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05.01.2024

Research to reduce shed of microplastics during laundering

A collaboration between Deakin University researchers and Australia’s largest commercial linen supplier Simba Global is tackling a critical global issue, the spread of harmful microplastics through our laundry.

Clothing and textiles are estimated to generate up to 35 per cent of the microplastics found in the world’s oceans, making them one of the biggest contributors. But there is still a lot to be learnt about the characteristics of these microplastics and exactly how and why they are generated.

Researchers at the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres in Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) have teamed up with Simba Global, a global textile manufacturing and supply company, to better understand the extent and type of microplastics shed when their products are laundered. Simba Global wants to lead the charge to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.

Lead scientist IFM Associate Professor Maryam Naebe said working with an industry partner on the scale of Simba Global meant the research could have a huge real-world impact.

A collaboration between Deakin University researchers and Australia’s largest commercial linen supplier Simba Global is tackling a critical global issue, the spread of harmful microplastics through our laundry.

Clothing and textiles are estimated to generate up to 35 per cent of the microplastics found in the world’s oceans, making them one of the biggest contributors. But there is still a lot to be learnt about the characteristics of these microplastics and exactly how and why they are generated.

Researchers at the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres in Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) have teamed up with Simba Global, a global textile manufacturing and supply company, to better understand the extent and type of microplastics shed when their products are laundered. Simba Global wants to lead the charge to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.

Lead scientist IFM Associate Professor Maryam Naebe said working with an industry partner on the scale of Simba Global meant the research could have a huge real-world impact.

Simba Global is the major linen supplier to Australia’s hospitals, hotels and mining camps, resulting in 950,000 tonnes of textile products – including bedsheets, bath towels, scrubs and much more – going through the commercial laundering process each year. It also supplies international markets in New Zealand, Singapore and the US.

“As part of our research, we will investigate potential solutions including the pre-treatment of textiles to reduce the shedding of microplastics, or even increasing the size of the plastics that break down so they can be better captured and removed by filtration during the laundering process,” Associate Professor Naebe said.

“Microplastics are now ubiquitous in the environment, they’re in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the earth we walk on. The magnitude of the problem is bigger than previously thought.

“Of serious concern is the mounting evidence that microplastics are having a negative impact on human and animal health. There are not just physical, but chemical and biological impacts.”

Associate Professor Naebe’s team have taken the first steps in the project, analysing wastewater samples from commercial laundries with high-powered electron microscopes in their Geelong laboratory, part of the largest fibres and textiles research facility in Australia.

The team recently presented a new scientific paper at the Association of Universities for Textiles (AUTEX) Conference 2023, which started the important process of formally categorising these types of microplastics, as well as developing standard terminology and testing methods.

“Because our understanding of microplastics is still in its infancy, we needed to start right at the beginning,” Associate Professor Naebe said.

“We need to have a standard definition of what is a microplastic. Up to this point that has been lacking, which makes it difficult to compare and incorporate other studies in this area.

“We are now developing a systematic method for sampling and identifying microplastics in laundry wastewater. It has been tricky to measure the different sizes, but this is important information to have. For example, there are studies that suggest some sizes of microplastics are causing more issues in certain animals.

“The next step will be establishing an essential method to prevent the release of microplastics from textile laundering. This may involve a coating on the surface of the textile or better ways to collect the waste during the washing process.”

Simba Global Executive Chair Hiten Somaia said the company had a strong focus on sustainability, driven by the business’ purpose statement.

“We are proud to partner with Deakin University in what is the first significant research into textile microplastic pollution in Australia. What we are most excited about is sharing the results of this research with all other textile markets in Australia – including clothing – and putting an end to microplastic pollution from textiles.”

Quelle:

Deakin University

IFM researchers Research Fellow Frank Chen, Research Fellow Marzieh Parhizkar, Research Engineer Amol Patil and Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti. Photo Deakin University
IFM researchers Research Fellow Frank Chen, Research Fellow Marzieh Parhizkar, Research Engineer Amol Patil and Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti.
20.09.2023

Deakin/Xefco: Dyeing jeans without a drop of water

Deakin University has signed a partnership agreement with Geelong-based company Xefco as part of its Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) to conduct new research to transform how our clothing, including jeans, get their colour.

Jeans are one of the most worn garments in the world, but they are also one of the least environmentally friendly, taking around 75 litres of water to dye just one pair.

Deakin’s work with Xefco is helping to explore if a waterless manufacturing process can replace the water intensive processes the clothing industry has used for hundreds of years. The new technology in development is called ‘Ausora’.

Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti, from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials, said it was exciting to be on the commercialisation journey with Xefco, working with the company to discover what is possible and hopefully reduce the world’s fashion footprint.

“If successful, the Ausora technology, which colours fabrics without the need for large quantities of water, will put us a step closer to more efficient and sustainable clothing manufacturing,” Associate Professor Sutti said.

Deakin University has signed a partnership agreement with Geelong-based company Xefco as part of its Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) to conduct new research to transform how our clothing, including jeans, get their colour.

Jeans are one of the most worn garments in the world, but they are also one of the least environmentally friendly, taking around 75 litres of water to dye just one pair.

Deakin’s work with Xefco is helping to explore if a waterless manufacturing process can replace the water intensive processes the clothing industry has used for hundreds of years. The new technology in development is called ‘Ausora’.

Associate Professor Alessandra Sutti, from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials, said it was exciting to be on the commercialisation journey with Xefco, working with the company to discover what is possible and hopefully reduce the world’s fashion footprint.

