Earlier Projects

The Use of (Bio) Catalysts and Ultrasound in the pretreatment of cotton: Application on industrial scale as sustainable process.

(G.H.Bouwhuis and M.M.C.G.Warmoeskerken)

Last decades researchers proved the principle of the use of biocatalysts, bleach catalysts and ultrasound in the pretreatment of cotton. The desizing step in the pretreatment of cotton is generally accepted many decades ago. Cotton scouring is still done with high amounts of sodium hydroxide and high consumption of water and energy. Among other researchers we have, in our labaratories, demonstrated that the use of cutinase and pectinase for (bio) scouring cotton realizes a sufficient hydrophility for the following (bleaching) process. The combined use of pectinase and cutinase can be boosted by ultrasound. This is what we call process intensification. Recent research showed that it is possible to bleach cotton at low temperature using the MnTACN catalyst (manganese complex with triazacyclononane ligands). Based on these findings and expectations it is believed that reduction of water and energy can be realized by using these recently developed technologies.

The challenge is to describe the new pretreatment process in terms of installed base, water and energy consumption, process speed and effect of the treatment on the cloth and compare and graduate these findings with the conventional pretreatment processes. To realize a fast adaptation by the textile industry the process to be developed must run on present installed base with only minor adjustments. It has to be ascertained that the new process has economical and qualitative advantages and that it is possible to improve textile processing by using modern technology and contribute to the environmental need to reduce waste water production. Beside the technological aspects of the process we are also developing business models and business cases to show the financial attractiveness of the new process.

Digitex
(P.B. Agrawal and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

Digitex is a joint research and innovation initiative of the European textile and clothing industry which will attempt to develop and implement new ways of optimal fabric preparation for clothing production. The plan aims to insert into the world market a technology breakthrough based on a novel ECO-friendly flexible digital process aiming at micro-disposing on demand small quantities of multi-functional fluids over textile substrates by mean of a multi-nozzle jetting heads technology in a continuous process at atmospheric conditions and room temperature in order to replace the wet and high temperature conventional process. Digital microdisposal has the ability to accurately localize and pattern functionalities in multilayer textile substrates integrating advanced thermo and hydro regulation, sensorics, actuating and controlled release functionalities, based on nano-technology and multifunctional materials. Digital microdisposal of fluids will alter textile economics in terms of production speeds and on demand production. It unleashes the transformation of the textile sector to a knowledge intensive industry that can differentiate by adding value to the users of protective equipment. It has a broad social impact in terms of increased safety in hazardous environments with more attention for needs of specific users (gender) and non-toxicity, leading to a drastic reduction of environmental pollutions in functionalization process. Research at the Univ. of Twente focusses on the development of slow- and controlled release systems.

The application of Ultrasound in textile process

(M.M.C.G Warmeoskerken and P.H. de Mol van Otterloo)

One of the main problems in wet textile processes is formed by the relatively slow transport processes in the porous structure of the textile substrate. Due to the complex geometry of textile materials these processes are mainly diffusion controlled. It is believed that ultrasonic waves can enhance these processes. The current project is aimed at understanding the mechanisms of ultrasound waves and their effect on the enhancement of the transport processes by inducing convective diffusion in the pores of textile materials. The mechanism of ultrasound waves is being investigated in terms of acoustic cavitation phenomena and acoustic streaming. The theoretical analysis is supported by model experiments.

Catalytic bleach processes
(T. Topalovic, V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

The goal of this project is to focus on the potentials of different innovative oxidative catalysts, redox-mediator systems and enzymes for the industrial bleaching of cotton fabrics. Environmentally friendly processes on the basis of oxidative catalysts can accomplish low temperatures (e.g. 40°C) and short residence time and therefore result in a dramatic decrease in energy consumption with significant reduction of chemicals and water compared to the conventional process. Our primary aim within this project is to delineate mechanisms, and in particular the factors governing reactivity and catalysis. For that the project extends the investigation by examining the reaction mechanisms of the catalytic hydrogen peroxide oxidation of cotton pigments and model compounds in a homogeneous model system. Model compounds, mostly polyphenolic compounds, should be well characterised and chosen in the way to adopt the structural motifs of pigments giving the colour to the cotton fibre. Using advanced analytical techniques this approach allows us to study reaction kinetics and analyse the nature of active bleaching species, reaction intermediates and products. Like this, by excluding transport phenomena and with the assumption that the mechanism of oxidation of pigments that are present in cotton fibre is similar to that in a homogeneous system, it is possible to provide direct information about kinetics and reaction mechanisms at molecular level and a comparison of structure-reactivity towards catalytic oxidation relationships of a series of polyphenolic substrates.

