Plasma technology applied in textile industry

Plasma technology applied to textiles is a dry, environmentally and worker friendly method to achieve surface alteration without modifying the bulk properties of different materials. In particular, atmospheric non-thermal plasmas are appropriate because most textile materials are heat sensitive polymers and applicable in a continuous processes. In the last years plasma technology has become a very active, high growth research field, assuming a great importance among all available material surface modifications in textile industry. The main objective of this work is to present an update on the current state of art relating plasma technologies applied to textile industry. The main effects obtained by the application of plasma discharge and all the textile production chain such as: desizing, mercerization, dyeing, printing, composite and finishing will be superficially discussed

Biodegradation of textile azo dyes by a facultative Staphylococcus arlettae strain VN-11 using a sequential microaerophilic/aerobic process

A facultative Staphylococcus arlettae bacterium, isolated from an activated sludge process in a textile industry, was able to successfully decolourize four different azo dyes under microaerophilic conditions (decolourization percentage >97%). Further aeration of the decolourized effluent was performed to promote oxidation of the degradation products. The degradation products were characterized by FT-IR and UV–vis techniques and their toxicity with respect to Daphnia magna was measured. The amine concentrations as well as the total organic carbon (TOC) levels were monitored during the biodegradation process. The presence of aromatic amine in the microaerophilic stage and its absence in the aerobic stage indicated the presence of azoreductase activity and an oxidative biodegradation process, respectively. TOC reduction was ∼15% in the microaerophilic stage and ∼70% in the aerobic stage. The results provided evidence that, using a single Staphylococcus arlettae strain in the same bioreactor, the sequential microaerophilic/aerobic stages were able to form aromatic amines by reductive break-down of the azo bond and to oxidize them into non-toxic metabolites.The authors would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT) for providing the grant to Andrea Zille (SFRH/BPD/24238/2005), and the Brazilian Foundation for the Coordination of the Improvement of University Graduates of the Ministry of Education (CAPES) and the National Research Counsel (CNPq) for providing the grants to Elisangela Franciscon

Microaerophilic–aerobic sequential decolourization/biodegradation of textile azo dyes by a facultative Klebsiella sp. strain VN-31

Four different azo dyes were decolourized and biodegraded in a sequential microaerophilic–aerobic treatment by a facultative Klebsiella sp. strain VN-31, a bacterium isolated from activated sludge process of the textile industry. Dye decolourization was performed under microaerophilic conditions until no colour was observed (decolourization percentage >94%). The medium was then aerated to promote the biodegradation of the amines produced. The presence of aromatic amine in the microaerophilic stage and its absence in the aerobic stage demonstrate azo bond reduction and an oxidative biodegradation process, respectively. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) reduction for the growth medium plus dyes was ∼50% in the microaerophilic stage and ∼80% in the aerobic stage. The degradation products were also characterized by FT-IR and UV–vis techniques and their toxicity measured using Daphnia magna. The results provide evidence that the successive microaerophilic/aerobic stages, using a single Klebsiella sp. strain VN-31 in the same bioreactor, were able to form aromatic amines by the reductive break down of the azo bond and to oxidize them into non-toxic metabolites.The authors would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT) for providing the grant to Andrea Zille (SFRH/BPD/24238/2005) and the Brazilian Foundations for the Coordination of Training Graduated Pessoal of the Ministry of Education (CAPES) and the National Counsel for Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) for providing the grant to Elisangela Franciscon