e-journal - Nov-Dec 2020

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THE TEXTILE ASSOCIATION (INDIA) 702, Santosh Apartment, 7th Floor, Plot No.72-A, Dr. M. B. Raut Road, Shivaji Park, Dadar (West), Mumbai - 400 028 Tel.: 022-2446 1145 E-mail: taicnt@gmail.com Website: www.textileassociationindia.org


The world of science and technology is advancing at a rapid pace. Producing highly skilled manpower along with knowledgeable technocrats is the need of the hour. Technical education plays a vital role in creating skilled manpower, enhance industrial productivity and improve the quality of life. It contributes signi icantly to the human resource development and the economic growth of a country thereby ensuring it a place in the community of prosperous nations. Technical education in textiles is offered at degree and diploma level in engineering and technology, to cater to the requirements of workforce at various levels in the industry. The diploma courses offered through polytechnic education have responded to the challenges of industrialization for self-reliance and are aimed to create a pool of skilled manpower to support shop loor and ield operations forming a middle level link between technicians and engineers. A technical diploma person plays an important role in managing shoploor operations and is employed by small and medium industries mainly for their special skills in handling machines for maintenance and repair, etc. A textile engineer on the other hand possess managerial skills along with technical know how and plays a key role in corporate management, planning and maintenance of textile machineries, R&D, and process engineering. A huge gap exists in the technical skill required by the industry and textile education imparted in the institutions, rendering the engineers coming out of most of the institutes almost unemployable. Our education system needs to keep pace with the new upcoming technologies and fast development taking place in existing machineries. A strong interaction of engineering educational institutions with the industry is required to make the syllabus relevant to the need of industry. The academic system has experts from industries to take care of this in their curriculum but the efforts have not brought any signi icant changes and a huge gap in industry and textile education is still observed. The institutes face the challenge of paucity of funds for procuring modern machineries and have to manage with outdated age old machineries. Measures have been taken by textile institutes to incorporate internship for students, arrange lectures of industry experts, take industry oriented projects and have MOU with industries for collaborative research. Initiatives need to be taken by industries as well for developing industry collaborated laboratories in the academic institutes to promote creativity, innovation and research in line with the National Education Policy 2020 aimed at making students not only learn, but more importantly learn how to learn. Collective efforts of educational institutions, industries and policy makers shall enable the country to become world leader in the fourth industrial revolution. 'Everyone moving forward together shall make success take care of itself' – Henry Ford

Dr. Deepa V. Raisinghani Hon. Editor


Abstract: Khadi is known as a national heritage fabric of India and has its own unique identity. The government of India has been promoting khadi through various policies and programmes. In spite of the many steps taken by the government, khadi still has insufficient place in the market and has witnessed several problems for survival. In Punjab and Haryana, majority of the khadi institutions are finding it hard to survive with the shortage of working capital and seeking financial assistance for refinement of the retail outlets. Haryana and Punjab have the great potential and tradition to promote khadi by understanding the problems and challenges faced by the khadi institutions. The present paper aims to study the present market scenario and challenges faced by the khadi sale outlets of Haryana and Punjab. To carry out the study fifty khadi sales outlets from the selected area (twenty-five each) were selected to collect the qualitative data. Purposive sampling method was used and the data was gathered through interview schedule which had open ended and closed ended questions. From the responses it was observed that khadi in the form of readymade apparel is left behind in making its place in the market. Keywords: Apparel, Challenges, Khadi, Marketing, Promotion

Introduction India is known for most hand-skilled artisans in the world and has a prosperous textile heritage. A heritage of high-end quality artistry and a variety ranges from hand embroidery, block printing, natural dyeing, hand weaving, to the pro iciency of the hand spinning. The roots of “Khadi” fabric are found only in India. Unlike from other fabrics, khadi has marked its evidence of India's past and is proof that “Old is truly Gold.” Traditional khadi is hand-spun and hand-woven cotton fabric, also manufactured from wool and silk, known as khadi silk or woollen khadi. Khadi has a very restricted market, serving few customers who either believe in wearing good quality cotton clothes or are emotionally attached to the khadi ideology. Design, colour, and type of readymade khadi have not witnessed much change. A few attempts are being made by the khadi institutions which are focusing on understanding the current market scenario and attempting to make products that are more 'in' with the consumer (Gopinath, 2008). Extensive branding and popularization of other private brands like Fab-India and Khaddar have changed the growth of the khadi industry in the Indian market. According to a recently published *All the correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Radha Kashyap Professor & Head, Department of Fashion & Textiles, IIS (Deemed to be University) Mobile: 9888872474 Email: simardeepkaur24517@iisuniv.ac.in

report, the sale of khadi and village industry hiked by 14 percent to reach 37935 crores during the inancial year 2015-2016 (Sidhartha, 2016). Khadi in Punjab and Haryana The base of the Indian struggle for freedom is khadi and it constitutes 1% of the textile market. Punjab and Haryana have rich potential and tradition to promote khadi as it is linked with the freedom movement of India and has immensely contributed to the khadi movement. In the present scenario, Punjab seems to have failed to match the economics of khadi with politics. As a result, more than 20 of the 28 khadi trusts running in the Punjab state are reeling under huge debts. The reason behind this is due to lack of interest of state government as well as the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). After the year 2000, the production of blanket and hosiery garments dented the khadi market and the demand continued to slide. The spinners and weavers started moving to other parts of the country, leaving the impact on the production capabilities of the khadi production centers. Most of the khadi institutions are facing problems like shortage of working capital, inancial help for improvement of retail outlets. The khadi sales outlets of Haryana and Punjab are illed with unsold stocks of durries, blankets, khes, towels etc. Only very few manufacturing centers of Haryana and Punjab are producing thick and coarse khadi fabrics which are acceptable in rural areas only. Fine khadi fabrics are brought from other states like Bengal, Rajasthan; Madhya


Pradesh etc. which are limited to the reach of urban cities. Readymade apparel like male jackets, shirts, kurta, etc. which are being made in khadi are very limited and manufactured by only very few khadi organizations. Keeping these points in mind following objectives have been framed:  To study about the khadi readymade apparel available in khadi sale outlets.  To identify the current status of khadi sales outlets of the study area.  To suggest measures to promote khadi.

Results and Discussions Table 1: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Varieties of Khadi Fabric Available in Khadi Sales Outlets (N=50)

Haryana N % 20 80

Punjab N % 21 84

Khadi cotton

24

96

25

100

Khadi wool

19

76

17

68

Poly-vastra

24

96

22

88

Any other

3

12

0

0

Khadi silk

Table 2: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Cost of Different Khadi Fabrics (N=50)

The above table represents the varieties of khadi fabric available in the stores. It can be seen from the results that the majority of the stores of Haryana and Punjab have khadi cotton available in their sale outlets. Khadi cotton and Poly-vastra fabric is available in most of the stores of Haryana whereas the availability of Poly-vastra in the stores of Punjab is little less as compared to that of Haryana and khadi cotton is available in all the stores of Punjab. It was further revealed that khadi wool is a seasonal fabric so the availability of khadi wool in the sale outlets of Haryana and Punjab are also less when

Cost (in Rs)

Haryana N

%

N

%

101-250

23

92

25

100

251-450

2

8

0

0

301-450 Above 451 251-350

2

9.5

2

9.5

19

90.5

19

90.5

4

23.5

4

25

Material Khadi Cotton Khadi Silk

Materials and Methods Present study was undertaken to identify the current status of khadi, problems and challenges faced by khadi sales outlets in the cities and villages of Haryana and Punjab states. Fifty khadi sales outlets (twenty- ive each from Haryana and Punjab) situated in the selected area were chosen to collect the qualitative data. From the selected area, ifty khadi sales personnel one from each khadi sales outlets was selected. To carry out the present study, purposive sampling method was used. The data was gathered by conducting interview schedule. A prestructured questionnaire with open ended and closed ended questions was designed to collect the relevant information. The gathered information was expressed through the frequency and percentage and interpreted accordingly.

Varieties of Khadi Fabric

compared to other varieties of khadi fabric available in stores

Khadi Wool Polyvastra Any Other

Punjab

351-450 Above 451 101-250

3

17.7

5

31.2

10

58.8

7

43.8

19

86.4

21

100

251-450

3

13.6

0

0

151-250

2

100

0

0

It is evident from the above results that the cost range of khadi cotton and khadi silk in the majority of the stores of Haryana and Punjab is same; however, a few stores of Haryana have higher cost range of khadi cotton due to the rich quality and different variety available in cotton fabric. Some stores of Haryana as well as Punjab do not sell khadi silk as there is no demand and the cost of the khadi silk fabric is high. In comparison with Punjab, the price range of khadi wool in stores Haryana is high when compared to other fabrics. Also, khadi wool is a seasonal fabric and due to its high cost and less demand by the customers, it is not available on all the stores of Haryana as well as Punjab. Among all the varieties of khadi fabrics available in the stores of Haryana and Punjab, economically Poly-vastra is the most preferred fabric due to its low cost and maintenance. Table 3: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Demand of readymade Apparel (N = 50) Demand of Readymade Apparel

N

%

N

%

Yes

11

44

13

52

No

14

56

12

48

Haryana

Punjab

The demand for readymade apparel made in khadi entirely depends upon the locality of the khadi sales outlet and the cost of the readymade apparel. It is clear from the above results that the demand of khadi readymade apparel in the stores of Punjab is more as compared to the demand of readymade apparel in the stores of Haryana. Some of the stores located in Urban


areas of Punjab have kurta pyjama, woollen jackets, shirts for men and kurtis, stoles, sarees for women in their readymade apparel sections, so the customer demand for more variety in the readymade apparel sections. The other stores of Haryana and Punjab have demand for only men's woollen jackets as no other readymade garment is available in the stores, while in case of sale outlets located in rural areas of Haryana as well Punjab, they do not have any demand due to the high cost of readymade apparel. Other than men's woollen jackets some of the stores of Haryana and Punjab also have kurta pyjama, shirts, undershirts and underwear for men and kurti, stoles, jackets, saree etc. for female in the readymade apparel section of their stores but with minimal demand. Table 4: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Kind of Readymade Apparel Available for Men in the Sale Outlets (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Men readymade apparel

N

%

N

%

Kurta

23

92

24

92

Pajamas

23

92

24

96

Jacket

21

84

22

88

Shirt

11

44

7

28

Woolen Shawl

3

12

4

16

Pants

0

0

2

8

From the above table it was witnessed that men kurta is available in 92% stores of both Haryana and Punjab, whereas, pajama is available in 92% stores of Haryana and 96% stores of Punjab, jacket is available in 84% stores of Haryana and 88% stores of Punjab, shirt is available in 44% stores of Haryana and 28% stores of Punjab, woollen shawl is available in 12% stores of Haryana and 16% stores of Punjab and pants are available in 8% stores of Punjab only. It is clear from the above results that, kurta, pyjama and jacket for men were available in most of the stores of Haryana as well as Punjab. Kurta, pajama and woollen jackets were the most preferred readymade apparel by the consumers in both the states. However, men's shirt is more in demand in the speci ic areas of Haryana than Punjab, so the availability of readymade shirts is limited to these stores. Woollen shawls are available in few stores of Haryana as well as Punjab and pants were available in the stores of Punjab only. Further, it was revealed that, in Haryana people who prefer wearing khadi like to wear kurta and pajama.

Table 5: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Kind of Readymade Apparel Available for Women in the store (N=50) Women readymade apparel

N

%

N

%

Women Kurtis

9

36

12

48

Jacket

4

16

7

28

Shirt

1

4

3

12

Woollen shawl

3

12

5

20

Pants

1

4

1

4

Plazo

2

8

1

4

Salwar Kameez

2

8

1

4

Haryana

Punjab

From the above results it can be concluded that, kurtis are available in more sale outlets of Punjab. Being northern states of India, kurtis are the most common and preferred apparel by women. The availability of other readymade apparel such as jackets, shirts, woollen shawl, and pants were more in the sale outlets of Punjab as compared to the sale outlets of Haryana, whereas, plazo and salwar kameez were available in more sale outlets of Haryana than Punjab Table 6: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Increase in Sale during Discount or Rebate Period (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Increase in Sale

N

%

N

%

Yes

15

60

24

96

No

10

40

1

4

From the above results it is evident that in the majority of the sales outlets of Punjab, sale of khadi increases during the rebate period whereas the sale outlets of Haryana experience very less increase in sales during the rebate period when compared to Punjab. The study is supported by Gopinath (2008) who found that around 80% of khadi products are sold during the rebate period. Table 7: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Complaints Received from Customer (N=50) Complaints from Customer

N

%

N

%

Yes

10

40

8

32

No

15

60

17

68

Haryana

Punjab

It can be concluded from the above results that the sale outlets of Punjab receive more complaints than the sale outlets of Haryana. It was further found that, due to the


processes involved in production of khadi fabric, use of natural colour for dyeing without using any chemicals, complaints such as uneven fabric, colour bleeding, wrinkles formation in fabric, etc. were received from the customers. Table 8: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Frequency of Introducing of New Designs of Readymade Khadi Apparels (N=50) Haryana

Frequency

Punjab

N

%

N

%

Every month

1

4

0

0

Six months

9

36

8

32

One year

13

52

14

56

Any other

2

8

3

12

It can be clearly seen from the above results that, in this era of modernization, where customers are looking for new look every day, there is no major difference found in the sale outlets of Haryana as well as Punjab for the introduction of new designs. New designs of garments and apparel were introduced after a period of one year in the majority of sale outlets of both Haryana and Punjab. Also, it was found that, very few sale outlets of Haryana and Punjab understand the need of this competitive market and introduce new designs of readymade apparel as per customer's demand. Ambre and Lad, (2017) in their study found that the variety of khadi fabric and readymade apparel available in the stores is very limited due to its colour and designs. Gopinath, (2007) in his study stated that innovation in quality, design or pattern have never introduced by many institutions as there is no pressure to innovate. Table 9: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Satisfaction Regarding Current Set-Up of the Store to Meet Today's Demand of the Consumer (N=50)

Satisfaction Level

Haryana

Punjab

N

%

N

%

Yes

16

64

12

48

No

9

36

13

52

It is evident from the above results that, current set-up of the majority of sale outlets located in Haryana is satisfactory when compared to the sale outlets of Punjab. It was further observed that, in this fast-moving world place, where modernization plays an important role in attracting customers most of the khadi sale outlets are still lacking in maintaining the outlook and display of the products in sales outlets as per the needs and demand of the customers.