Enzymatic improvement of the properties of recycled paper fibres
(V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

There is a continuous demand to increase the percentage of recycled fibres in the recycled-paper process. The main obstacles are a loss of fibre properties, a reduced drainage rate on the paper machine and a high amount of fines. The markets as well as requirements for environmentally friendly production is forcing pulp and paper producers to continuously look for more selective processes. Enzyme technology seems to be the method of choice. The aim of this project is to improve the properties of recycled-paper fibres using enzymes. Properly applied, enzymes (and specifically cellulases) can enhance or restore paper strength, reduce beating times and increase inter-fibre bonding through fibrillation. In order to study the mechanism and the kinetics of the reaction and the main parameters that are affecting the cellulase performance a model substrate has been selected. In order to decide if the enzymatic treatment is effective or not the standard properties of fibres will be tested. A systematic analysis will determine which parameters are key in the papermaking process.

Mechanisms and kinetics of textile wetting
(V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

The general aim is to generate new knowledge and to develop technologies to create materials with unique surface properties and functionalities. Surface properties of engineered surfaces are affected by chemical composition, surface topography and the combination of the two. Functionality of textile materials depend on the dynamic behaviour of liquids at the surface. Textiles with advanced wetting properties can be based on nanoscale surface structures and (physisco-chemical) functionalities found in nature. The desired functionality of the material will be related to material properties, surface characteristics and processing. Models and methodologies will be developed to establish the interrelationships.

Hydrodynamics in textile materials
(M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

In all wet textile processes, the flow through the porous material is the key phenomenon. Despite of that little is known about flow phenomena in textiles. This project is aimed at gaining more and better knowledge of the hydrodynamics in porous textile structures. The textile material has been characterised in terms of a bi-porous medium. A theory based on a combination of Darcy flow and orifice models has been developed and validated by model experiments. This work has been resulted in a PhD-thesis. The work will be continued with emphasis on LDA and the application of numerical techniques like CFD and lattice Boltzman.

Enzymatic modification of synthetic materials
(V.A. Nierstrasz, P.B. Agrawal and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken)

The potential of enzymes like cutinases have been evaluated for surface modification of the persistent synthetic polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate), the most important synthetic fiber in the textile industry. The aim of the surface modification is to improve the hydrophilicity of the polymer and to facilitate functionalsation, and not to change the bulk properties. The most conventional, and industrially most common, way of rendering polyester hydrophilic is an alkali treatment, thus hydrolyzing the polyester bonds. Although hydrophilicity is achieved, the favorable bulk properties of polyester, particularly the strength, are also affected. Furthermore, the high amount of NaOH and the high operating temperatures necessary are a disadvantage. An environmentally more benign process is therefore desirable.