“If successful, the Ausora technology, which colours fabrics without the need for large quantities of water, will put us a step closer to more efficient and sustainable clothing manufacturing,” Associate Professor Sutti said.

Xefco CEO Tom Hussey said the company’s new pilot plant, housed at Deakin in Geelong, will test different materials, including specialised fabrics such as waterproof items like outdoor jackets and jeans.

“This is the first stage of Xefco’s vision for the technology, with the REACH project focused on demonstrating the commercial viability of the technology at pilot scale and developing processes so it can be scaled up for commercial production,” Mr Hussey said.

“Together, Deakin and Xefco will push the limits of innovation and see what is possible.”
Xefco’s pilot plant is co-located with Deakin researchers at ManuFutures, the state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing hub at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus.

Founded in 2018 Xefco now employs 17 people and its products are already making a difference across the world. Its XReflex technology, which reduces consumption of insulation materials, is being used by some of the world’s leading apparel and fashion brands including The North Face.

Backed by a $50 million grant from the Australian Government’s inaugural Trailblazer Universities Program, with industry and university support taking the total project value to $380 million, REACH is facilitating the development of greener supply chains and accelerating business success as markets move from a throughput economy to a circular economy.

Quelle:

Deakin University

Deaktiviert das COVID-19-Virus innerhalb von fünf Minuten: HeiQ bringt High-tech-Maske mit bahnbrechender Kupfertechnologie auf den Markt (c) HeiQ
HeiQ MetalliQ-Operationsmaske vom Typ IIR mit einer antiviralen kupferbeschichteten Oberfläche, die 97,79 % der SARS-CoV-2-Viren innerhalb von 5 Minuten inaktiviert
05.05.2021

High-tech-Maske mit Kupferbeschichtung von HeiQ

  • Deaktiviert das COVID-19-Virus innerhalb von fünf Minuten: HeiQ bringt High-tech-Maske mit innovativer Kupfertechnologie auf den Markt

Der führende Anbieter von Textil- und Materialinnovationen HeiQ bringt HeiQ MetalliQ auf den Markt, eine futuristisch anmutende High-tech-OP-Maske, die alle getesteten Viren und Bakterien mit einer Wirksamkeit von bis zu 100 % zerstört.

  • Deaktiviert das COVID-19-Virus innerhalb von fünf Minuten: HeiQ bringt High-tech-Maske mit innovativer Kupfertechnologie auf den Markt

Der führende Anbieter von Textil- und Materialinnovationen HeiQ bringt HeiQ MetalliQ auf den Markt, eine futuristisch anmutende High-tech-OP-Maske, die alle getesteten Viren und Bakterien mit einer Wirksamkeit von bis zu 100 % zerstört.

Die Maske mit patentiertem Design enthält eine ultradünne reine Kupferbeschichtung, die über ein High-tech-Dampfabscheidungsverfahren namens HeiQ MetalliX aufgebracht wird. Dabei wird eine winzige Menge Kupfer in Dampf umgewandelt, sodass es gleichmäßig abgegeben werden kann und jede Faser einschließt. HeiQ MetalliX ist eine zum Patent angemeldete Technologie, die von HeiQs Innovationspartner, dem australischen Technologieunternehmen Xefco, entwickelt wurde. Studien des Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australien (Doherty Institute) haben ergeben, dass mit der HeiQ MetalliX-Technologie behandelte Gewebe das ansteckende SARS-CoV-2-Virus (das Virus, das COVID-19 verursacht) in weniger als 5 Minuten in deutlichem Umfang inaktivieren konnten.

Das Testprotokoll simulierte die reale Wechselwirkung von Aerosoltröpfchen, die Textilprodukte wie Gesichtsmasken kontaminieren. Jede Probe wurde einer hohen Belastung an SARS-CoV-2 ausgesetzt, gefolgt von 5, 15 und 30 Minuten Inkubation bei Raumtemperatur. Dann wurde die Menge der verbleibenden ansteckenden SARS-CoV-2-Viren gemessen. Die mit HeiQ MetalliX behandelten Gewebeproben zeigten eine Reduktion des Virus von über 97,79 % nach fünf Minuten, 99,95 % nach 15 Minuten und über 99,99 % nach 30 Minuten, bezogen auf die Inokulum-Kontrolle.

Kupfer ist ein natürlich vorkommendes Element, das in der Erdkruste, im Boden,  Ozeanen, Seen und Flüssen zu finden ist. Es ist auch ein Spurenelement, das natürlich in allen Menschen, Pflanzen und Tieren vorkommt. Die antiviralen, antibakteriellen und antimykotischen Eigenschaften von Kupfer sind seit Jahrhunderten bekannt und in vielen Laborstudien nachgewiesen worden. Mit HeiQ MetalliX behandelte Materialien setzen Kupferionen frei, die Viren und Bakterien inaktivieren. Die so behandelten Materialien konnten in Tests zudem 100 % von Staphylococcus aureus und Klebsiella pneumoniae abtöten und 99,95 % des H1N1-Virus und 99,9 % des humanen Coronavirus 229E inaktivieren.

HeiQ MetalliQ wird in der EU bei HeiQ Medica (Spanien) hergestellt, wo HeiQ auch Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeit für Medizinprodukte betreibt. Für die Entwicklung der HeiQ MetalliX-Technologie hat Xefco als Mitglied des erstklassigen ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres eng mit dem langjährigen Forschungspartner Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) an der Deakin University zusammengearbeitet.


 

Quelle:

HeiQ Materials AG