Table 10: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Customer Satisfaction with kind of varieties available in readymade khadi apparel (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Satisfaction Level

N

%

N

%

Yes

9

36

3

12

No

16

64

22

88

The above result shows customer satisfaction regarding the kind of varieties available in readymade khadi apparel. It was found that, the customer satisfaction associated with the kind of varieties available in readymade khadi apparel is less in the sale outlets of Punjab as compared to that of Haryana. Moreover, in both the sates of Haryana and Punjab, most of the customers are not satis ied with the kind of varieties available in the readymade khadi apparel. Further, it was revealed that, the majority of sale outlets of Haryana and Punjab does not have the adequate amount of readymade khadi apparel, they only sell khadi fabrics which includes dari, khes, blankets, towels, etc., whereas, the stores which sell khadi readymade apparel, only has men's woollen jackets in their stocks. Table 11: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Customer Satisfaction with the Type of Designs Being Made in Khadi Readymade Apparel (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Satisfaction level

N

%

N

%

Yes

6

24

3

12

No

19

76

22

88

In most of the stores of Haryana as well Punjab, the stock of readymade apparel is very limited. The designs of the readymade apparel are not as per demand and requirement of the today's market scenario. The readymade apparel available in the stores are old fashioned and does not attract customers resulting in dissatisfaction of the customers. Table 12: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Quality of Readymade Apparel meets Customer Level of Satisfaction (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Satisfaction level

N

%

N

%

Yes

15

60

9

36

No

10

40

16

64

Quality is one of the major aspects when it comes to fabric or garment. It is evident from the above table that, in comparison with the sale outlets of Punjab, customers in the majority of sale outlets of Haryana are satis ied with


the quality of readymade garments. A customer always seeks a good quality cloth and the quality of most of the khadi readymade apparel available in the khadi sales outlets does not meet the expectations of the customers. The stiffness of the khadi cloth and the rough texture does not meet the quality expectations of the customer who wants to buy khadi. Table 13: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Presence of Khadi India Mark/Logo on Khadi Fabric and Readymade Apparel for Quality Assurance (N=50) Haryana

Punjab

Khadi India Mark/Logo

N

%

N

%

Sometimes

14

56

16

64

Always

9

36

8

32

Never

2

8

1

4

From the above results it is clear that, the presence ok Khadi India mark/logo on the khadi fabric and readymade apparel is more in the sale outlets of Punjab as compared to Haryana. As per the rules of the Government of India, all the khadi products must have the khadi mark and logo for the quality assurance and authenticity of the khadi products. Still some of the products and stocks available in khadi sale outlets do not have the assurance of the khadi India mark or logo. Kulhar, 2015 in her study stated that all products are authenticated with the certi ications provided by the government to ensure the authenticity of the products to the customers. According to a report published in 2017, only 28% of respondents from 20 cities, check for the khadi mark on the fabric to check for the genuineness of the khadi fabric (Aranca, 2017). Table 14: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Lacking in Marketing of Khadi by KVIC (N=50) Lacking in marketing

Haryana

Punjab

N

%

N

%

Yes

16

64

17

68

No

9

36

8

32

Marketing of khadi is one of the very important elements. As shown in the results depicted in the above table, it is evident that the percentage of respondents who thinks that KVIC is lacking is the marketing of khadi is more in Punjab as compared to Haryana. At present khadi have a

very limited market and a few customers who are willing to buy and wear khadi. Regular and focused marketing strategies adopted by KVIC can lead in the growth of khadi sales. The marketing strategies adopted by KVIC such as opening of new khadi sales outlets, advertising and distribution of pamphlets is limited to the rebate period only. Yadav, 2015 in her study mentioned that advertisement of khadi should be done through all wire mediums with modern and appealing approach which could help in increasing the customers. The materials used for promotion of khadi should be professional and more attractive. Table 15: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Measures Taken for Attracting More Customers towards Khadi (N=50) Measures taken

Haryana

Punjab

N

%

N

%

New designs

7

28

6

24

Improved quality

11

44

11

44

Swadeshi / patriotic sentiments

5

20

6

24

Eco-friendliness

8

32

3

12

Any other

3

12

6

24

From the above results it is evident that, improved quality of khadi is considered as an effective measure to attract more customers towards khadi in the sale outlets of both Haryana and Punjab. In sale outlets of Haryana, eco-friendliness of khadi and introduction of new designs of khadi apparel was considered more as a measure to attract customers towards khadi than in the sale outlets of Punjab. However, swadeshi or patriotic sentiments and other measures such as discounts on certain occasions, advertisement through putting banners outside the sale outlets etc., was done more in the sale outlets of Punjab to attract more customers towards khadi when compared to the sale outlets of Haryana. Further it was observed that, there is a need for attracting customers towards khadi, as at present, only few people are willing to buy and wear khadi. Consumer preferences and fashion forecast for the upcoming year should be kept on priority while deciding on designing of the product range. There is a need to attract more customers


towards khadi in order to increase the sales of khadi readymade apparel. Proper advertisements and improved marketing techniques should be adopted by KVIC to promote khadi and make it reach to the target customer. Table 16: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Methods of Promotion Undertaken for Marketing of Khadi (N=50) Methods of Promotion Radio advertisement Newspaper advertisement Banners Pamphlets Television Loud speaker Any other

Haryana

Punjab

N

%

N

%

2

8

0

0

2

8

10

40

15 10 5 1 0

60 40 20 4 0

13 8 5 8 2

52 32 20 32 8

It can be concluded from the above results that, putting banners outside the sale outlets and distribution of pamphlets is the majorly used a method of promotion for marketing of khadi in the sale outlets of both Haryana and Punjab. Newspaper advertisements and loudspeaker announcement was also used more in the sale outlets of Punjab as compared to Haryana. Further it was found that, promotion of khadi is done through various methods in which putting banners outside the sale outlets and distributing of pamphlets in nearby areas of the store location is mostly used. The impact of these promotion techniques adopted by the khadi sales outlets is not much effective as it does not reach the masses. In this globalized world, where modernity and technology has reached its heights the marketing strategies adopted by khadi sales outlets and KVIC should also be improved. Table 17: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Cost of readymade Khadi Apparel is More as Compared to other Apparels Available in Market (N=50)

Cost of readymade Khadi Apparel is More Yes

N

%

N

%

18

72

18

72

No

7

28

7

28

Haryana

Punjab

It is clear from the results that, in both the sale outlets of Haryana as well as Punjab, according to the majority of the respondents the cost of khadi readymade apparel is more as compared to other apparel available in the market. It was further revealed that, as khadi is purely

hand-made fabric, the cost of production is high when compared to other mill made fabrics; also, khadi needs a well maintenance. Khadi has a stiff competition with other branded low-cost products as it uses low-speed handlooms, charkhas and other equipments which in result increases the manufacturing cost of khadi apparel and products. Essential steps should be taken by the Government in order to make the khadi fabric pocket friendly and reach to its target consumers. Table 18: Distribution of Respondents on the Basis of Difference in Marketing Strategies Adopted by Other Brands (N=50) Difference in marketing strategies

N

%

N

%

Yes

23

92

25

100

No

2

8

0

0

Haryana

Punjab

It was observed that, marketing strategies such as impactful television advertisements, launching of new designs and products through celebrity brand ambassadors and quickly adopting new techniques and technology are mainly used as the tool of promotion by other bra nds, whi ch is a major drawback for sustainability of khadi in the market. Khadi still uses the old methods of promoting it with displaying banners outside the store, distributing pamphlets, making loudspeaker announcements etc. which makes zero impact on the consumers. Conclusions Over the decades, khadi has travelled a long way to make its own identity as a fashion garment. Despite being an Indian fabric, khadi faces a lot of hurdles to get its place in the country like India and needs repositioning. As the world is changing its path towards more sustainable and eco-friendly environment, it has become imperative to promote more of khadi products as they are made by hands naturally without using any electricity and other energy resources. In this era of industrialization where technology has overcome the hand-made products, it is a big challenge for the government to reposition khadi in its own way. The data obtained from the survey revealed that design, colour, and type of readymade khadi apparel have not witnessed much change.  The quality and designs of readymade apparel

available in the khadi sale outlets needs a lot of improvements in order to meet the expectations of the customers. The stiffness of the khadi cloth and the rough texture does not meet the quality expectations of the customer who wants to buy khadi.  Innovation and improvements in the quality of the


readymade khadi apparel is much required to suit the changing needs of the customers.  There is a need to attract more customers towards

khadi in order to increase the sales of khadi readymade apparel.  The marketing strategies adopted by KVIC such as

opening of new khadi sales outlets, advertising and distribution of pamphlets is limited to the rebate period only which can be done throughout the year.  Proper advertisements and improved marketing

techniques should be adopted by KVIC to promote khadi. Marketing strategies should be made keeping in mind the need of the hour which can result in increasing sales. Suggestions  Marketing of khadi is one of the very important elements. Proper and correct marketing strategies

adopted by KVIC can lead in the growth of khadi sales. There is a need for doing strategic marketing and promotion effectively to compete with other brands.  Adopting new techniques over traditional methods of

producing khadi can help to take a step ahead in this globalized world.  Innovation in designs and techniques can be done in

order to promote khadi.  There is a need to create awareness among buyers

who wants a good sustainable cloth.  There is a need to improve customer services and

experiences to increase the target customers.  Re o r g a n i z a t i o n o f c u s t o m e r d e m a n d a n d

competitions should be done according to latest fashion trends. Fashion forecast and preferences of the consumers should be taken into consideration for planning and making the apparel range.

References 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6.

7.

Ambre, P. P. and Lad, S. (2017). Khadi – Awareness and promotion among youth. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 4(7), 2149-2153 Aranca. (2017). Pan India Market Survey – B2B End-Consumers | Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/document/391965629/Pan-India-Market-Survey-Final-Report Busenna,P. &Reddy, A., Khadi and village industry: A case study of Khadi Institutions of India. Journal of Rural Development, 30(3)273-289, (2011). Gopinath, P., Technological dualism and the response of traditional household enterprises of India in the post-reform (1991) era: a case study of khadi industry. (Doctoral dissertation, Tata institute of social sciences, Deonar, Mumbai). Retrieved from http://shodhganga.in libnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/10603/2719, (2008). Kulhar, M., E-Commerce: A key platform to promote khadi. Research Review International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 4(2), 24-28, (2019). S id ha rt h a, (2 0 16 , M ay 29 ). K h ad i u ni ts' sales so ar 1 4% to Rs 3 7 ,9 3 5 cro re. Ret r ieved f ro m htt ps: //timeso india.indiat imes.c om/bu siness/india-b usiness/Khad i-units-sales-soar-1 4-to -Rs-3 793 5crore/articleshow/52485600.cms Yadav, R., Review of marketing strategies of KVIC. International Journal of Science and Research, 5(12), 568-571, (2016).


Abstract Antimicrobial textiles are in great demand, and are considered to be more popular and beneficial in preventing the biodeterioration of fabrics. Natural fibres are good substrates and are more susceptible to microbial growth as compared to synthetic fibres since these fibres are composed of cellulose. Fungi growing on such fabrics secrete enzymes and digest the cellulose to glucose. Beside glucose, other nutrients for bacteria are sweat and oil secreted by human skin, dust, soil and finishes. As consumers are aware of the deleterious effect of microorganisms on fabrics and personal hygiene, hence, nowadays antimicrobial fabrics have gained more interest. Textile industries follow different methods to produce antimicrobial fabrics using Synthetic antimicrobial agents comprising of Inorganic and organic finishes. Inorganic finishes include salts and oxides of metals, organic finishes include Quaternary ammonium compounds, Triclosan, and PHMB. Synthetic antimicrobial agents (organic and inorganic agents) are toxic, cause skin irritation and are non biodegradable, so they are harmful for users and the environment as well. Due to adverse effects and negative impacts of these agents on human health and environment, researchers and users (customers) are discouraging the use of synthetic antimicrobial agents. Natural antimicrobial agents have gained attention and interest of researchers in the last few decades. Several natural agents such as Turmeric, Neem, Basil, Cloves, Pomegranate, Aloe vera, Chitosan and Onion have effective antimicrobial potential. This review paper focuses on different types of synthetic antimicrobial agents, natural antimicrobial agents, their sources and how they can be used on textiles to introduce antimicrobial properties. This review paper also highlights the applications of nanotechnology in developing antimicrobial finish based on nanoparticles in order to minimize the risk associated with microorganisms [82]. Keywords: Antimicrobial finish, Biodeterioration, Chitosan, Ecofriendly, Nanoparticles, Zinc, Silver, Copper, Titanium

INTRODUCTION Textile fabrics have important applications in sports equipment, sportswear, food packaging and home furnishing, hotels, restaurants, healthcare and hygiene. Now-a-days the interesting area of research is antimicrobial fabrics. Biodeterioration of textiles is a greater problem, microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, algae and viruses can grow on the textiles. Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms which grows under speci ic conditions such as moisture, warmth or temperature, pH and nutrients. Bacteria are subdivided into gram positive and gram negative, spore bearing and non-spore bearing. Molds or mildews are complex organisms with slow growth rate. The presence of microbes on fabrics causes cross infection by pathogens and development of bad odour in the worn fabrics next to skin [1]. The growth of microorganisms on fabrics leads to reduction in mechanical s trength, stains on fabric and biodeterioration of textiles. Almost all types of ibres are affected by microorganisms but natural ibres are more susceptible to biodeterioration than synthetic. There is increasing concerns about Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) survival on fabrics, the transfer of gram positive bacteria, particularly Multi Resistant *All the correspondence should be addressed to: Sonia Chaudhary Microbiology Department, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi Email : sonia8108@gmail.com