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Home Staff Research Foundation for Engineering of Fibrous Smart Materials Publications Press Search	Earlier Projects The Use of (Bio) Catalysts and Ultrasound in the pretreatment of cotton: Application on industrial scale as sustainable process. (G.H.Bouwhuis and M.M.C.G.Warmoeskerken) Last decades researchers proved the principle of the use of biocatalysts, bleach catalysts and ultrasound in the pretreatment of cotton. The desizing step in the pretreatment of cotton is generally accepted many decades ago. Cotton scouring is still done with high amounts of sodium hydroxide and high consumption of water and energy. Among other researchers we have, in our labaratories, demonstrated that the use of cutinase and pectinase for (bio) scouring cotton realizes a sufficient hydrophility for the following (bleaching) process. The combined use of pectinase and cutinase can be boosted by ultrasound. This is what we call process intensification. Recent research showed that it is possible to bleach cotton at low temperature using the MnTACN catalyst (manganese complex with triazacyclononane ligands). Based on these findings and expectations it is believed that reduction of water and energy can be realized by using these recently developed technologies. The challenge is to describe the new pretreatment process in terms of installed base, water and energy consumption, process speed and effect of the treatment on the cloth and compare and graduate these findings with the conventional pretreatment processes. To realize a fast adaptation by the textile industry the process to be developed must run on present installed base with only minor adjustments. It has to be ascertained that the new process has economical and qualitative advantages and that it is possible to improve textile processing by using modern technology and contribute to the environmental need to reduce waste water production. Beside the technological aspects of the process we are also developing business models and business cases to show the financial attractiveness of the new process. Digitex (P.B. Agrawal and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) Digitex is a joint research and innovation initiative of the European textile and clothing industry which will attempt to develop and implement new ways of optimal fabric preparation for clothing production. The plan aims to insert into the world market a technology breakthrough based on a novel ECO-friendly flexible digital process aiming at micro-disposing on demand small quantities of multi-functional fluids over textile substrates by mean of a multi-nozzle jetting heads technology in a continuous process at atmospheric conditions and room temperature in order to replace the wet and high temperature conventional process. Digital microdisposal has the ability to accurately localize and pattern functionalities in multilayer textile substrates integrating advanced thermo and hydro regulation, sensorics, actuating and controlled release functionalities, based on nano-technology and multifunctional materials. Digital microdisposal of fluids will alter textile economics in terms of production speeds and on demand production. It unleashes the transformation of the textile sector to a knowledge intensive industry that can differentiate by adding value to the users of protective equipment. It has a broad social impact in terms of increased safety in hazardous environments with more attention for needs of specific users (gender) and non-toxicity, leading to a drastic reduction of environmental pollutions in functionalization process. Research at the Univ. of Twente focusses on the development of slow- and controlled release systems. The application of Ultrasound in textile process (M.M.C.G Warmeoskerken and P.H. de Mol van Otterloo) One of the main problems in wet textile processes is formed by the relatively slow transport processes in the porous structure of the textile substrate. Due to the complex geometry of textile materials these processes are mainly diffusion controlled. It is believed that ultrasonic waves can enhance these processes. The current project is aimed at understanding the mechanisms of ultrasound waves and their effect on the enhancement of the transport processes by inducing convective diffusion in the pores of textile materials. The mechanism of ultrasound waves is being investigated in terms of acoustic cavitation phenomena and acoustic streaming. The theoretical analysis is supported by model experiments. Catalytic bleach processes (T. Topalovic, V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) The goal of this project is to focus on the potentials of different innovative oxidative catalysts, redox-mediator systems and enzymes for the industrial bleaching of cotton fabrics. Environmentally friendly processes on the basis of oxidative catalysts can accomplish low temperatures (e.g. 40°C) and short residence time and therefore result in a dramatic decrease in energy consumption with significant reduction of chemicals and water compared to the conventional process. Our primary aim within this project is to delineate mechanisms, and in particular the factors governing reactivity and catalysis. For that the project extends the investigation by examining the reaction mechanisms of the catalytic hydrogen peroxide oxidation of cotton pigments and model compounds in a homogeneous model system. Model compounds, mostly polyphenolic compounds, should be well characterised and chosen in the way to adopt the structural motifs of pigments giving the colour to the cotton fibre. Using advanced analytical techniques this approach allows us to study reaction kinetics and analyse the nature of active bleaching species, reaction intermediates and products. Like this, by excluding transport phenomena and with the assumption that the mechanism of oxidation of pigments that are present in cotton fibre is similar to that in a homogeneous system, it is possible to provide direct information about kinetics and reaction mechanisms at molecular level and a comparison of structure-reactivity towards catalytic oxidation relationships of a series of polyphenolic substrates. Enzymatic improvement of the properties of recycled paper fibres (V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) There is a continuous demand to increase the percentage of recycled fibres in the recycled-paper process. The main obstacles are a loss of fibre properties, a reduced drainage rate on the paper machine and a high amount of fines. The markets as well as requirements for environmentally friendly production is forcing pulp and paper producers to continuously look for more selective processes. Enzyme technology seems to be the method of choice. The aim of this project is to improve the properties of recycled-paper fibres using enzymes. Properly applied, enzymes (and specifically cellulases) can enhance or restore paper strength, reduce beating times and increase inter-fibre bonding through fibrillation. In order to study the mechanism and the kinetics of the reaction and the main parameters that are affecting the cellulase performance a model substrate has been selected. In order to decide if the enzymatic treatment is effective or not the standard properties of fibres will be tested. A systematic analysis will determine which parameters are key in the papermaking process. Mechanisms and kinetics of textile wetting (V.A. Nierstrasz and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) The general aim is to generate new knowledge and to develop technologies to create materials with unique surface properties and functionalities. Surface properties of engineered surfaces are affected by chemical composition, surface topography and the combination of the two. Functionality of textile materials depend on the dynamic behaviour of liquids at the surface. Textiles with advanced wetting properties can be based on nanoscale surface structures and (physisco-chemical) functionalities found in nature. The desired functionality of the material will be related to material properties, surface characteristics and processing. Models and methodologies will be developed to establish the interrelationships. Hydrodynamics in textile materials (M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) In all wet textile processes, the flow through the porous material is the key phenomenon. Despite of that little is known about flow phenomena in textiles. This project is aimed at gaining more and better knowledge of the hydrodynamics in porous textile structures. The textile material has been characterised in terms of a bi-porous medium. A theory based on a combination of Darcy flow and orifice models has been developed and validated by model experiments. This work has been resulted in a PhD-thesis. The work will be continued with emphasis on LDA and the application of numerical techniques like CFD and lattice Boltzman. Enzymatic modification of synthetic materials (V.A. Nierstrasz, P.B. Agrawal and M.M.C.G. Warmoeskerken) The potential of enzymes like cutinases have been evaluated for surface modification of the persistent synthetic polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate), the most important synthetic fiber in the textile industry. The aim of the surface modification is to improve the hydrophilicity of the polymer and to facilitate functionalsation, and not to change the bulk properties. The most conventional, and industrially most common, way of rendering polyester hydrophilic is an alkali treatment, thus hydrolyzing the polyester bonds. Although hydrophilicity is achieved, the favorable bulk properties of polyester, particularly the strength, are also affected. Furthermore, the high amount of NaOH and the high operating temperatures necessary are a disadvantage. An environmentally more benign process is therefore desirable.