Ecofriendly finishes for textiles

Abstract

The challenges facing the textile finishing industry have intensified during the last decade. Current awareness of the negative environmental impact of chemical processing of textiles, combined with increased strict legislation on industrial effluents, has led to the search for advanced, non-polluting processes for treating natural and manufactured fibre fabrics. In this paper, an overview of ecofriendly finishing treatments, which include formaldehyde- free finishes, enzymatic softening, use of silicones, low-temperature plasma and antimicrobial/antibacterial finishes, has been given. Application of breathable coatings has also been demonstrated.