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) are growing concern in hospitals. The reason for bacterial transfer is the ability of the microorganisms to survive on various common hospital surfaces [2]. Fabric type is also an important factor that in luences the duration of bacterial persistence in or on the ibre. McNeil and Greenstein stated that the physical characteristics of the ibres, and surface electrical charge on ibre as well as on bacterial cells may be involved in in luencing the attachment of bacteria towards the surface of fabric[3]. Now there is a strong interest and requirement of an antimicrobial agent which must be non toxic to human skin, eco friendly and have biodegradative properties. Process of antimicrobial inishing and inishing mechanism A fabric processed with antimicrobial inish must have the capability to inhibit the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic inish) or to kill the bacteria (bactericidal inish) inhabited on the skin surface. An antimicrobial agent can kill or inhibit bacteria on the basis of its mode of action, it may act on bacterial cell wall, protein synthesis machinery and can also disrupt the structural and functional integrity of bacterial cell membrane. Plants, spices and herbs are considered to be a good and rich source of phenolic, sulphur, aldehydes and ester terpenoids containing compounds. These naturally occurring bioactive compounds commonly found in


stem, leaves, roots, lowers, seeds, bulbs and other parts of plants. These bioactive agents are helpful in inhibiting and inactivating the growth of the bacteria, yeast and molds [4]. Large variety of antimicrobial compounds can be obtained from spices and these plant based compounds are biostatic in nature[5] . Few organic antimicrobial agents such as Triclosan, Quaternary ammonium compounds, N-halamines. PHMB and silver (inorganic antimicrobial agent), are commercially in use and are bactericidal in nature [6,7,8,9]. Natural compounds are increasingly becoming popular as antimicrobial inishing agents [4,5]. Based on the antimicrobial action performed by the particular inishing agent, there are three inishing mechanisms i.e. control release, regeneration and barrier block. There are limitations of control release and regeneration mechanism i.e. durability concerns after washing(laundering) and leaching of the antimicrobial agent from the fabric and in turn reaction with the user's skin surface that result in skin allergies and skin irritation. Fabrics which have undergone regenerate inishing mechanism can also cause such problems, in this method antimicrobial agents require chlorine bleach to enhance wash fastness or to activate antimicrobial properties after washing (laundering). Chlorine bleach is harmful for human skin and damages the cotton fabric as well. Third method, barrier block mechanism have advantages over other two methods. In this method, antimicrobial agents are chemically bonded to the fabric surface and do not release (leach), hence killing microorganisms that come in contact with the fabric [10]. Depending upon the morphology, texture, composition of the ibre and on the antimicrobial agent to be applied, different physical, chemical methods are available and under development to impart antimicrobial properties to the textiles. Antimicrobial agent can be directly incorporated into the polymeric matrix of synthetic ibres [11]. Microencapsulation is a technique by which solid particles or liquid droplets are covered with a continuous thin ilm of a material, polymeric in nature [12]. These capsules can be applied on the ibre with the help of binder using spraying, padding, impregnation, exhaustion method or screen printing. This technique is more advantageous as compared to other processes as it is energy saving, economic, eco friendly and there is controlled release of substance [13]. Crosslinking is an effective way to embed an antimicrobial agent into the ibre. Cross Linking occurs when cross linker creates covalent cross linkages between the antibacterial molecule and the polymer chains of the fabric. Examples of crosslinkers are glyoxal, genipin, dextran sulphate, glutaraldehyde, ethylene glycol, diglyceryl ether, 1,1,3,3tetramethoxypropane, ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether

(EGDE), diisocyanate and oxidized cyclodextrins [14,15]. Crosslinking can be introduced by physical [16], chemical [17] and radiation method [18]. In physical method, ionic interactions are required between polymeric chains. So, radiation, chemical methods are more durable as compared to physical method. In order to ensure strong adhesion of antimicrobial agents ( inish) to the textiles, surface properties of the ibres are altered. Various surface modi ication methods are ultrasound technique, surface bridging, oxygen plasma treatment, UV irradiation, enzyme treatment. These are the new and recently investigated methods which are used to enhance durability of antimicrobial inish onto the fabric especially for plant based antimicrobial agents [19].Antimicrobial agent may act by diffusion and by contact mechanism, depending upon the approach used to apply antimicrobial agent on the fabric. In the diffusion mechanism, an antimicrobial agent diffuses from the fabric to the user's skin and kills the microorganisms. In contact mechanism, antimicrobial agents do not release or leach from the fabric, when bacteria attack the ibre, it will be killed just after coming in contact with the ibre [20]. Antimicrobial inish for textiles must exhibit following characteristics and requirements :durability of antimicrobial activity to washing (laundering), drycleaning and leaching and Selective and speci ic a ct ivi ty towa rds pa th og e ni c a nd un de si ra ble microorganisms. The treated ibre must have the property of acceptable moisture transport and must be resistant to discoloration, staining and quality deterioration [84,85]. Types of Antimicrobial agents Organic Antimicrobial agents Synthetic organic antimicrobial agents commonly used as antimicrobial inish are Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs), Triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2hydroxydiphenyl ether), Polyhydroxymethylene biguanide (PHMB) and antimicrobial dyes. These are organic synthetic antimicrobial agents. QACs are cationic in nature, they carry positive charge at the N atom in the solution. They are attached to an anionic surface of the iber via ionic interactions [11, 21]. Quaternary ammonium compounds are shown with the formula + (R4N X ) they include 191 compounds and refer to linear alkyl ammonium compounds containing alkyl chains which are hydrophilic in nature and counterparts which are hydrophobic in nature. QACs containing 12 to 18 carbon atom alkyl chains are preferred in the textile industry, especially for inishing of wool, cotton, nylon and polyester [11, 22, 23]. These compounds show antimicrobial activity against a wide rang e of


microorganisms such as gram positive and gram negative bacteria, fungi, some viruses [21, 24]. Yao et al 2010 developed poly(D,L lactide) (PDLLA) ibrous membrane with its surface altered with with domains or moieties of QACs, showed antibacterial ef iciency of about 99.99% against both gram negative (E.coli) and gram positive bacteria (S.aureus). It was observed that antibacterial activity was dependent upon interaction of positively charged modi ied PDLLA ibrous membrane with negatively charged bacterial cell membrane, that resulted in leakage and loss of permeability of bacterial cell [25]. Triclosan is an odourless, organic compound used as synthetic antimicrobial agent on the fabrics. It has antimicrobial ef icacy against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, it also exhibits antiviral and antifungal properties [11,26,27,28]. It is biocidal in nature and acts by blocking and inhibiting the lipid biosynthesis such as lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharides and phospholipids, thereby altering the cell membrane integrity [26,27]. Triclosan shows toxic effect, it has been repo rted that tri cl os an co nve rts in to 2, 8dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in aqueous solution. Hence, due to its toxicity, use of Triclosan as an antimicrobial a g en t is a lso a g re at c on ce r n [2 9, 3 0] . PHMB (Polyhydroxymethylenebiguanide) ((C8H17N5)n), it is a polycationic amine in which biguanide groups act as cationic groups, which are interdispersed between hexamethylene groups, which are hydrophobic in nature. It exhibits hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with bacterial cell membrane, causes cell membrane disruption and inally results in cell leakage. It has been observed that antibacterial activity of PHMB depends upon level of polymerization [31]. ReputexR and Biozac ZS, which are PHMB-based products of textiles, are available in the market as inishing products [32]. Besides yeast and fungi, it is effective against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. It is preferably used in towels and undergarments to obstruct the microbial growth and exhibits good washing durability. At the pH values of 5 and 6, PHMB exhibits effective antimicrobial inhibition action.[33,34]. N-Halamines are organic compounds having one or more covalent bonds between nitrogen atom and halogen (N-Cl), generally chlorine is present. N-Halamines can be amine or amide, imide, depending upon the covalent bond formed. N-Halamines are broad spectrum as they show biocidal action against bacteria, viruses and fungi by interacting with the acceptor region of microorganisms and inhibiting their metabolic and enzymatic activities, and consequently, destruction of target microorganisms [35]. Inorganic Antimicrobial Agents A number of oxides and salts of metals like copper, zinc, silver, g old, titanium, magnesium are used as

antimicrobial inish. Three different types of Zeolites such as chabazite, mordenite and faujasite are considered to be antimicrobial i.e. against bacteria and fungi. chabazite has lowest silicon to aluminium ratio(Si/Al). This Zeolite was solution exchanged with metal cations with different combinations of [86]. These zeolites are applied on fabric to create novel, sustainable polymers with improved characteristics like stiffness, hardness and high antimicrobial potential [86]. Complexing metallic compounds based on metals like cadmium, silver, copper and mercury cause inhibition of the microbial metabolism. Silver acts as an effective antimicrobial agent by targeting the microbial proteins. Silver releases slowly from the ibre surface and shows toxic effects[36,37,38,39]. Silver particles show broad spectrum antimicrobial properties, on biomedical textiles, particularly in hospital acquired infections which result in polymicrobial colonization [11,40]. Silver shows bactericidal activity against gram positive and Gram negative bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and E.coli [41]. According to a manufacturer survey in Europe, market data re lected that 79% of silver is used as silver salts, 13% is used as metallic silver and 8% as silver ion exchanger in textile industries [40, 11, 22]. It has been observed that bacteria develops resistance against silver-based products [40, 42].They are attached to the ibre surface, so their bactericidal activity decreases day by day. In order to achieve effective control of bacterial growth, a large amount of these antimicrobial agents need to be applied on the fabrics [43]. Limitations associated with synthetic antimicrobial agents There are a number of problems associated with the use of synthetic antimicrobial agents. Fabrics treated with Nhalamines have substantial amounts of chlorine residues adsorbed on ibre surface. These chlorine residues produce undesirable odour and cause discoloration of the fabric [87]. Large amounts of synthetic agents are required to be applied on the fabric for effective control of microorganisms which is a great concern for the textile industry. Synthetic agents are non biodegradable and are not environment friendly. These agents are toxic and cause skin irritation and allergies. Bacteria develop resistance against synthetic antimicrobial agents and some synthetic agents show bioaccumulation effects [88]. Table 1 summarises the commonly used antimicrobial agents used in textile industry.


S. No.

1.

Biocidal antimicrobial agents

Chemical structure

QACs monoquaternary ammonium salt: alkyltrimethylammonium bromide

2.

Triclosan

Mode of Action

Fibre application

- Denature proteins, - Damage bacterial cell membrane, - Inhibit DNA replication, - Prevent proliferation of bacterial cells. [11,21,77]

Cotton Wool Nylon Polyester

- Blocking the lipid biosynthesis machinery, - Disrupting the integrity of cell membrane. [11,26,27]

Cellulose Nylon Polyester Polypropylene Acrylic

- Interact with phospholipids in bacterial cell membrane, - Leakage of cytoplasmic material [11,78,79]

Cotton Nylon Polyester

- Targets the cell metabolic and enzymetic processes, resulting in cell death.[80,21]

Cotton Wool Nylon Polyester

- Reactive oxygen species generated that targets the cellular DNA, proteins and lipids.[81,82]

Cotton Nylon Wool Polyester

- Low molecular weight chitosan inhibits mRNA synthesis - Preventing synthesis of proteins - High molecular weight chitosan causes leakage of bacterial cell - Release of cytoplasmic material

Cotton Wool Polyester

5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol

3.

PHMB Poly(iminocarbonimidoyliminocarbonim idoylimino-1,6-hexanediyl) hydrochloride

4.

N-halamines

N-chloro-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4piperidinyl methacrylate ZnO, CuO, TiO 2 5.

6.

Metal oxides

Zn O Cu O

Chitosan

(1,4)-2-Amino-2-desoxy- beta-D-glucan


Natural Antimicrobial Agents Natural antimicrobial agents are those which are obtained from plants and animals. These agents have gained more attention due to their characteristics such as they are eco-friendly (biodegradable), human skin friendly, so they are used in textiles, Pharmaceuticals, biomedical and healthcare ields. It has been observed that some speci ic species of herbs exhibit antimicrobial activity are considered for textile application [45]. Researchers have investigated that different parts of the plants such as leaves, stem, roots, lowers and bark can be used to get extracts which are rich in phenolic compounds, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, quinonoids,, lavonoids and terpenoids which exhibit strong antimicrobial properties[46,47].Researchers have observed that carvacrol and hydroca rb ons monoterpenes show synergistic effect. Same effects were reported for eugenol/thymol and eugenol/carvacrol against the bacteria E.coli. Eugenol and carvacrol disrupt the outer cell membrane of E.coli and allow eugenol to enter in the cytoplasm of bacterial cells. Due to this synergistic effect, it has been noticed that there is re duc ti o n o f c on ce nt rat io n requi re d to y ie l d antimicrobial effect as compared to s um of concentrations of puri ied components [48,49]. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), it is plant-based source and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The extract from its leaves have antifungal and antibacterial properties. It has been used in sutures, dressing gauzes and also in other medical textiles applications [50,51]. Aloe Vera extract is used for antibacterial inish on cellulose ibres and cotton. It is in signi icant use in biomedical and healthcare textiles [52]. Neem (Azadirachta indica) is another plant based source, it belongs to the family Meliaceae. extract from all parts of the plant have an effective antimicrobial potential. The bark extracts of neem have been successfully used on blended fabrics (cotton/polyester) and cotton [53,54,55]. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a fruit based plant source and its juice has antimicrobial action and is tested against selected enteric pathogens [56]. Papaya (Carica papaya) is also a fruit based plant source. Agar diffusion method was used to evaluate its antibacterial potential. Vitamin A, C and E , the three effective antioxidants, are present in its leshy fruit tissue. Its juice has an effective antimicrobial activity against gram negative bacteria [56,57,58,59]. Ginkgo biloba (Mantissa plantarum altera) is another plant based source with antimicrobial potential. It belongs to the family Ginkgoaceae. The extract obtained from Ginkgo biloba leaf contains 5 to 7% ginkgolides and bilobalide [60]. Researchers used Ginkgo leaf extract formulation containing crosslinking agent along with silicon softer and investigated its antimicrobial action against Tencel

fabric. Ginkgo extract is also used in cotton textile treatment for healthcare. [61].Standard Extract is considered to be eco friendly and its application also tested on medical and healthcare products. Due to its effective antimicrobial potential, it is used as inish on hospital beddings, surgical gowns, drapes, nurses' uniforms [61]. Standard concentrations of Ginkgo extract are recommended, beyond these concentrations, cytotoxicity observed [62,63,64]. Essential oil extracts from plant sources such as Rosemary (Rosmarinus of icinalis) and orange (Citrus sinensis) was used to evaluate antimicrobial action on blended fabric( 56% cotton and 44% polyester), different concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%) of each oil extract were used and tested against pathogenic fungi. It was interpreted that fabric treated with rosemary oil extract showed 56.99% reduction in growth of fungi and fabric treated with citrus peel oil extract showed 92.48% reduction in growth of pathogenic fungi[65]. Different parts of the plants such as Mint (Mentha arvensis), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) false daisy (Eclipta alba) and Leadwort (Plumbago Zeylanica) were dried, powdered, grounded and solvents used for extraction. After extraction, antimicrobial inish was applied on the fabric by pad dry cure and microencapsulation technique. The treated fabric with inish showed antimicrobial ef icacy till 15 washes [66]. Chitosan Chitosan (2-amino-2-deoxy-(1-4)-b-D glucopyranose is derived from chitin by deacetylation. It is derived from chitin, which is the second most abundant biopolymer following cellulose [67]. It is a polysaccharide based on aminosugars. Amine components present in chitin convert into quarterly amino units in acid solvents, which is the cause of its antimicrobial activity. The actual mode of its action still not known, three hypothetical models for its mode of action are; Positively charged chitosan groups undergo electrostatic interactions with negatively charged cell membrane of bacteria, that causes change in cell membrane permeability, that leads to osmotic imbalance, inally cell leakage and cell death. In the second mechanism, chitosan enters the nuclei of bacterial cells and inhibits DNA replication. In the third mechanism, chitosan has metal binding capacity; it binds the metal ions by chelation, suppresses spores, binds essential nutrients required for the growth of bacteria[68,69]. Chitosan is gaining interest and attention in the textile ield because of its biocidal nature and its coloring advantage. Due to amino groups present on it, it readily reacts with dyes which is a positive advantage for successful dyeing and printing [70]. When chitosan is complexed with other biocidal agents, its durability and ef icacy increase against microbes.


