Pollution from wet processing Industries

Dec 1,2014

Wet processing industries for textiles is not an environment friendly proposition at all. Sources of
pollution are bleaching, scouring , dyeing as well as finishing operations. So the process has to be made
enviromnment friendly because of ever increasing pollution concerns and sustainibility issues. People are
already working in this field. The aim of this blog is to summarise all these efforts and maintain a state of
the art account of all works that are being carried out. We will also be providing technical details for the
processes if possible and current available technologies which are possible to implement. We will also be
keeping an account of the manufacturerers available in this field and a review on their technologies.

1. Reason we should focus on pollution of the wet prcessing industries

Chemicals used for bleaching(like H2O2) , scouring(Caustics Soda) , desizing(Hydrochloric Acid), dyeing
auxiliaries, dyes and finishing chemicals are mostly polluting in nature and can't be degraded biologically.
Most of them are based on petroleum and thus the current practice of the processing is unsustainable in
nature and therefore one has to look out for environmnt friendly and sustainable techniques.

2. Green techniques
Following are the techniques which are availbale from the point of view of green technology.
2.1 Waterless Dyeing
One of the techniques for waterless dyeing is dyeing in suercritical carbon dioxide(Sc-CO 2). This is well
suited for dyeing polyesters. Researches are going for adopting it for cotton dyeing as well. Important
variables for such a dyeing is pressure of the Sc-CO 2 , temperature of dyeing and dye concentration
applied.
2.2 Ammonia bleaching
Bleaching in liquid ammonia is one of the ways in which in which large consumption of hydrogen
perxiode can be saved.
2.2 Enzymytic desizing
Desizing is done otherwise by the appliication of HCl or using an oxidising agent. Enzymytic desizing is
thus the one way which can help in reducing pollution by textile wet industries. All enzymes are produced
with the use of biotechnology and the waste produced by these enzymytic reactions can reduce pollution
level by large.
2.3 Natural dyes
Many plants and biological creatures have a natural color in them. Thus if these dyes can be extracted
from these plants or creatures then it may reduce pollution caused by dye manufacturing industries. These
pigments are found in many plants, marine creatures, blue-green algae and bacteria and fungi.
2.3 Bleaching with ozone

Many plants and biological creatures have a natural color in them. Thus if these dyes can be extracted
from these plants or creatures then it may reduce pollution caused by dye manufacturing
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