Denim dyes in need of “green” makeover

The denim dying process involves
many chemical reactions.
Photo: Worakit Sirijinda

Indigo may be called the “king of dyes”, but the denim dying process is wasteful and may expose workers to potentially harmful fumes and chemicals.

While currently 50,000 tons of indigo are used to color cotton blue jeans and other products, scientists are looking for more environmentally friendly ways to dye denim.

Indigo has been used for centuries and used to be harvested from a bush native to India. Indigo can dye products in a range of hues, from deep navy blue to pale pastels.

Chemists discovered a method to manufacture the dye, which is used all over the world.

However, the dying process produces large amounts of waste and requires chemical reactions before and after the dye impregnates the cotton fibers get a lasting dye job on the fabric.

Now, two companies are working together to try and come up with a greener process to dye denim. They are trying to eliminate the use of sodium hydrosulfite in the process, which also causes water pollution.

An article in the American Chemical Society’s weekly news magazine Chemical & Engineering News describes the efforts.

Source: American Chemical Society

Protect workers from chemical fumes and gases

Whenever chemical reactions are required in a manufacturing process, there is a chance of chemicals and fumes in the ambient air.

Even traces of those chemicals may have an effect on the workers' health and well-being and should be filtered out.

In addition to source control and proper ventilation, an industrial-strength air cleaner with activated carbon and HEPA filters can help remove pollutants from the air.

Electrocorp offers portable and customizable air cleaners for industrial and commercial applications that can help remove airborne chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and mold, among others.

Electrocorp has designed air cleaners for chemical processing plants as well as for effective chemical and odor control.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.
 

Cleanup method for dangerous chemicals in the textile industry

Is it possible to end up with clean water
after the textile dying process?

Clothing and fabrics are often defined by their color and patterns – but the textile dying process is one of the most environmentally hazardous aspects of the textile industry.

During the dying process, harmful chemicals are used and released into the ambient air and the environment, as waste is often disposed of in rivers and on agricultural land.

A new, environmentally friendly purification process developed by Biotechnology doctoral student Maria Jonstrup at Lund University promises a much greener way of getting rid of the chemicals by leaving only clean water at the end.

The research has been tested only at the lab, not at the factory, but "in the long term it should be possible for textile factories in India, China and Bangladesh to use the technique. If it works on a laboratory scale it is quite likely that it will also work in a real-life situation", Jonstrup says in a news release.

The new method combines two types of purification processes, one biological and one chemical.

In the biological step, microorganism break down the dyes in a reactor and the chemical step involves the use of small amounts of iron and hydrogen peroxide in combination with UV light.

The research will next be tested in larger volumes of water to reflect industry conditions, and researchers will try to use sunlight instead of UV.

Source: Lund University news release

Capture airborne chemicals and other toxins in industrial applications

Electrocorp has designed versatile industrial air cleaners that combine the most efficient filtration technologies to remove airborne chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, particles, pathogens and other contaminants.

The air cleaners are equipped with deep-bed carbon filters, the most effective filtration media to adsorb gaseous pollutants, HEPA and particle filters for particulate matter and other options such as UV germicidal filtration to neutralize bacteria, viruses and molds.

The air cleaners come in many different styles, sizes, filter combinations and customizable forms. They can be used as stand-alone air treatment systems, hung up on the ceiling or on the wall or attached to existing HVAC systems.

Speak to an Electrocorp representative about industry-specific solutions and recommendations based on your needs and requirements.