Chitosan can be mixed with citric acid (binder) and can be applied on cotton fabric by traditional pad dry cure method. Due to the presence of binder, chitosan can be applied on all types of fabrics [71,72,73]. Investigators reported that when chitosan complexed with bivalent cations such as Cu[II], Zn[II] and Fe[II], it was observed and interpreted that after complexing chitosan with bivalent metallic ions, its antimicrobial potential becomes higher due to accumulation of positive charge, so, combined effect of ions was more than the single component(74). Antibacterial polypeptides grafted with chitosan and used as microcapsules on fabric showed an effective antibacterial potential (75). Commercially available inishing products of chitosan are Eosy, it is based on chitosan biopolymer and Crabyon, which is a composite ibre of chitosan and viscose, both exhibit a durable and effective antimicrobial potential. Limitations of Natural or Plant based antimicrobial agents Natural agents are required in high concentration as a inish for application on fabric, in order to get maximum ef icacy. They cause fabric stiffness and change the texture of the fabric. Fabric becomes impermeable to air. However the Main concern of plant based inish is durability after laundering or washing fastness. Other limitations of natural agents including chitosan is problem in extraction process, separation of different bioactive components during extraction process and wash fastness or durability Besides having few limitations, still natural and plant based antimicrobial agents (herbal extracts) are used due to their biodegradable and non-toxic properties (84,85). Applications of Nanotechnology in antimicrobial inishing of textiles : Antimicrobial nanao inishing of textiles is advanced and growing area of research. Major application of antimicrobial nano inishing is majorly in biomedical textiles. Main focus of this area is to use nanoparticles based on nontoxic material such as starch, alginate and c h i t o s a n w h i c h a r e r e n e w a b l e bi o p o l y m e r s . Nanoparticles based on Zn[84], Cu[85,86], Ti[87,88], Au[89], Mg[90], alginate[91] and chitosan are being used in textile industry.It was determined by researchers that polysiloxane polymers, if embedded with methylene blue a n d g o l d n a n o p a r t i c l e s i n t r o d u c e d by sw e l l encapsulation shrink method, showed antimicrobial activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (gram positive bacteria) and E.coli (gram negative bacteria). 2nm gold (Au) particles along with embedded methylene blue enhanced signi icant antimicrobial activity[89].Magnesium luoride nano particles showed antimicrobial property. These particles restrict bio ilm

formation by pathogenic bacteria by attaching and penetrating into the bacterial cells ;indicated by scanning and tran smi ssi on el ectron mic rosco py. Hence magnesium chloride nanoparticles can be used to coat different surfaces , in order to restrict growth of bacteria and to develop bio ilms[90]. XP clad(c ) nanoparticle formulations have shown treating solid tumors and are used for drug, protein, peptides and nuceleic acid delivery[91]. Chitosan nanoparticles exhibit unique antibacterial activity. Invitro studies were done to evaluate antimicrobial activity of chitosan nanoparticles and copperloaded nanoparticles against E.coli, S. choleraesuis, S. typhimurium and S.aureu. AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) revealed that chitosan nanoparticles against S. choleraesuis showed antimicrobial effect by di sr uptin g the ce ll membra ne a nd l eakage of cytoplasm[92]. ZnO (Zinc oxide) is used as nanoparticle in multifunctional textiles exhibiting UV protection along with antibacterial effectivity. Zinc oxide when combined with chitosan[93] and synthetic polymers[94]exhibit effective antibacterial action. It was investigated that silver nanaopaticles ranging in size from 1 to 10 nm has more antibacterial effect and triangular shaped nanoparticles were considered to be more bacteriocidal than spherical and rod shaped particles[95]. To prepare composite nano ibres, suspension of silver particles is directly applied on electrospinning polymer solutions. More uniform dispersion of Ag nanoparticles was obtained by in-situ reduction of silver ions in the preelectrospinning solutions [96]. FUTURE PROSPECTS As we know that natural antimicrobial agents are gaining more attention, due to their bi ocompatibility, biodegradability, eco friendly nature, nontoxic and non carcinogenic properties, hence, future antimicrobial textiles will be plant based on plant sources. Natural agents have less durability, and high concentration of these agents is required to be applied on fabrics. Hence, future research is required to increase the durability of natural antimicrobial agents on fabrics and different binding agents and complex agents need to be investigated to increase durability as well as concerns of concentration usage. An effective antimicrobial inish for textiles should be able to kill or inhibit microbial growth, be quick acting, be compatible with other ingredients in the inishing formulation, be durable to wash or dry cleaning, be easy to apply for low cost and low toxicity criteria, and have minimal impacts on both the environment and the product quality. Nanotechnology may play a signi icant role in the development of antimicrobial textiles and further research is needed in this area.


CONCLUSION Nowadays, varieties of antimicrobial agents are available in the market such as synthetic inorganic agents, synthetic organic agents and natural antimicrobial agents. Synthetic agents are non-biodegradable, show toxicity, cause skin irritation, allergies and have serious bioaccumulation concerns. Natural antimicrobial agents, on the other hand are biodegradable, biocompatible, skin friendly, eco-friendly and non-toxic. They are more

promising as they show effective antimicrobial potential. Washing durability is the main disadvantage of these agents, but still these agents are widely accepted and gaining more interest. Nanoparticles which are plant based have advanced properties and provide protection to broad spectrum of pathogens as compared to conventional agents. The textiles inished with natural, plant based sources, can have future applications in biomedical, pharmaceutical and healthcare products.

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Abstract The present research work explores the significant impact of entrepreneurial opportunity in textile sector on Work-life balance of rural women through social media and also identifies the type of social media which is impacting more on their textile business. About 200 questionnaires were sent to women, who are engaged in textile business through social media in rural areas nearby Proddatur region, Andhra Pradesh (India) were considered for the survey based current research and 121 useful responses were received. Both correlation and regression analysis are used to find the relationship and impact of entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business on work-life balance of rural women in the above specified region. The results reveal that entrepreneurial opportunity in their textile business through social media has a positive impact and also has a significant influence on work-life balance of rural women. The results of the current research work confirms the information in the Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube are the four top most social media platforms for their textile business operations. These findings can help women to understand practically & academically about the opportunities which are available to start their textile business. Keywords : Entrepreneurship; opportunity; Women; Empowerment; Social Media; Textile Business; Work-life Balance

1. Introduction Women play an important role in the society. Country's economy will grow when majority of women are ready to work and contribute to the growth of the economy. Women economic activities triggers productivity and bring income equality and also enhance economic diversi ication (International Monetary fund, 2018). Employment opportunities for women are very less in rural areas. Even though they are educated, they are unable to work in nearby urban areas or towns due to their family and cultural restrictions. Educated women in rural areas show less interest to go for work because of their inability to strike a balance between work and family life. Social media plays a vital role in promoting the small textile business especially the rural women, who can interact, build network and promote their products easily. Textile industry is providing good entrepreneurial opportunities for women to run their small unit from home itself through different social media platforms. Sixth economic census revealed that around 13.76% business entrepreneurship are owned and running by women in India. 34.3% of women entrepreneurs are engaged in agro related business. It is important to note that women entrepreneurship is a pivotal force for the social development and growth of economy. Women in rural areas started self-employment through manufacturing textiles, handicrafts etc... Social media, a * All the correspondences shall be addressed to, Dr. Geevarghese Professor, School of Management, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Padur, Chennai E-mail: gvsam3@gmail.com, santhiponduri@gmail.com

major tool for women provides leverage to attract clients and to promote their products (Melissa et al., 2013; Upkere et al., 2014). Social media acts as dynamic tool to remove all social & economic hurdles of women, which includes lack of inancial and family support, gender discrimination, training etc. (Afroze e al., 2014; Genc & Oksuz, 2015). Social media provides bene its lexibility and less investment (Cesaroni et al., 2017). Social media is strongly considered as a tool for creating income (TosifyAan & Tosifyan, 2017). Therefore, this current research work identi ies the impact of entrepreneurial opportunity in textile on worklife balance of rural women through social media. Hence, the objectives of the study are: 1. To identify the type of social media that impacts more on entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business. 2. To investigate the impact of Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile on work-life balance of rural women through social media. 2. Literature Review Over the past decade, tremendous changes have been observed in the Environment of business. One such change is the social media also called Web 2.0 (Kadam &Ayarekar, 2014). At present, social media has varieties of platforms includes blogs, social networks, (Shabbir et al., 2016). Most popularly used networks used by business Entrepreneurs are Facebook, Instagram, Watssap, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest (Bajaj, 2017; Mehra, 2017; Maina, 2018). In the millineum, the boom for social network usage has increased. (Kadam & Ayarekar, 2014). This shows the way to interaction and


c o m mu n i c a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e c u s to m e r s a n d entrepreneurs, helps to reach their wide variety of products to their target customers (Smith & Taylor, 2004; Jagongo & Kinyua, 2013). Social media helps to increase market share and shows good strategies for business growth (Fruhling & Digman, 2000).The social media provide best opportunities to gain customer attention and also to retain them by building relationship between two parties (Mangold & Faulds, 2009). The main reason entrepreneurs using social media is the present generation expecting more lexibility and convenience to buy their products through online shopping (Tigo, 2012; Perju, 2015; Tosi fyan & Tosifyan, 2017). Social media provides number of opportunities for the entrepreneurs in their respective business environment (Park & Sung, 2017). Social media opens wonderful opportunities to the women entrepreneurs as well (Mukolwe & Korin, 2016). Women choosing social platforms to develop their business and also creating good customer network (Fisher & Reuber, 2011). Different types of social network platforms giving women an entrepreneurial opportunity by online selling and also helps to utilize their idle time productively to gain more pro its (Melissa et al., 2013; Upkere et al., 2014; Vivakaran & Maraimalai, 2016; Cesaroni et al., 2017); Women entrepreneurs are motivating towards usage of social media for their business because of low operating cost and less investment(Melissa et al., 2013; Upkere et al., 2014; Vivakaran & Maraimalai, 2016; Cesaroni et al., 2017). Women entrepreneurs run their business using social media from their home itself and it is very convenient to them to handle their Work-life Table 1: Demographic information: Variables Age Marital status Experience

Income

Category 25-35 36-45 Above 45 Married Single 0-5 years Above 5 years More than 50,000/25,000/To 50,000/Below 25,000/-

frequency percentage 86 24 11 89 32

71 20 09 74 26

92 29

76 24

42

35

60

50

19

15

Type of Social Media Face Book Watts up Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Frequency Percentage 52 36 17 12 04

43 30 14 10 03

balance easily and gain good income and autonomy (Melissa et al., 2013; Upkere et al., 2014; Vivakaran & Maraimalai, 2016; Cesaroni et al., 2017). Social media helps women entrepreneurs to promote their wide variety of products to their target customers easily, product enhancement and development is also possible (Baghdadi, 2013; Brengman & Karimov, 2012; Cesaroni et al., 2017). 3. Research Methodology The present research reveals the relationship between Entrepreneurial Opportunity in textile business for rural Women and their work-life balance through social media. 3.1 Hypothesis H1: Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business through social media has a statistical impact on Work-life balance of rural women. 3.2 Collection of Data & Samples For the collection of data, structured questionnaires were circulated to the women who are engaged in textile business in rural areas near to Proddatur region, Andhra Pradesh. 200 questionnaires were circulated and 121 valid and useful completed questionnaires were received for analysis. Table.1 shows the demographic information of present study. Out of 121 women entrepreneurs, 71% are between the age group of 25-35, 20% of women are between the age group of 36-45, 9% are the age group of above 45 years. Out of 121 women, 26% were single and 74% were married. Experience between 0-5 years are 76% and 24% of women having more than 5 years experience. Monthly income group of more than 50,000/- is 35%, income between 25,000/- to 50,000/- is 50% and income below 25,000/- is 15%. Table.2 shows the percentage of women entrepreneurs using different social media for their business. Around 43% of women are using Facebook for their business followed by watts up 30%, Instagram 14%, YouTube 10% and Pinterest only 3%. 3.3 Scales Work-life Balance is measured using 10 item scale de si gn ed by Ne temeye r et al ., (1 996) an d Entrepreneurial opportunity were measured using 4


item scale like “ I myself motivated to start my own venture after identifying the opportunities through social media”,.

