Funding: EU/Lombardy Regional Council POR FESR 2014-2020
Duration: 2017-2019
This regional project (Lombardy Region Call for R&D Cluster Projects) aims at introducing into the local textile manufacturing industry a new integrated production process for the washing, dyeing and functionalization phases of silk-based yarns (silk, polyester, polyamide and viscose). The basic assumption underlying this project is the advantage to operate without the use of water, to be replaced by liquid CO2 (outside the critical range) as a solvent and carrier.
Both the production chain itself and its environmental impact would greatly benefit from such an approach: higher production efficiency, absence of wastewater, reduction of plant management and maintenance costs, progress in terms of product innovation. The final goal is to provide a technological demonstration of the new system by integrating into an existing production line a piece of machinery for cleaning, dyeing and functionalizing yarns and fabrics of various type with liquid CO2 thus proving its potential for superior production efficiency and very low environmental impact. On the other hand, it will also be necessary to verify how this system of conveying functionalizing chemicals by a technique never tried before in the textile sector may affect the quality level of the final product.
Results
Following all preliminary investigation and test phases, the partners finally designed, built and validated the first pilot plant achieving all the initially estimated objectives (-95% water use, -70% energy consumption, elimination of polluting wastewater) with no remarkable change in product characteristics. For commercial applications of the new technology further financial support will be needed.
Partners:
- Loris Bellini - Dyeing Machines Srl
- Artefil - Tintoria Filati Srl
- Innovhub SSI
Contact person:
Alessia Aprea
alessia.aprea@mi.camcom.it
