Faculties

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

Subjects Code
TXL269

Assignment Chapter 2:
CARBON FOOTPRINT

Prepared By:
SYABILA ALIA BINTI SAIRUZI
(2021840902)

Prepared For:
MUHAMMAD SUHAIRI BIN SULAIMAN

Class:
N3AS1225B1

Submision Date:
12 NOVEMBER 2023
 ASSIGNMENT 2 : CARBON FOOTPRINT

Investigated : Carbon footprints, their significance in the context of textile production,

and propose strategies for their reduction

1.Define the term "carbon footprint" and explain why it is an important concept in the
context of environmental sustainability.

Carbon footprint (CFP) is one of the climactic changes that often occur today. CFP is
triggered by the excessive production of greenhouse gases due to human activities.
This also causes the release of a lot of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into the air. Excess
carbon dioxide gas trapped in the earth causes the carbon footprint to become more
dangerous. Nowadays this issues is has become increasingly important, and big
supermarkets chains in UK and USA were wondering about putting the CO2 footprint on
the products descriptions labels, granting to the consumer the option of a more
responsible choice in terms of ecologic matter. (Pedro Chainho, Henrique A. Matos,
2012). Carbon footprint can also be defined as one of the biocapacity requirements to
isolate through the photosynthesis process. Normally it's calculated from the analyses of
direct and indirect emissions of resources consumed on a certain process (Pedro
Chainho, Henrique A. Matos, 2012).

This Carbon Footprint are very important concept in the context of environmental
sustainability because there is a High energy demand comes from the wet processing
stages (dyeing and finishing), where energy is used to create steam to heat water and
also for drying fabrics. The carbon intensity of the energy sources used in production
centres (coal or natural gas) translates to high emissions intensity for textile production.
(Ms Elsa Dominish, 2023). This is why carbon Footprint is very important for
environmental sustainability.
2. Choose one textile wet processing method and discuss the primary sources of
carbon emissions in textile wet processing. Include specific examples of chemicals,
processes, and machinery that contribute to the industry's carbon footprint.

Textile wet processing has many methods; one of the methods used is the dyeing
process. If not managed properly, this process will lead to the creation of a carbon
footprint. For example, In the recently concluded ITMA 2023 leading exhibitors
showcased modern machine concepts with digitalized intelligent control systems that
are expressively decreasing the consumption of water, chemicals and energy
consumption and the use of these machines leads to a huge drop in environmental
footprint compared to older models (Najmus Sakib, 2023). More than 2000 chemicals
are used in textile processing, many of them known to be harmful to human (and
animal) health. Some of these chemicals evaporate while some are dissolved in
treatment water which is discharged to our environment (Ashok Ramchandra Athalye,
2012). One of the example of chemical that are have while Doing dyeing process are
Hydrochloric, Hydrogen peroxide, and Sulphuric Acid.

When dyeing wool, using a low-alcohol ratio (1:10 or less) has a number of
advantages for the economy and the environment. For example, it uses less energy and
requires fewer auxiliaries than when dyeing wool using the standard approach. On the
other hand, the decreased liquor ratio raises the possibility of dye aggregation, which
results in uneven dying. (Mohammad M. Hassan, 2017)

Textile wastewaters are characterized by extreme fluctuations in many parameters

such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), pH,
color and salinity. The composition of the wastewater will depend on the different
organic-based compounds, chemicals and dyes used in the dry and wet-processing
steps. Recalcitrant organic, colored, toxicant, surfactant and chlorinated compounds
and salts are the main pollutants in textile effluents. (Danielle Palma de Oliveira, Maria
Valnice Boldrin Zanoni, Juliano Carvalho Cardoso, Elisa Raquel Anastácio Ferraz,
Farah Maria Drumond Chequer, Gisele Augusto Rodrigues de Oliveira. 2012).
3. Explain the role of water usage in textile wet processing and how it affects the carbon
footprint. Discuss both the direct and indirect emissions associated with water
consumption in this industry.

Water is a very important element and main ingredient in textile wet processing; all
processes, including pretreatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing, require water to carry
out the process. Pretreatment is the method that takes place in a textile chemical
factory before dyeing cloth, yarn or fiber. (Mazharul Islam Kiron, 2022). The role of the
pretreatment process is to prepare the textile product so that it is suitable for the dyeing
process.

Next is dyeing process. This process is to dye the fibers, yarns or fabrics with
various chemicals and other auxiliary substances by penetrating them with water.
(Mazharul Islam Kiron, 2022). Water is also important in the dyeing process because it
works to dissolve chemicals together with fibers, threads, or fabrics..

The third is the printing process. According to the design, the process of highlighting
the space, especially the color of the fabric, is called printing. (Mazharul Islam Kiron,
2022).

The fourth is the finishing process. After dyeing and printing the fabric, finishing is
the method used to make the fabric shiny, smooth, shiny, beautiful, soft and above all to
make it attractive to the buyer. (Mazharul Islam Kiron, 2022).