Table 5: Correlation and signi icance between variables: Variable

Standard questionnaires has been used for collecting the data. Variables were measured using ive point likert scale having range from “Strongly disagree=1” to “Strongly agree=5”. 3.4 Reliability of variables In the Present research, Cronbach's alpha is used to ind the reliability of variables in research. According to Bagozzi & Yi (1988), the Cronbach's alpha value should b e g r e a t e r t h a n 0 . 6 0 . I n t h e p r e s e n t s t u dy, Entrepreneurial opportunity with 4 item scales has an alpha value of 0.72; Work-life Balance with 10 item scales has an alpha value of 0.8. Hence, all the variables have alpha greater than 0.60 and thus reliable.Table.3 shows the Cronbach alpha of variables in research. Table 3: Cronbach's alpha of Research variables: Research Variables

No. of Items in the scale

Alpha value

4

0.72

10

0.8

Entrepreneurial Opportunity Work-life Balance

4. Analysis & Results Table.4 reveals the mean and Standard Deviation of research variables and Table.5 reveals the result of correlation and signi icant impact of Entrepreneurial opportunity on Work-life Balance through Social Media. The analysis shows that F value as 20.86 at signi icant level of (p=0.000), which is less than 0.01. Correlation coef icient (R=0.386), shows positive relationship between the Entrepreneurial Opportunity and Work-life Balance. Coef icient of determination (R Square= 0.15) which shows a 15% change in Work-life balance (Dependant variable) has been explained by the Entrepreneurial Opportunity (Independent Variable). Hence, there is a signi icant impact of Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business through social media on Work-life balance of women entrepreneurs in rural areas. Thus, H1 is supported. Table 4: Mean and Standard Deviation of Variables: Variables

Mean

Standard Deviation

Entrepreneurial Opportunity

2.819

0.556

Work-life Balance

2.736

0.750

R

R Square

FSigni icance value

Entrepreneurial 0.386** 0.15 20.86 0.000 Opportunity Note: **P<0.01 (statistically signi icant at P<0.01) Independent Variable: Entrepreneurial Opportunity Dependant Variable: Work-life Balance 5. Discussion & Conclusion The hypothesis of the present study is Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business through social media has a signi icant impact on Work-life balance and supported the same (β=0.386, P=0.000). The result from the study is in compliance with the study results of the previous researchers (Melissa et al., 2013; Upkere et al., 2014; Vivakaran & Maraimalai, 2016; Cesaroni et al., 2017). The result also reveals that Facebook, Wattsup, Instagram and YouTube are the four top most impacting social media platforms for their textile business expansion. Hence the present study identi ied that Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile business through different social media platforms has an impact on Work-life balance of women in rural area. Women without disturbing their personal life they are gaining more pro its through online textile business and thus enjoying their empowerment.

6. Practical Implications of the study Entrepreneurial opportunity in textile industry through social media platforms helps women to start their own textile business without disturbing their personal life. Women can easily balance their work-life using social media platforms. It helps them not only in earning but also aids to meet their Socio-emotional needs, attaining empowerment and inally helps in developing the nation economically. Hence, it is suggested that every educated women in rural areas and in small towns can utilize this opportunity in textile business to elevate their economical condition and thus gain empowerment. 7. Limitations of the study & Future Research The present research work has some limitations. One such limitation is the research is limited only to Proddatur region of Andhra Pradesh and in future, the study can be extended in other regions. Other limitation is only one independent variable has been considered to identify the impact of work-life balance and in the future study, other independent variables like Technical feasibility, Network building etc. Further, the study is limited only to ladies garments, sarees & textile; future studies can be done in other type of textile business like gent's suits & garments, home décor textiles, kids wear, etc.


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Afroze, T., Alam, K., Akther, E. & Jui, S. N., Journal of Business and Technology (Dhaka).Women Entrepreneurs in BangladeshChallenges and Determining Factors. 9(2), pp.27-41 (2014). 2. Baghdadi, Y., Journal of Theoretical and Applied and Electronic Commerce Research .From E-commerce to social commerce: A framework to guide enabling cloud computing. 8(3), pp.12-38 (2013). 3. Bagozzi, R., & Yi, Y.)., Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. On the evaluation of structural evaluation models. 16(1), 74-94 (1988). 4. Bajaj, R., Top 10 Most Popular Social Sites and Apps in 2017. [Online] Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/ pulse/top-10-mostpopular-social-networking-sites-apps-2017-rajiv-bajaj. [Accessed 17th October 2018]. 5. Brengman, M. & Karimov, F. P., Management Research Review. The effect of web communities on consumers' initial trust in B2C ecommerce websites. 35(9), pp.791-817 (2012). 6. Cesaroni, F. M., Demartini, P. & Paoloni, P., African Journal of Business Management. Women in business and social media: Implications for female entrepreneurship in emerging countries. 11(14), pp.316-326 (2017). 7. Fischer, E. & Reuber, A. R., Journal of Business Venturing. Social interaction via new social media: (How) can interactions on Twitter affect effectual thinking and behavior? 26(1), pp.1-18 (2011). 8. Fruhling, A. L. & Digman, L. A., Journal of Electronic Commerce Research. The Impact of Electronic Commerce on Business-Level Strategies.1 (1), pp.13-22 (2000). 9. Genç, M. & Oksüz, B., Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. A fact or an Illusion: Effective social media usage of female entrepreneurs. 195, pp.293-300 (2015). 10. I n t e r n a t i o n a l M o n e t a r y F u n d ( 2 0 1 8 ) . P u r s u i n g W o m e n ' s E c o n o m i c E m p o w e r m e n t https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/Policy-apers/Issues/2018/05/31/pp053118pursuing-womens-economic empowerment 11. Jagongo, A. & Kinyua, C., International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. The Social Media and Entrepreneurship Growth (A New Business Communication Paradigm among SMEs in Nairobi). 3(10), pp.213-227 (2013). 12. Kadam, A. & Ayarekar, S., SIES Journal of Management. Impact of Social Media on Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurial Performance: Special Reference to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. 10(1), pp.3-11 (2014). 13. Maina, A. 20 Popular Social Media Sites Right Now. [Online] Available from: https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/05/ popular-socialmedia-sites.html [Accessed 18th October 2018]. 14. Mangold, W. G. & Faulds, D. J.,Business Horizons. Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. 52 , pp.357-365 (2009). 15. Mehra, G. (2017) 105 Social Networks Worldwide. [Online] Available from: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/105-leadingsocial-networks-worldwide [Accessed 20th October 2018]. 16. Melissa, E., Hamidati, A. & Saraswati, M. S., The IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication and Film. Social Media Empowerment: How Social Media Helps to Boost Women Entrepreneurship in Indonesian Urban Areas. 1(1), pp.77-90 (2013). 17. Mukolwe, E. & Korir, J., International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Social Media and Entrepreneurship: Tools, Bene its, and Challenges. A Case Study of Women Online Entrepreneurs on Kilimani Mums Marketplace on Facebook. 6(8), pp.248-256 (2016). 18. Park, J. Y. & Sung, C. S., Sustainability. Does Social Media Use In luence Entrepreneurial Opportunity? A Review of its Moderating Role. 9(1593), pp.1-16. (2017) [Accessed 20th October 2018]. 19. Perju, A., Procedia Economics and Finance. Gender Differences in Modeling the In luence of Online Marketing Communication on Behavioral Intentions.27, pp.567-573 (2015). 20. Shabbir, M. S., Ghazi, M. S. & Mehmood, A. R., Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review. Impact of Social Media Applications on Small Business Entrepreneurs. 6(203), pp.1-3. (2016) [Accessed 17th October 2018]. 21. Smith, P. & Taylor, J., Kogan Page Limited. Marketing Communications: An Integrated Approach. London (2004). 22. Tigo, M., Procedia Technology. Revisiting the Impact of Integrated Internet Marketing on Firms' Online Performance. European Evidences.5, pp.418-426 (2012). 23. Tosifyan, M. & Tosifyan, S., Italian Journal of Science & Engineering. A Research on the effect of social media on tendency to entrepreneurship and business establishment (Case Study: Active Iranian Entrepreneurs in Social Media). 1(1), pp.43-48 (2017). 24. Upkere, C. L., Slabbert, A. D. & Upkere, W. I., Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. Rising Trend in Social Media Usage by Women Entrepreneurs across the Globe to Unlock Their Potentials for Business Success. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(10), pp.551-559 (2014). 25. Vivakaran, M. V. & Maraimalai, N., Gender and Education. Feminist pedagogy and social media: A study on their integration and effectiveness in training budding women entrepreneurs. 1(1), pp.1-21(2016). [Accessed 18th October 2018].


Abstract Corn, a renewable resource, is the starting point for the manufacture of Polylactic Acid. Polylactic acid is biodegradable and hence serves as a good alternative for the non-biodegradable polyester (PES) fibre in textiles. This article gives a synopsis of how lactic acid obtained from corn can be further polymerized and the advantages of the PLA fibre formed thereafter. This article aims to provide a concise and focused description of the textile processing methods, such as wet pretreatment, dyeing, after treatments and hydrophobic and hydrophilic finishes given to the sustainable PLA fibre. Keywords: Corn, Polylactic acid, biodegradable, polyester fibre, wet processing

Every year 110 million tons of textile waste is generated, out of which around 65% are synthetic textiles which means more than half of the waste is non-biodegradable and hence is an alarming concern for us. In general a PET(Polyethylene Terephthalate) fabric takes 450 years to decompose. This COVID pandemic has opened the eyes of the consumers not only to the need for hygiene but also for the use of safer chemicals in the manufacturing sector so that the consumers' health and the environment are both protected. In a survey taken by Cotton Inc, 66%[22] of consumers responded that health and safety is the top pri ority for them. The pande mi c has brought sustainability to the centre stage as never before, since for the irst time consumers are questioning the way we are damaging the planet through unbridled production and consumption, without thinking of the impact on the environment. Before the pandemic it was only brands that were pushing the sustainability aspect but now the consumers are demanding it. The cornerstone of this article is to highlight that PLA, which is biodegradable, can replace PET ibre up to a certain extent. The article provides the reader with detailed information regarding how PLA is extracted from corn, the manufacturing process of the PLA ibre and the subsequent wet processing and properties of the ibre. LACTIC ACID FROM CORN: Carothers discovered Polylactic Acid in 1932 by producing a low molecular weight product by heating lactic acid under vacuum.There has been a decrease in * All the correspondences shall be addressed to, Yash Doshi, Third year Textile Engineering student at Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai Email : 18txtyh.doshi@ug.ictmumbai.edu.in

Fig.1 Corn, a renewable resource, is the main raw material to produce PLA cost of the manufacturing process of lactic acid which is used to make PLA polymers and this has taken place due to the recent developments in the fermentation of [1] dextrose. Usually, the substrates used for the production of lactic acid at a commercial scale are glucose and sucrose. The downside is that the fermentation process involving these is quite costly. [2] Most abundantly available, costeffective raw material such as starch from corn is being used to some extent for lactic acid production. However, this is a two-step process that includes sacchari ication by acid or base or microbial amylase, followed by lactobacillus fermentation. Hence, an alternative strategy that involves direct conversion of starch to lactic acid using both amylolytic and acid producing organisms would considerably reduce the cost of production, as the liquefaction and sacchari ication processes will be eliminated. In the recent past some work has been carried out to develop production strains using starch as fermentation substrate.[4] Today, the PLA cycle starts from corn. The energy initially consumed is s ol ar ener gy wh ich is used in


photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide, along with chlorophyll and sunlight, lead to the f o rm a ti on of c a r bo hydr a te a n d ox yg e n . Th i s carbohydrate CH2O is mainly sucrose and starch. Corn kernel contains starch, ibres, fats, water, proteins, and ash. To separate out the starch, the corn is sent to the corn wet mills after harvest. After this the starch obtained is converted to dextrose by enzymatic hydrolysis. The dextrose is then fermented into lactic [3] acid. Fermentation of starch to lactic acid:The fermentation of starch can be done in various ways, two of which are discussed here: 1. Fermentation by lactobacillus amylophilus GV6 strain Lactobacillus amylophilus GV6 is used to ferment the starch part of corn into lactic acid. Starch to lactic acid conversion ef iciency is more than 90% by strain GV6. The strain GV6 produces high yields of lactic acid per gram of substrate utilized with pure starch, such as corn starch, yielding 92–96% at low substrate concentrations in 2 days. [5] Table 1. Lactic acid produced for different corn starch concentrations, using GV6 strains[5] Lactic Lactic Fermentat Substrate Substrate Acid Acid -ion time Degraded conc (g/l) Produced Yield (days) (g/l) (g/l) (g/g)a Corn Starch 10 2 9.4 8.8 0.94 40 3 37.6 32.6 0.89 70 4 58.1 49.1 0.85 100 5 50.1 39.2 0.78 CD at 5% 2.0 6.6 0.02 g/g - gram lactic acid per gram substrate 2. Lactic acid can further be obtained from corn stover using various different bacteria or fungi strains. One such example can also be the mixed cultures of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus brevis. Lactic acid yield of 0.70 g/g was obtained from NaOH-treated corn stover with a mixed culture of L. rhamnosus and L. brevis[6] POLYMERIZATION OF LACTIC ACID INTO POLYLACTIC ACID: There are two major routes to produce polylactic acid from the lactic acid monomer: Route 1 involves removal of water by the use of solvent under high vacuum and temperatures. The condensation polymerization is the least expensive route. However, the use of coupling agents or esteri ication-promoting adjuvants is required, making it a complex process. The self-condensation of lactic acid results in a low-

mole cu lar -wei ght produ ct wi th a n e qui mo la r concentration of hydroxyl and carboxyl end-groups. Disadvantages of this route include relatively large reactor required, the need for evaporation, recovery of the solvent and increased colour and racemization. This approach was used by Carothers and is used by Mitsui Tuatsu Chemicals, incorporated to produce a low to intermediate molecular weight polymer. Route 2 is to remove water under milder conditions, without solvent, to produce a cyclic intermediate dimer referred to as lactide. This monomer is readily puri ied under vacuum distillation. Ring opening polymerization of the dimer is accomplished under heat- again without the need for solvent. By controlling the purity of the dimer it is possible to produce a wide range of molecular weights. The ring-opening lactide mechanism was introduced by Carothers but was further developed by DuPont.[7][8] The detailed mechanism is as shown below:

Fig 2. Cationic ring opening polymerization to produce PLA BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS: Overall mechanism for production of PLA from corn is as shown below. First starch is extracted from corn and then fermentation is carried out. Fermentation can be done in various ways depending on the bacterium strain chosen. Lactic acid is obtained as the fermentation product which is then polymerized to give PLA. Lactic acid can give PLA via 2 methods- direct condensation or ring opening polymerization. The ring opening polymerization method is preferred industrially.


