operation. To evaluate the functionality, the photoreactor was tested on the degradation of Rhodamine B (Rh B), a dye commonly used in the textile industry. The experiment was conducted under optimal conditions, using a concentration of 17 ppm of Rh B and 100 mg of zinc oxide (ZnO) as a photocatalyst in a glass reactor. The mixture was continuously stirred for 120 min, achieving 99.42% efficiency. The results showed that the UV-LED photoreactor performs well in activating ZnO for the removal of Rh B from the solution, highlighting its potential for treating textile industry wastewater. The use of LEDs offers advantages such as energy efficiency and lower environmental impact compared to traditional UV lamps. ZnO, known for its reactivity under UV light, acted as a stable photocatalyst, ensuring complete degradation of the dye without producing harmful by-products. This method provides an efficient approach to dye removal in wastewater treatment, promoting cleaner and more sustainable industrial practices. Full article

The escalating global demand for fresh water, driven by urbanization and industrial growth, underscores the need for sustainable water management, particularly in the water-intensive construction sector. Although prior studies have primarily concentrated on treated wastewater, the practical viability of utilizing untreated wastewater has not been thoroughly investigated—especially in developing nations where treatment expenses frequently impede actual implementation, even for non-structural uses. While prior research has focused on treated wastewater, the potential of untreated or partially treated wastewater from diverse industrial sources remains underexplored. This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating wastewater from textile, sugar mill, service station, sewage, and fertilizer industries into concrete paver block production. The novelty lies in a dual approach, combining experimental analysis with XGBoost-based machine learning (ML) models to predict the impact of key physicochemical parameters—such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Hardness—on mechanical properties like compressive strength (CS), water absorption (WA), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and dynamic modulus of elasticity (DME). The ML models showed high predictive accuracy for CS (R² = 0.92) and UPV (R² = 0.97 direct, 0.99 indirect), aligning closely with experimental data. Notably, concrete pavers produced with textile (CP-TXW) and sugar mill wastewater (CP-SUW) attained 28-day compressive strengths of 47.95 MPa and exceeding 48 MPa, respectively, conforming to ASTM C936 standards and demonstrating the potential to substitute fresh water for non-structural applications. These findings demonstrate the viability of using untreated wastewater in concrete production with minimal treatment, offering a cost-effective, sustainable solution that reduces fresh water dependency while supporting environmentally responsible construction practices aligned with SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Additionally, the model serves as a practical screening tool for identifying and prioritizing viable wastewater sources in concrete production, complementing mandatory laboratory testing in industrial applications. Full article

Xylanase is an essential industrial enzyme for degrading plant biomass, pulp and paper, textiles, bio-scouring, food, animal feed, biorefinery, chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries. Despite its significant industrial importance, the extensive application of xylanase is hampered by high production costs and concerns regarding the safety of xylanase-producing microorganisms. The utilisation of renewable polymers for enzyme production is becoming a cost-effective alternative. Among the prospective candidates, non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are promising for safe and eco-friendly applications. Our investigation revealed that Pediococcus pentosaceus G4, isolated from plant sources, is a notable producer of extracellular xylanase. Improving the production of extracellular xylanase is crucial for viable industrial applications. Therefore, the current study investigated the impact of various medium components and optimised the selected medium composition for extracellular xylanase production of P. pentosaceus G4 using Plackett–Burman Design (PBD) and Central Composite Design (CCD) statistical approaches. According to BPD analysis, 8 out of the 19 investigated factors (glucose, almond shell, peanut shell, walnut shell, malt extract, xylan, urea, and magnesium sulphate) demonstrated significant positive effects on extracellular xylanase production of P. pentosaceus G4. Among them, glucose, almond shells, peanut shells, urea, and magnesium sulphate were identified as the main medium components that significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the production of extracellular xylanase of P. pentosaceus G4. The optimal concentrations of glucose, almond shells, peanut shells, urea, and magnesium sulphate, as determined via CCD, were 26.87 g/L, 16 g/L, 30 g/L, 2.85 g/L, and 0.10 g/L, respectively. The optimised concentrations resulted in extracellular xylanase activity of 2.765 U/mg, which was similar to the predicted extracellular xylanase activity of 2.737 U/mg. The CCD-optimised medium yielded a 3.13-fold enhancement in specific extracellular xylanase activity and a 7.99-fold decrease in production costs compared to the commercial de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium, implying that the CCD-optimised medium is a cost-effective medium for extracellular xylanase production of P. pentosaceus G4. Moreover, this study demonstrated a positive correlation between extracellular xylanase production, growth, lactic acid production and the amount of sugar utilised, implying the multifaceted interactions of the physiological variables affecting extracellular xylanase production in P. pentosaceus G4. In conclusion, statistical methods are effective in rapidly assessing and optimising the medium composition to enhance extracellular xylanase production of P. pentosaceus G4. Furthermore, the findings of this study highlighted the potential of using LAB as a cost-effective producer of extracellular xylanase enzymes using optimised renewable polymers, offering insights into the future use of LAB in producing hemicellulolytic enzymes. Full article