According to research data, as much as 85% of water is used for textile dyeing. 5.9
trillion liters of water is used every year for a single fabric dyeing (Mazharul Islam Kiron,
2022). This statement clearly shows that water is the main ingredient that is important in
carrying out wet processing. In addition to water, foam can also be used to run it, but the
cost of using foam compared to water is too high. So water is still important in this
process. The role of water is also important in preparing a product, It takes about 8183
gallons of water to cultivate the amount of cotton needed to produce just one pair of
jeans pants. (Mazharul Islam Kiron, 2022). Without water, it is quite difficult to produce a
pair of jeans because water is an essential element, water is used mainly for three
purposes, namely, as a solvent for dyes and chemicals, as a medium for transferring
dyes and chemicals to fabric, and as a washing and rinsing medium. (A.S.M. Raja, A.
Arputharaj, Sujata Saxena, P.G. Patil, 2019).

For direct emissions that associated with water consumption in this industry,
Water-intensive production procedures including dyeing, printing, and finishing process
result. These procedures frequently require the use of energy and chemicals, which
may lead to the release of greenhouse gasses and contaminants.

For indirect emissions that associated with water consumption in this industry is
Wastewater disposal and the energy needed to clean and transport water are the main
sources of indirect emissions. Wastewater treatment can require a lot of energy and
might include the use of chemicals that increase emissions. Furthermore, emissions
may arise from the conveyance of water from its source to the textile mills, particularly in
cases where extended distances are traversed.
4. Propose at least three eco-friendly alternatives or technologies that can be
implemented in textile wet processing to reduce carbon emissions. Provide examples
and explain how each solution works.

The first eco-friendly alternative or Technology that can be implement in Textile Wet
Processing to reduce carbon emissions are Biotechnology digital inkjet printing. Digital
inkjet printing is a productive and flexible production technique that has great potential
for resource-efficient procedures. This technology uses a waterborne, fluorocarbon-free
ink that is developed for applying water-repellent sports and work clothing and contains
polysiloxane in the form of a micro-emulsion. After the ink's physicochemical
characteristics, including its surface tension, rheological characteristics, and particle
size, are determined, polyester and polyamide 66 fabrics are inkjet printed with a solid
square pattern (10 9 10 cm). Ten inkjet printing passes cause the functional surfaces'
water contact angle (WCA) to rise from about 90 to about 140. Additionally, the
functional surface exhibits abrasion and wash resistance. The WCA of functional
surfaces is between 130 and 140 after 10 wash cycles, and is ca. 140 after 20000
revolutions of rubbing. The differences in construction of the textile as well as ink–
filament interaction attribute to the different transportation behaviors of the ink on the
textile, reflected in the durability of the functional layer on the textile. The functionalized
textile preserves its key textile feature such as softness and breathability. Inkjet printing
shows large potential in high-end applications such as customized functionalization of
textiles in the domain of smart textiles (Junchun Yu, Sina Seipel, Vincent A.
NierstraszYu, , J. 2018). This technology invention will make Textile Wet Processing
become more eco-friendly.

The second eco-friendly alternative that can be implement in Textile Wet Processing
are plasma. The plasma treatment technology for textiles employs electrical discharge
techniques. In the desizing process, water and chemicals are not used; thus, it reduced
the cost of wastewater treatments. The plasma occurs at room temperature, so saves
the consumption of energy. This technology improves the fixation and leveling
properties of dyes. The water-free treatment requires no drying process (K. Amutha,
2017). This method are eco-friendly and effective.

The third eco-friendly alternative that can be implement in Textile Wet Processing are
ultrosonic. The experimental set up used was composed of ultrasonic cleaner with a
frequency of 53 kHz and power of 50W. The material-to-liquor ratio was 1:30.The fabric
was immersed at room temperature and salt was added after 15minutes.The
temperature was raised to 40oC due to ultrasound cavitation energy and the dyeing
continued for 40 min (primary exhaustion phase). Then alkali- sodium carbonate (15g/l)
was added for Novacron Ruby S-3B and Novacron Brilliant Blue H-GR), the
temperature was raised to 50oC and the dyeing was continued for a further 60 min.
(Bademaw Abate, K. A. Thakore, July, 2016). This method are eco-friendly and can
reduce carbon emissions.
5. Consider the challenges and obstacles that textile manufacturers may face when
attempting to adopt sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprints in wet
processing. How can these challenges be overcome?

One of the challenges that may be encountered when trying to adopt sustainable
practices to reduce the carbon footprint in wet processing is the manufacture of natural
fibers. A high amount of water consumption is required for the cultivation and
processing processes. Examples of natural fibers are cotton, hemp, wool, and silk. For
example, on average, 50–100 L of water is needed to process 1 kg of synthetic textile
material. (Catarina Costa, Nuno G. Azoia, Carla Silva3, Eduardo F. Marques, 2020).
Synthetic fibers, on the other hand, do not require large amounts of water in their
production. An example of a synthetic fiber is polyester. But although the amount of
water used in the production of synthetic fibers is not as high as that used in the
production of natural fibers, the process of producing synthetic fibers requires a large
amount of energy. This is one of the challenges that will be faced when trying to adopt
sustainable practices. The money used will also increase a lot due to this.

The way to overcome this challenge is to use the latest environmentally friendly
technologies and methods, such as enzymatic processing, plasma treatment, the use of
natural pigments and dyes, microwaves, and ultrasound treatments. All these
technologies and methods are likely to be able to overcome the challenges that will be
faced.
 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, each party needs to work together to preserve and conserve the
environment and take into account aspects of the textile industry. All problems have a
solution, and with environmentally friendly methods, the impact of the carbon footprint
can be reduced slowly over time.
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