Fig 3. An overview showing the steps involved in obtaining PLA from corn[2] Both PLA and PET behave according to their own prope rti es; thi s shoul d be con sid ered by the manufacturer. No special machienary is required for knitting. In weaving, the additional points for attention should be: if a size is being applied, to use a PVA or watersoluble size to avoid any need for strong alkali de-sizing and to minimize tensions due to the high ibre extension.[9]

Fig 4. Polylactic Acid crystals PLA TO PLA FIBRE: PLA ibres are melt spun like PET. In fact, it is the only naturally derived ibre that is produced by melt spinning. Both staple and ilament ibres can be produced. The setup conditions required for weaving and knitting are similar, dyeing is usually done by disperse dyes and heat treatment can be given to provide dimensional stability.

Fig 5. Polylactic acid ibre


PROPERTIES OF PLA FIBRE: Crimp- By processing PLA can achieve good degree pf crimp and retention. Fibre types- Both ilament yarns and spun yarns can be made from PLA. Moisture regain- Extremely low, however, higher than that of PET. UV resistance- The strength loss is very low as compared to other ibres as PLA does not absorb light in the visible region of the spectrum. Biological Resistance – PLA ibres are not antimicrobial and they require a suitable after treatment. Solubility- Dry cleaning solvents does not affect PLA and with regards to chemicals PLA has limited solubility. [9] Table 2. Properties of PLA ibre[10] Fibre Properties Tensile Strength (Tenacity) Good Chemical Resistance Fair Abrasion Resistance Low Absorbency Low Heat Resistance Poor Resistance to Sunlight Excellent Elastic Recovery Good Burns (Low Flammability/Smoke smoke) Resilience Good

DIFFERENCE IN PROPERTIES OF PET AND PLA: Polylactic acid and the conventional polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, have been used at par for a while now, since these materials are both hard, stiff and have versatile applications. However, it is imperative to know the difference between the two, so that each can be used aptly and can give maximum output.  PLA is much more susceptible to chemical and

The total melting enthalpy of PLA ibres is 11% less than PET ibres. PLA ibres are not as thermally stable as PET ibres. Crystallinity of PLA ibres is greater than that of PET ibres. Table 3. Difference in properties of PLA and PET ibres Fibre Properties Speci ic Gravity Tm(°C) Tenacity(g/d) Elastic Recovery (5% strain) Moisture Regain %

Flammability

Smoke Generation LOI% Refractive Index

PLA 1.25 130-175 6

PET 1.39 254-260 6

93

65

0.4-0.6 Continues to burn 2mins after lame recovered 63 26 1.35-1.45

0.2-0.4 Continues to burn 6 mins after lame recovered 394 20-22 1.54

Table 4. Comparison of raw material type and possibility of recycling and biodegradation of PLA and PET polymer and ibres Indexes Initial Raw material base Biodegradation of polymer and ibre wates Recycling of polymer and ibre wastes

PLA FIBRES Renewable plant stock Total

Total recycling possible

PET FIBRES Petroleum Products Does not degrade Total recycling possible

is that PET is non-biodegradable whereas PLA is biodegradable. Hence, application of PLA ibres shoul d be promote d so as to protec t the environment. Due to its biodegradability, PLA can be used in compostable green waste bags.

Why choose PLA over PET?  PLA shows good moisture management properties which ind applications in breathable clothing. PLA has better wicking properties (wicking property is the virtue by which PLA ibres can draw away moisture from the body) as compared to PET ibres. PLA ibres wick moisture ef iciently, without absorbing excessive water. This is why PLA ibres are used over PET ibres for sports and performance apparel.

 The glass transition temperature of PLA is 20°C less

 For a given concentration of disperse dyes on ibres

biological hydrolysis as compared to PET. PET shows good chemical resistance to dilute and concentrated acids, alcohol, halogens and ketones.  One of the major differences between PET and PLA

than that of PET, so PLA can be dyed at lower temperatures as compared to PET.  When the PLA and PET ibres are compared, there

are some substantial differences observed.[11]

of similar measurements, deeper shades of PLA can be achieved as compared to PET. This is because of the lower refractive index of PLA as that of PET.


 PLA ibre-based clothes show a lower retention

of odour as compared to PET ibre-based clothes. Hence, the foul odour of sweat is not retained for a long time when clothes made of PLA are worn by one.  PLA ibres show better crease resistance as

compared to PET ibres.  Moreover, PLA is highly resistant to ultraviolet

degradation.

[12]

Disadvantages of using PLA:  As seen in the table above, the melting point of PLA is lower than that of PET. This causes some issues regarding the end uses. For example, ironing and garment processing temperatures for PLA should be lower than that for PET.  Scroop- PLA has a surface cohesion property

known as scroop. When the PLA ibres are rubbed against one another, a crunchiness is felt. This scroop property can adversely affect the resilience of PLA ibres and hence lead to dif icult recovery post some applications. This problem can be overcome by applying a fabric inish.[11] WET PROCESSING OF PLA FIBRES: Wet processing is an essential stage of textile manufacturing process. It is during the wet processing where the required chemical as well as mechanical treatments are given to the fabric/yarn/ ibre to develop it according to the required application. PLA has many properties which are similar to other synthetic ibres. PLA ibres are usually bulk dyed before spinning. These ibres can be dyed with disperse dyes. But the dyeing and inishing conditions are to be modi ied to maximise their end use. PLA has low af inity towards conventional water soluble dyes. Conventional processing and inishing technology can be used for PLA fabrics. The temperature needs to be reduced since the melting point of PLA is lower than that PET.

fats that may be present in the knitted fabrics . For example, no deleterious effects on either molecular weight or fabric burst strength were observed after alkaline scouring using 2 g/litre soda ash and 0.5 g/litre (non-ionic surfactant, BASF) for 20 minutes at 60 ºC . Bleaching Bleaching is done to destroy the colouring matter present in the substrate using peroxides without the subsequent degradation of the ibre. Alkaline peroxide bleaching can be done in order to provide an optic white on a PLA/cotton blend, although when this was done a reduction in the mechanical properties of PLA ibre was observed.[13] Dyeing PLA has a glass transition temperature of 55-65°C which is about 20°C lower than that of PET. So, PLA can be dyed at 110°C, which is less than the temperature required for dyeing of PET. This leads to energy saving. It can also be dyed under atmospheric temperature conditions with the help of appropriate diffusion accelerators. The shade depth of PLA is expected to be darker as compared to PET as the refractive index of PLA is lower. This leads to lower consumption of dyes. As discussed earlier PLA is sensitive to alkalinity and acidity. Under acidic conditions the deg ree of polymerization decreases because of chain scission. Thus dyeing is carried out at neutral to nearly acidic conditions. The optimum dyeing conditions are 110°C, at a pH of 5-6. The dye ibre bonding is inferior as compared to PET, resulting is weak rub fastness for disperse dyes with PLA. [14]

Fig 6. Disperse Dyeing Procedure used for PLA fabric[13]

Blends of PLA are common for apparel applications. The required processes for PLA and PLA-blends have been developed. PLA has poor alkali resistance and thus exposure to alkali can cause hydrolysis which in turn results in strength loss. This has to be factored in during wet processing. ScouringScouring should be done on all knitted fabrics to remove the impurities such as mill dirt, knitting lubricants etc. Scouring ensures uniform dyeing and minimizes the stains and fastness issues by removing oils, waxes and [13

Fig 7. K/S curves of C.I. Disperse Red 60 on PLA and PET


degradation and damage were observed as judged from molecular weight and burst strength measurements after repeated laundering with different washing cycles (from hand wash at 40ºC to hot machine wash at 70ºC), which simulated ive washings. The PLA fabric appearance remained very good without creasing, with a very clean surface after washing. As discussed earlier washing should be done at an appropriate pH to avoid degradation of the fabric.[13] Fig. 8 Dyed PLA ibres AFTER TREATMENTS: Hydrophobic Finish- PLA ibre is susceptible to hydrolytic degradation which can reduce the life span of the ibre. So a hydrolysis resistant inish can avoid or delay the degradation. Apart from this, hydrophobic inish can improve the water repellent features making it acceptable for water proof applications. Repellan XPF is an example of hydrophobic inishing agent. The inish could form a hydrophobic thin ilm on the surface of the textile ibre through self-crosslinking and the esteri ication of the hydroxyl on the methylolmelamine moiety with the carbonyl end-group of PLA polymer. Citric acid was analytical-reagent grade [15] which was used in this case. Hydrophilic Finish A hydrophilic coating was applied on PET as well as PLA during an experiment. A PEG–DMDHEU coating was applied by Pad Dry Cure method to obtain highly crosslinked PEG with acceptable fastness properties due to the possibility of ixation PEG on the ibre surface at lower temperature than melting point of PLA ibres. The structure of PLA allowed this substrate to bind higher amounts of solid polymer which resulted in superior thermal activity and better static charge dissipation with much lower surface resistance as compared with PET fabric. There were changes in a few other aspects as well such as air permeability of PLA reduced but remained nearly the same for PET.[16] Flame Retarding Finish Flame retarding inish can be achieved by improving the LOI of the substrate, for Non-woven PLA fabrics it can be achieved by applying a inish with a cyclic phosphonate ester lame retardant by pad-dry-cure technique. Analysis was done and the LOI value was observed to be [17] 35% where as for the untreated fabric it was 26.3%. Washing Laundering involves mechanical agitation along with effects of elevated tempratures, water and detergents. No

Applications of PLA ibre: PLA ibres bridge the gap between natural and synthetic ibres, since these are used not only for medical and pharmaceutical applications, but also for making clothing, houseware and environmentally friendly ilms for packaging. PLA ibres are sparking much interest in various sectors due to the ease of melt processing and their renewable source origin. PLA is used to make:  Pillows, comforters, mattresses and duvets  sports apparel, active wear and fashion wear  wipes, hygiene products and agricultural and

geo textiles PLA ibre can be used to make other ibre forms like staple ibre, mono ilament, multi ilament knitted structure, woven structure etc. PLA ibres are versatile and can be used in combination with wool, cotton or lyocell. For example, Nature Works LLC promotes the IngeoTM ibre for use in apparel, ibreill, carpets, furnishings, nonwoven, and industrial applications. Clothes and pillows are chie ly made from this ibre. [18] PLA ibre usage faces a shortcoming due to the higher costs involved in processing as compared to the processing of conventional ibres. This can be overcome by providing ibrous reinforcement or using cellulose illers, thereby making the PLA ibre much more useful. Toyota and Ford have used PLA ibre/composites for the interior parts of their cars such as carpet mats, canvas roofs etc. Raum and Prius car models of Toyota have been using PLA ibres since 2003.[19] PLA ibre blended with cotton is widely used to make clothes. The only limitation of PLA/cotton and PLA/silk [20] blends is the prolonged dyeing time. Summary PLA has a lot of potential but to completely replace PET (called PES ibre in the textile domain currently) it will take years of research and development.190,000 tons of PLA was produced in 2019. Whereas, 1.28 million tons of


PET is produced only in USA alone. Approximately after every 3–4 years, the global market for PLA demand doubles. PLA costs more than the conventional petroleum based plastics and the mechanical and physical properties are less. But this growth is strongly affected by the novel government policies-a number of regulations have been installed by many governments to

restrict the usage of traditional plastics and promote the bio-degradable plastic industry. As a consumer what we can do is buy as well as demand more and more bio degradable products rather than conventional products, thereby ful illing our duty of protecting the environment. [21]

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Avinc, O., & Khoddami, A. (2009). Overview of poly (lactic acid)(PLA) ibre. Fibre Chemistry, 41(6), 391-401.

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Pranas Vitkevicius, (2017), Synthesis of Polylactic acid, Master's thesis, Chemical Engineering, AAU ESBJERG

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Vishnu, C., Seenayya, G., & Reddy, G. (2002). Direct fermentation of various pure and crude starchy substrates to L (+) lactic acid using Lactobacillus amylophilus GV6. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 18(5), 429-433.

6.

Hang, Y. D. (1989). Direct fermentation of corn to L (+)-lactic acid byRhizopus oryzae. Biotechnology letters, 11(4), 299-300.

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Vink, E. T., Rabago, K. R., Glassner, D. A., & Gruber, P. R. (2003). Applications of life cycle assessment to NatureWorks™ polylactide (PLA) production. Polymer Degradation and stability, 80(3), 403-419.

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Cui, F., Li, Y., & Wan, C. (2011). Lactic acid production from corn stover using mixed cultures of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus brevis. Bioresource technology, 102(2), 1831-1836.

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Poly(lactic acid) ibers D W F A R R I N G T O N, Consultant, UK, J LUN T, S D AVIE S, NatureWorks LLC, USA and R S B L A C K B U R N, University of Leeds, UK

10. S.M. Davachi and B. Kaffashi, Polymer-Plastics Tech. & Eng., Vol. 54, 9, pp 944-967 (2015) 11. X. M. Zhuang and Xiaotong Yan, article on Research Gate, Comparison of structure and properties between polylactide and polyethylene terephthalate ibres. 12. Ozan Avinc, Akbar Khoddami, OVERVIEW OF POLY(LACTIC ACID) (PLA) FIBRE Part I: Production, Properties, Performance, Environmental Impact, and End-use Applications of Poly(lactic acid) Fibres- Fibre Chemistry, Vol. 41, No. 6, 2009 13. Ozan Avinc*, Akbar Khoddami** Fibre Chemistry, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2010 OVERVIEW OF POLY(LACTIC ACID) (PLA) FIBRE Part II: Wet Processing; Pretreatment, Dyeing, Clearing, Finishing, and Washing Properties of Poly(lactic acid) 14. Dr. Ashok Athalye, Arindam Chakraborty and Jaykumar Naik Technical Service, Atul Ltd, Colourage Publications Issue October 2017, Colouration of PLA- a sustainable renewable polymer Atul- 396 020, Valsad, Gujarat, India. 15

Mingbo Ma† and Wenlong Zhou*,†,‡ † Improving the Hydrolysis Resistance of Poly(lactic acid) Fibre by Hydrophobic Finishing College of Materials and Texitles, ‡ Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology (Ministry of Education), Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China

16. Akbar Khoddami a,*, Ozan Avinc b, Fatemeh Ghahremanzadeha Improvement in poly(lactic acid) fabric performance via hydrophilic coating Department of Textile Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan 84156-8311, Iran b Department of Textile Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Pamukkale University, Denizli 20070, Turkey 17. Xian-Wei Cheng, Jin-Ping Guan, Ren-Cheng Tang, Kai-Qiang Liu Improvement of lame retardancy of poly(lactic acid) nonwoven fabric with a phosphorus- containing lame retardant. Journal Of Industrial Textiles Article available in:Vol 46, Issue 3, 2016 18. Avinc, O., & Khoddami, A. (2009). Overview of poly (lactic acid)(PLA) ibre. Fibre Chemistry, 41(6), 391-401. 19. Fiori, S. (2014). Industrial uses of PLA. RSC Polymer Chemistry Series, (12), 317-335. 20. Dawson, T. (2012). Progress towards a greener textile industry. Coloration Technology, 128(1), 1-8. 21. K. Jim Jem,Bowen Tan, The development and challenges of poly (lactic acid) and poly (glycolic acid) Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research ,Elsevier ,April 2020 © 2020 Kingfa SCI. & TECH. CO., LTD. Production and Hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 22. Prasad Pant, Director ZDHC, VOL. LXVII No. 9 September 2020 Colourage, Pg-31.