Phase-change microcapsules offer significant advantages for thermal energy storage and regulation. However, conventional mechanical agitation fabrication methods encounter difficulties in achieving monodispersity, precise size control, and structural uniformity. Droplet microfluidics emerges as a promising alternative, enabling controllable production of microcapsules with tunable sizes (1–1000 μm), programmable core–shell configurations, and high encapsulation efficiency. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in microfluidic strategies for phase-change microcapsules fabricating, including single encapsulation, multi-core encapsulation, and high-throughput parallelization and their applications in solar energy storage, building thermal regulation, electronics cooling, and smart textiles. The review highlights key challenges for future advancement which will unlock the full potential of microfluidics-engineered phase-change microcapsules in next-generation thermal energy technologies. Full article

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of deacidifying treatments for the restoration of textiles used as supports for works of art, with particular attention to the chemical stability, colour variation and mechanical resistance of the materials over time. The present study involved the analysis of two products: Bookkeeper^TM, containing magnesium oxide, and Nanorestore^TM, a dispersion of calcium hydroxide in alcoholic solutions of ethanol and 2-propanol. The products were applied to a series of tests on cotton, linen and jute fabrics. The experimental approach comprised an artificial degradation process of the fabrics, followed by the application of the treatments and an accelerated ageing cycle. A series of parameters were monitored throughout the experiment, encompassing surface pH, chromatic shifts ascertained through colorimetric measurements and the morphological transformations of the fabrics, as elucidated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). The findings yielded from this study have enabled the delineation of the behaviour exhibited by the treated materials over an extended timeframe. This underscores the significance of a judicious selection of treatments, contingent upon the particular chemical and physical attributes inherent to the fabrics in question. Full article

Annually, more than 10,000 synthetic dyes are produced worldwide, generating around 280,000 tons of waste, posing risks to human and aquatic life, and potentially creating even more toxic products than the dyes themselves. This study aims to immobilize organic dyes, forming hybrid pigments using ZnO as support obtained through starch combustion. ZnO was obtained by starch (sago) combustion and characterized by XRD, SEM and the BET method. It was then used for the adsorption of orange and green textile dyes, evaluating the adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, contact time, and selectivity with copper ions. The removal studies indicated up to 100% removal of both dyes at low concentrations. The co-adsorption system showed excellent performance, with removal percentages exceeding 90% for both textile dyes and Cu (II) ions. Hybrid pigments were assessed for solvent resistance and durability under extended white light exposure. ZnO immobilized the dyes, showing resistance to organic solvents and good stability under prolonged white light exposure. Full article

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a widely available agro-industrial residue rich in carbon and phenolic compounds, presenting significant potential for biotechnological valorization. This study evaluated the use of SCG as a suitable substrate for fungal laccase production and the application of the resulting fermented biomass (RFB), a mixture of fermented SCG and fungal biomass as a biosorbent for textile dye removal. Two fungal strains, namely Lentinus crinitus UCP 1206 and Trametes sp. UCP 1244, were evaluated in both submerged (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) using SCG. L. crinitus showed superior performance in SSF, reaching 14.62 U/g of laccase activity. Factorial design revealed that a lower SCG amount (5 g) and higher moisture (80%) and temperature (30 °C ± 0.2) favored enzyme production. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses confirmed significant structural degradation of SCG after fermentation, especially in SSF. Furthermore, SCG and RFB were chemically activated and evaluated as biosorbents. The activated carbon from SCG (ACSCG) and RFB (ACRFB) exhibited high removal efficiencies for Remazol dyes, comparable to commercial activated carbon. These findings highlight the potential of SCG as a low-cost, sustainable resource for enzyme production and wastewater treatment, contributing to circular bioeconomy strategies. Full article

Polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6) fabrics are widely used in textiles due to their high mechanical strength and chemical stability. However, their inherent flammability and melting behavior under fire pose significant safety challenges. In this study, a dual-layer flame-retardant system was developed by integrating atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO with a phosphorus–silane-based flame retardant (DOPO-ETES). ALD allowed precise control of ZnO layer thickness (50, 84, and 199 nm), ensuring uniform coating. Thermal analysis (TGA) and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) revealed that ZnO altered the degradation pathway of PA6,6 through catalytic effects, promoting char formation and reducing heat release. The combination of ZnO and DOPO-ETES resulted in further reductions in heat release rates. However, direct flame tests showed that self-extinguishing behavior was not achieved, emphasizing the limitations related to the melting of PA6,6. TG-IR and cone calorimetry confirmed that ZnO coatings suppressed the release of smoke-related volatiles and incomplete combustion products. These findings highlight the potential of combining metal-based catalytic flame retardants like ZnO with phosphorus-based coatings to improve flame retardancy while addressing the specific challenges of polyamide textiles. This approach may also be adapted to other fabric types and integrated with additional flame retardants, broadening its relevance for textile applications. Full article

This research presents a methodically consistent creative act related to the digitization of planar pictorial images. After the transformation based on the modular grids, completely new images are created—different from their original source. The successful solutions found in this way are applicable to various areas of graphic and product design. Multiple experiments were conducted in a digital environment on the same image applied to different material carriers in relation to the function of the product—different types of textiles and paper. To more accurately describe the experiments, three-dimensional realistic shapes from different materials have been created, onto which the modular designs have been applied. The report provides a methodical modular principle of thinking and action, justified by the applied results of the set experiment. The experiment was conducted and directly implemented under a scientific research project for an R&DS (The Research and Development Sector) project (Agrmt. 241XTД0006-06) at the Technical University, Sofia. The study involved three students from the Engineering Design Department, as well as the authors of this article—all supporters of the creative principle. Full article

In 1906, Charles T. Currelly participated in excavations at Deir el-Bahri, Egypt, recovering votive offerings from the Temple of Hathor (Dynasty XVIII, reign of Hatshepsut, 1479–1458 BCE). These objects became part of the founding collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, where Currelly served as the first director. Among the offerings are several paintings on linen cloth. During examination of one painted textile, a border fringe with cream (suspected undyed), yellow and blue looped threads was sampled and analysed for dyes using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The yellow threads were found to contain a tannin-rich dyestuff, likely derived from Rhus spp., a common dye in ancient Egypt. Unexpectedly, the blue threads yielded brominated-indigoid marker compounds, indicating the use of a Murex-derived dye. While purple shellfish dye is rare due to the high cost of its complex production, blue shellfish dye is even more exceptional and has only been identified a handful of times on archaeological textiles. Calculated values of di-brominated to mono-brominated indigoid compounds suggests the dye originated from an indigotin-rich type of Hexaplex trunculus snail, a Mediterranean species. This finding represents a rare example of blue shellfish dye use in ancient Egypt and provides new insights into the dyeing technologies of Dynasty XVIII and the importance of this sky-blue colour in the worship of the goddess Hathor. Full article

Background: This study presents an innovative approach to developing bioactive natural fabrics for healthcare and medical applications. Methods: An ethanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. (in further text: OE), exhibiting exceptional antioxidant (100%) and antibacterial activity (>99% against E.coli and S.aureus), was employed to biofunctionalize cotton, wool, and silk fabrics. Results: All biofunctionalized fabrics demonstrated strong antioxidant activity (>99%), while antibacterial efficacy varied by fabric: cotton > 54%, wool > 99%, and silk > 89%. OE-biofunctionalized wool possessed the highest release of OE’s bioactive compounds, followed by silk and cotton, indicating substrate-dependent release behavior. This tunable fabrics’ OE release profile, along with their unique bioactivity, supports targeted applications: OE-functionalized silk for luxury or prolonged therapeutic use (skin-care textiles, post-surgical dressings, anti-aging products), cotton for disposable or short-term use (protective wipes, minor wound coverings), and wool for wound dressings. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of OE-biofunctionalized wool were evaluated via in vitro assays using healthy human keratinocytes and in vivo testing in Wistar albino male rats. The obtained results revealed that OE-functionalized wool significantly accelerated wound closure (97.8% by day 14), enhanced collagen synthesis (6.92 µg/mg hydroxyproline), and improved tissue and systemic antioxidant defense while reducing oxidative stress markers in skin and blood samples of rats treated with OE-biofunctionalized wool. Conclusions: OE-biofunctionalized wool demonstrates strong potential as an advanced natural solution for managing chronic wounds. Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm its performance in real-world healthcare settings. This work introduces an entirely new application of OE in textile biofunctionalization, offering alternatives for healthcare and medical textiles. Full article