Abstract Harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton fabric has been dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves under different process conditions. Each process variable has been optimized with respect to the surface colour strength, other colour related parameters and fastness to light, wash and rubbing. The antimicrobial property of cotton dyed under optimized condition has been evaluated. pH and MLR of the dye-bath have been identified as the predominating dyeing process variables and cotton dyed with neem leaves extract under optimized conditions shows better balance of properties with high surface colour strength (K/S), good light, wash and rubbing fastness. Hardatreated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton shows significant antimicrobial property against gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria till 72 hrs of inhibition. Keywords: Anti-microbial property, Colour fastness, Harda-treatment, Natural dye, Neem leaves.

1. Introduction Recent revival in the use of natural dyes for textile colouration has been mainly due to the stringent environmental standards imposed in response to the toxic and allergic reactions that is associated with synthetic dyes and their use. Natural dyes in comparison to synthetic dyes are non-allergic [1], non-toxic [2] and exhibits biodegradability [3] though they are associated with high cost [4] and poor reproducibility of shades [5]. A number of shades have been developed on cotton [6, 7, 8, 9] and other ibres [10, 11, 12, 13] using natural dyes. Some authors [14, 15, 16] have also studied the effect of these natural dyes or bio-agents in rendering functional anti-bacterial properties. Among them chickpea husk [14], Delonix regia stem shell [17], walnut shells [18], gallnut [19], pomegranate rind [20], coconut shell extract [6] are popular. Works by some authors show application of various extracts on different ibres to have effective results against S.aureus and E.coli bacteria. Cotton dyed with coconut shell extract [6] under an alkaline pH showed excellent resistant towards these microbes. Jose et al [14] reported cotton and silk ibre treated with chickpea husk to posses higher resistance towards S.aureus and E.coli and this effect was better on silk. Silk when dyed with methanol extracted delonix regia stem shell [17] showed higher activity against bacteria (S.aureus and E.coli). Pomegranate rind and onion peel extract used in 50:50 ratio imparted very good bacterial resistance to silk ibre [20]. Though neem leaves have been known for their anti-bacterial properties [21], their * All the correspondences shall be addressed to, Prof. Deepali Singhee, Principal, J.D. Birla Institute, Kolkata E-mail: deepalisingheejdbi@gmail.com Mob. : +91 7383117171

use on textiles for imparting this functional property is sporadic and limited. Azadirachta indica known as neem or Indian Lilac and belonging to Meliaceae (mahogany family) is a fastgrowing tree that is widely distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh, the southern part of Iran. Although, the tree is evergreen and grows fast, it is also deciduous in nature and sheds its leaves at the end of the growing season though it is never completely bare. Thus, the leaves are available, every year, in abundance, as a forest waste [22]. Neem is associated with a variety of medicinal and germicidal properties that is attributed to phytochemical compounds present in its leaves, bark, seeds and other parts of the plant [21]. Its seeds and leaves have been used not only to treat a number of human ailments due to its immune modulatory, anti-in lammatory, antiarthritic, anti-pyretic, hypoglycaemic, diuretic, anti-gastric ulcer, anti-in lammatory, anti-bacterial, antifungal, anti-malarial, anti-viral and anti-tumour properties [23], but also as a household pesticide [24, 25, 26]. At the same time its bark and leaves are a good source of tannins and are used in tanning and dyeing of a number of products [27]. Some studies have been conducted on the use of neem leaves extract as a adsorbent to remove colours and dyes from industrial ef luents [28, 29]. Neem extract is not completely water soluble and thus Bukhari et al [21] used methanol and acetone as co-solvents with water to increase solubility of the pigments from neem leaves extract and also identi ied the presence of quercetin ( lavonoid) in the neem extract. Though neem is associated with such


interesting dyeing related and functional properties, studies on its use for dyeing and functional inishing of textiles are limited and sporadic. Mohammad Zuber [30] isolated tannin from neem bark using microwave radiation and used it for dyeing chemical and bio mordanted silk fabric. Kumar et al studied the mothef icacy of wool dyed with neem [31]. Nabawia et al highlighted the potential of neem leaves in the dyeing of wool in shades of yellow with good wash and fairly good light fastness that too without the use of any mordants [32]. Patel dyed polyurethane ibres with good fastness properties and antimicrobial resistivity using neem leaves extract [33]. In the present study efforts have been made to optimize the process conditions for extraction and dyeing to dye cotton with aqueous extract of neem leaves. It has already been reported in literature that nimbolide present in the neem leaves exhibit antifungal and bactericidal activity against S. aureus and S. Coagulase [34], while mahmoodin possesses antibacterial activity against some human pathogenic bacteria [35]. Keeping this in mind, the antimicrobial properties of cotton dyed with neem leaves extract has also been explored to ind suitable end use for neem dyed cotton fabric in the ield of personal apparel, intimate and medical textiles. 2. Material & Methods 2.1 Materials Bleached, undyed and plain weave 100% cotton fabric having 65 ends and 54 picks with arial density 104 g/m2 and 0.42 mm fabric thickness was used in the present work. Neem leaves collected from ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, Kolkata and dried harda (myrobolan fruits) obtained from a local supplier were further dried in sun and powdered using a mechanical grinder. The colouring component present in neem leaves are mainly nimbin and polyphenols (gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin and quercetin) [21, 36]. Quercetin is a lavanol with a hydroxyl group in position 3 of the C ring while catechins or dihydro lavonols are 3 hydroxy derivatives of lavanones [37].

Nimbin

Gallic acid

Commercial grade laboratory reagent (LR) grade aluminium sulphate 16-hydrate [(Al2(SO4)3.16H2O] as the mettalic mordant; acetic acid and sodium carbonate for adjusting pH; hydrochloric acid (HCl) for desizing; sodium hydroxide and non-ionic surfactant for scouring obtained from E. Merck, India was used. Aluminium sulphate is an eco-friendly mordant as compared to other common metallic mordants namely ferrous sulphate, copper sulphate, stannous chloride and potassium di-chromate. as it bio-degradable and reduced the ef luent load and has thus been selected for the purpose of mordanting [38]. 2.2. Methods 2.2.1 Desizing of cotton fabric Bleached cotton fabric was desized using 25ml/l of 3.6% hydrochloric acid at 60°C for 60 min using MLR 1:20 [39]. 2.2.2 Scouring of cotton fabric The desized cotton fabric was scoured using 3 gpl NaOH and 3gpl of soap (non-ionic surfactant 100°C for 2hr using MLR 1:20 and maintaining pH at 12 using sodium carbonate [40]. 2.2.3. Treatment of scoured cotton fabric with myrobolan 10% owf of harda was soaked for overnight at room temperature using MLR 1:10. This paste was mixed with a known volume of water and heated for 30 min at 80°C. The solution was iltered using a muslin cloth. The scoured cotton fabric was treated with this extracted myrobolan (harda) solution for 30min at 80°C and inally washed. 2.2.4 Optimization of mordant (aluminium sulphate) concentration Scoured cotton fabric was mordanted with varying concentrations (10-50%) of aluminium sulphate calculated on the weight of the fabric (owf) at 60°C for 30 min using MLR 1:20 and the mordant concentration was optimized on the basis of minimum strength loss, maximum colour yield and good colour fastness properties of the treated cotton fabric. 2.2.5 Pre-mordanting of myrobolan-treated cotton fabric with aluminium sulphate

Catechin (* = S) Epicatechin (* = R)

Quercetin


The harda-treated cotton fabric was pre-mordanted with optimized concentration of aluminium sulphate at 60°C for 30 min using MLR 1:20 followed by thorough rinsing in running water and air drying. 2.2.6. Aqueous extraction of dye from neem leaves The colouring matter was extracted in water from the powdered sun-dried neem leaves at variable process conditions of pH (2-11), MLR (1:10-1:50), temperature (RT-100°C) and time (15-90 min) followed by iltration of the extracted solution using a muslin cloth. Before extraction, the powdered leaves were soaked in water in the ratio of 5:100 for 30 minutes. The conditions of extraction were optimized with respect to the highest optical density of the extracted solution. 2.2.7. Dyeing of aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton with neem leaves extract The harda-treated and aluminium sulphate premordanted cotton samples were dyed with the solution of neem leaves extracted at optimized conditions of pH, MLR, time and temperature. While varying a particular parameter, the other were kept constant at 7.5 (pH), 1:30 (MLR), 45 min (time) and 90°C (temperature). After dyeing, the samples were rinsed thoroughly in running water and air dried in shade. 2.2.8 Testing and Evaluation 2.2.8.1 Measurement of fabric thickness Fabric thickness was measured as per ASTM 1777-96 (2019) [41] test method. The fabric was kept on a lat anvil of a fabric thickness gauge tester (manufactured by Sasmira) and the circular pressure foot was pressed on to it with a standard load. The thickness (in mm) reading were read off from the dial on the instrument. 2.2.8.2 Measurement of Fabric Arial Density The Arial density or grams per square meter (GSM) of the fabric was calculated by ASTM D3776-96 test method [42]. 2.2.8.3 Measurement of breaking tenacity and breaking extension Warp-way and weft-way breaking tenacities (cN/tex) and the breaking extension (%) of aluminium sulphate treated cotton fabric were measured following raveled strip method with sample size 10cm × 2.5cm as per IS:1969:1968 procedure [43] using an Instron (model1445) CRT-Universal tensile tester with a traverse speed of 100 mm/min and a pretension of 0.5 N. The inal gauze length (sample size) of the fabric sample was 50mm × 20mm after raveling.

2.2.8.4 Measurement of Whiteness Index The degree of whiteness of the fabric sample was measured using a Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software and has been expressed on the basis of the Hunter equation of CIE [44] by: Hunter whiteness: 100 – [(100-L2) +a2 + b2]½ 2.2.8.5. Wavelength of maximum absorption The maximum absorbance wavelength of 1% aqueous extract (1gm of powdered neem leaves extracted in 100 ml of water at 900C for 30 min) of neem leaves (natural dye) was identi ied by evaluating the relative optical densities of the solution at different wavelengths (360700 nm visible range) using Hitachi-U-2000 UV-VIS absorbance spectrophotometer. 2.2.8.6. Surface colour strength K/S value is considered as an index for the surface dye uptake, i.e. higher the K/S value, higher is the surface dye uptake of the sample [45]. Surface colour strength of the dyed cotton fabric was estimated in terms of K/S values (Kubelka Munk function) [46, 47] by measuring surface re lectance of each of the dyed samples at the λmax using a Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software. The surface re lectance values were converted to K/S using the following relationship: (1-Rλmax) 2 K/S

=

α CD 2R λmax

where, K = coef icient of absorption, S = coef icient of scattering, Rλmax = surface re lectance value of sample at wavelength of where maximum absorption occurs for a particular constant, λ ma x = maximum absorbance wavelength and CD = concentration of dye. 2.2.8.7. Colour interaction parameters Total colour difference (ΔE), lightness/darkness (L*), redness/greenness (a*), blueness/yellowness (b*), change in chroma (ΔC), and change in hue ((ΔH), values were measured before and after dyeing to compare the shade depth and colour differences of each dyed sample against particular undyed (bleached / mordanted) standard sample using a Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software using the following CIE-lab equations [45]. ΔE or the total colour difference quanti ies the difference between two colours, when compared from a standard colour. It is given on a scale of 0-100. ΔE value of 1 or less


is considered to be visually imperceptible, while higher values represent larger differences. It is measured by comparing two colours i.e the dyed sample against its corresponding undyed sample using a Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software using the following CIE-lab equations and calculated as follows: ΔE = [(ΔL*)2 + (Δa*)2 + (Δb*)2]½ where, L* = 116 (Y/Y0)1/3 – 16; a* = 500 [(X/X0)1/3– (Y/Y0)1/3)] and b* = 200 [(Y/Y0)1/3 – (Z/Z0)1/3)]. General metamerism index (MI) was calculated employing the Nimeroff and Yurow's equation [48]. 2.2.8.8. Measurement of colour difference index A newer colour interaction parameter called Colour Difference Index (CDI) postulated by Samanta et al [49] that indicates the combined effect of different known individual colour difference parameters between any two samples when dyed in varying shades under different conditions of dyeing has also been used in the present work to understand the combined effects of different dyeing variables on a single dyeing parameter and has been calculated as per the following equation. Colour Difference Index (CDI) =

ΔE X ΔH ΔC X MI

Where, ΔE is the total colour difference, ΔC is the change in chroma, ΔH is the change in hue and MI is the metamerism index. 2.2.8.9 Evaluation of colour fastness Colour fastness on exposure to light was determined as per test method AATCC 16-2004 [50] test method. Colour fastness to washing (ISO-II and ISO-III) of the dyed samples was determined as per the AATCC 61-2009 test method [50] using a Launder o Meter and assessed in terms of loss of depth of colour and staining using Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software. Colour fastness to rubbing (dry and wet) was assessed as per AATCC 8-2007 test method [50] using a motorized semi-automatic digital crockmeter (MAG Solvics Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore) and assessed in terms of loss of depth of colour and staining using Premier Colour Scan (model SC 5100A) re lectance spectrophotometer along with associated colourlab plus colour matching software.

2.2.8.10. Assessment of antimicrobial properties The qualitative test method AATCC-147-2004 [51] was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the cotton fabric dyed with neem leaves using agar diffusion test against both gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterium. The bacterial culture was prepared by 0 inoculating it at 37 C for 24 hrs in an incubator. This was followed by sterilizing agar (nutrient) and the petri plates along with samples to be tested in an autoclave at 1210 C. The sterilize agar was then poured on the sterilized petri plates and allowed to solidify for 40 minutes in the laminar. After the solidi ication, the required amount (100 micro lt.) of bacterial culture, inoculated earlier for 24 hrs, was poured on the agar base using micro pipette, spread evenly on the base using a sterilized spreader and left for 15 minutes for proper absorption by the agar base. Finally small pieces of the dyed cotton fabric were placed on the agar and the petri plates covered with a lid. The prepared plates were placed inside the incubator at 370C for about 24 hrs. The zone of inhibition was calculated using the following equation: [52]. W = (T - D)/2 where: W = width of clear zone of inhibition in mm; T = total diameter of test specimen and clear zone in mm; D = diameter of the test specimen in mm. 3. Results & Discussions 3.1 Determination of the wavelength of maximum absorbance for aqueous extract of neem leaves The optical density of the aqueous extract of neem leaves at different wavelengths in the visible range (360 to 700 nm) is shown in Figure 3.1. Maximum optical density is observed at 370 nm and all further tests on colour parameters (K/S values, ΔE, L*, a*, b*, ΔC, ΔH, MI, etc.) were assessed at this wavelength. The results also corroborates with the inding of an earlier study [53].


3.2. Optimization of the mordant concentration Scoured cotton fabric was pre-mordanted using varying concentrations (10-50% owf) of mordant (aluminium sulphate) at 60°C for 30 min using MLR 1:20. The resultant change in tenacity with respect to minimum loss/maximum increase in strength was assessed to optimize the mordant concentration. The corresponding data in Table 3.1 shows that treatment of cotton with aluminium sulphate results in some increase in the tensile strength of the treated cotton fabric in both the warp-way and weft-way directions. This increase in strength increases with increase in the mordant concentration till 20%. The percentage increase in all cases is much higher in the warp direction compared to the weft direction probably due to the higher shrinkage in the warp direction as a result of exposure of the warp yarns to more tension during weaving that makes it more vulnerable to strength loss as compared to the relatively more relaxed weft yarns. 25% (owf) mordant concentration does not have any impact on the tensile strength of the mordanted cotton fabric and the fabric retains 100% strength even after being treated with this mordant concentration. Beyond 25% (owf) of mordant concentration, the strength loss again starts increasing. Table 3.1: Effect of mordant concentration on the mechanical property of scoured cotton premordanted with varying concentration of aluminium sulphate. Tenacity (cN/tex) Mordant Concentration Warp-way Weft-way Scoured cotton fabric without any treatment 6.8 6.3 (CONTROL) 10%* 7.6 (11.8) 6.7 (6.3) 15%* 7.3 (7.4) 6.7 (6.3) 20%* 7.0 (2.9) 6.4 (1.6) 25%* 6.8 (0) 6.3 (0) 35%* 6.9 (1.5) 6.4 (1.6) 50%* 7.4 (8.8) 6.8 (7.9) *on the weight of fabric; data in the parenthesis are the corresponding strength loss values expressed in percentage

The mordant concentration was also optimized on the basis of the highest surface colour strength and colour fastness properties of the cotton fabric pre-mordanted with varying concentrations of the mordant (10-50%) under ixed conditions of mordanting (at 60°C for 30 min using MLR 1:20) and then dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves under ixed conditions of dyeing (20% dye concentration, 1:20 MLR, 30 min time and 60°C temperature).

Use of mordant enhances the colour of the cotton fabric (Table 3.2). Scoured cotton dyed with neem extract without the use of mordant (control) gives a K/S of 1.9 compared to the much higher K/S values (ranging between 4.1 to 6.3) obtained for cotton that was dyed after mordanting with various concentrations of the mordant. As re lected by the data in Table 3.2., the surface colour strength in terms of the K/S values increases considerably on mordanting with 10% (owf) aluminium sulphate, but is decreases with further increase in the mordant concentration from 10-50% on the weight of the fabric. 10% mordant concentration though gives the highest K/S value, while the surface colour strength rendered by 15% & 20% mordant concentration is also appreciable. Complex formation between the dye and morda nt g ene ral ly de pends on the p arti cula r stoichiometric ratio [54] and in this case, 10-20% mordant concentration probably satis ies the required stoichiometric ratio and gives good results in terms of the surface colour strength (K/S) of the dyed sample. Table 3.2: Effect of mordant (alumnium sulphate) concentration on surface colour strength and wash fastness of scoured cotton dyed with 20% (owf) of aqueous neem extract using MLR 1:20 for 30 min at 60°C. Wash Fastness (ISO-II) Mordant K/S at (Aluminium λmax Staining of Loss Sulphate) (370 adjacent fabric of Concentration nm) Depth Cotton Cotswool Harda treated and premordanted cotton fabric 1.9 ---dyed with aqueous neem extract (CONTROL) 10%* 6.3 4 4-5 4 15%* 6.0 4 4-5 4 20%* 6.0 4 4-5 4 25%* 5.2 4 4-5 4 35%* 5.0 4 4-5 4 50%* 4.1 4 4-5 4 *on the weight of fabric; LoD, loss in depth of shade; ST, ex tend of staining; C, cotton; Cw, cotswool

Generally the use of aluminium sulphate as a mordant renders good wash fastness to cotton fabric dyed with neem leaves extract with respect to change in depth of colour and staining of the adjacent cotton or cotton-wool (cotswool) fabrics as indicated by the data in Table 3.2. There is no change in the fastness properties with variation in mordant concentration.


Comparing both the properties of mechanical strength and surface colour strength (K/S), it is observed that though 10% mordant concentration gives highest surface colour strength, it increases the strength of the treated cotton fabric by 11.8% in the warp-way and 6.3 in the weft-way direction. Thus, considering the high colour yield and reasonable/minimum cost due to use of lower concentration of the mordant, 10% (owf) aluminium sulphate is considered optimum for mordanting. 3.3 Optimization of the conditions of extraction of colour from neem leaves The conditions for extracting colour from dried and powdered neem leaves under variable process conditions of pH, MLR, time and temperature were optimized on the basis of comparative highest optical density of the extract for a particular process variable. Table 3.3: Optical densities of the aqueous extract of neem leaves under variable process conditions evaluated at 370nm (λ max)

3 4 7 9 11

Optical Density (at 370nm) 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.1

MLR

1:10 1:20 1:30 1:40 1:50

2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8

Temperature (°C)

RT 40 60 80 100

2.8 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7

Time (min)

15 30 45 60 75 90 120

2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7

Parameters Varied

pH

Effect of pH on extraction of colour from neem leaves is re lected by data in Table 3.3. indicates that the colour in neem leaves is not much sensitive to pH although higher alkaline pH of 11 reduces the colour yield. Since extraction under variable pH from 3-9 gives similar colour yield, pH 7 has been taken as optimum since it is well known that cotton being a cellulosic ibre is

damaged under acidic conditions [55] and a neutral pH is easier to maintain during the extraction operation as it does not involve any additional chemicals unlike in case of the alkaline pH that needs a alkali. Further, extraction at pH 7 probably increases the solubility of the dye and this results in higher optical density. MLR does not cause any impact on the optical density of the neem leaves extract and for ease in operational procedure of laboratory dyeing and reduction in cost (lower MLR will need lower amount of energy for heating thereby reducing costs), MLR of 1:20 has been found to be optimum. Maximum optical density is rendered to the solution when the extraction is carried out at room temperature or 80°C. Since room temperature is expected to reduce energy cost in dyeing, it is considered optimum. Variation in time also does not have any appreciable effect on the extraction of colourant from neem leaves and 45 min records highest optical density. Prolonged extraction after 45 min probably leads to decomposition of the extracted molecules of neem in water hereby giving lower optical density [21]. 3.4. Optimization of different dyeing process variables 3.4.1. Colour difference and related colour interaction parameters Effect of different dyeing process variables (dye concentration, pH, MLR, time and temperature) on dyeing related properties of harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton fabric dyed with aqueous neem leaves extract have been studied to optimize the dyeing conditions for obtaining maximum and uniform colour yield and good fastness properties. Increase in the concentration of the dye from 25-100% (calculated on the basis of weight of the dried dye source i.e. neem leaves) leads to increase in the surface colour strength or K/S value of the dyed cotton fabric. When the dye-bath concentration increases, there is more dye transfer to the ibre and thus higher apparent depth of colour occurs. Varying degrees of dye uptake in terms of K/S values with the variation in the pH of the dye-bath from 2 to 11 is evident from the data in Table 3.4. The K/S values decrease with increase in pH from 2 to 4. There is a noticeable increase thereafter and at pH 7 the cotton dyed with neem extract shows highest K/S values. Alkaline pH is not suitable for dyeing cotton with this dye and harda-treated and aluminium sulphate premordanted cotton shows very low K/S values when dyeing is carried out under pH 9-11. Increase in pH from acidic to alkaline probably retards dye ionization and the resultant dye adsorption showing poor dye uptake. Keeping other variables constant, the K/S value of the dyed samples increases till 1:40 MLR. MLR 1:40 gives


Table 3.4: Colour strength and related parameters of harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton fabric dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves under variable process conditions Varying Parameters Harda-treated and aluminium sulphate premordanted cotton (Control)

K/S at λmax

ΔE

ΔC

ΔH

MI (LABD)

CDI

RCR (CDImax - CDImin)

1.9

--

-0.1

0.1

2.2

0.6

--

3.4 3.0 4.6

1.6

2.1 1.2 5.2 7.7 6.5

6.5

5.2 4.8 4.4 3.7 6.7

3.0

0.7 0.8 1.0 1.3 1.4 1.7

1.0

0.6 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.2

0.6

25% 50% 100%

3.8 4.4 5.0

2 4 7 9 11

3.1 2.8 4.7 2.6 2.4

1:10 1:20 1:30 1:40 1:50

2.0 2.1 2.2 3.0 2.3

15 min 30 min 45 min 60 min 75 min 90 min

5.2 5.0 4.2 6.2 6.3 6.3

RT °C 40 °C 60 °C 80 °C 100 °C

2.0 4.5 2.0 5.7 2.9

Variation in dye concentration 5.8 3.7 -1.5 0.7 6.9 4.6 -1.6 0.8 7.6 3.8 -1.6 0.7 Variation in pH 3.1 1.2 -0.4 0.5 2.4 -1.6 -0.4 0.5 10.0 4.6 -1.9 0.8 12.2 4.2 -3.7 1.4 8.2 3.1 -3.2 1.3 Variation in MLR 10.8 5.6 -3.5 1.3 13.3 7.4 -3.5 1.3 16.1 9.2 -3.8 1.5 17.1 10.6 -3.5 1.5 12.3 5.0 -3.8 1.4 Variation in time(in min) 8.0 5.2 -1.9 3.9 7.9 4.7 -1.9 4.0 6.5 3.3 -1.8 3.7 8.4 3.9 -2.3 3.8 9.4 4.1 -2.3 3.6 10.7 4.5 -2.6 3.5 Variation in temperature (°C) 6.2 5.5 -1.4 2.5 8.2 5.7 -2.1 3.2 9.0 7.3 -1.9 3.1 8.6 5.5 -1.9 3.4 8.8 4.3 -1.9 3.2

ΔE, total colour difference; ΔH, change in hue; ΔC, change in chroma; MI, metamerism index; CDI, colour difference index

maximum colour yield in terms of the K/S values. Further increase in the MLR creates a dilution effect and reduces the dye uptake by slowing down the rate of strike of dye ions on the ibre surface. Thus, K/S value decreases beyond MLR 1:40. Keeping all other variables ixed, an increase in the time of dyeing (15min to 90 min) reduces the K/S values till 45 min after which any further increase in the duration of dyeing increases the surface colour strength (K/S) of the dyed cotton fabric. The dyeing time reaches equilibrium after 75 min indicating that

maximum absorption of the dye has taken place through formation of mordant- ibre-dye complex. Any further increase in dyeing time beyond this equilibrium stage, leads to desorption or breaking up dye- ibre-mordant complexes, thereby shows a decrease in the dye uptake (K/S). On increasing the dyeing temperature from room temperature to 100°C, variable dye uptakes can be seen (Table 3.4.) and highest surface colour strength (K/S) is observed when dyeing is carried out at 80°C. This tem perature provi des m ore energy for the


transportation of the dye molecules, thereby facilitating higher rate of dye strike, dye sorption and diffusion. The data for ΔE indicates the surface colour strength or differences in the colour yield for varying dyeing conditions in comparison to the standard un-dyed premordanted scoured cotton fabric. ΔE values are found to vary signi icantly when pH and MLR is varied indicating that these two are the major controlling parameters responsible for uniform dyeing of cotton with extract of neem leaves. Changes in hue (ΔH) for all the cases are found to be negative indicating that there is no major change in predominating hue, except showing some hypsochromic shift in the colour / tone. The general metamerism index indicates the metameric effect on cotton fabric dyed with neem leaves for different dyeing process conditions. In all the cases, the MI varies from 0.5 to 4.0 and the data are widely dispersed both within a particular process condition that is varied and from one condition to other, indicating potent metamerism from one varying condition to the other CDI values are widely dispersed for pH and MLR among the dyeing process variables (dye concentration, pH, MLR, time and temperature) varied and have been identi ied as the most important and pre-dominating process variables. Dispersion of CDI (RCR) for variation in pH it is 1.2 to 7.7 and that for variation in MLR it is 3.7 to 6.7. The order of decreasing RCR values therefore appears to be as follows pH < MLR <dye concentration< time< temperature. Therefore, for uniform dyeing of cotton with neem leaves extract, stringent control of pH and MLR of the dye-bath is imperative. 3.4.2 Colour fastness The light fastness of harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton dyed with neem leaves ranges from poor to moderate (1-3) in most cases as indicated in Table 3.5. except in case when the dye concentration is varied. Wash fastness with respect to change in depth of colour ranges from 1 to 4, indicating fair to good fastness. Staining of the adjacent cotton fabric is very good (3-4 to 4-5) and for cotswool it ranges from fair to good (3 to 3-4). In most cases, the corresponding value are better for ISO-II compared to ISO-III probably due to the additional use of alkali in ISO-III that causes further leaching out of the ixed dye. Dry rubbing fastness is very good (3-4 to 4) and is much higher than the wet rubbing fastness for corresponding variables. Wet rubbing fastness is very poor and ranges between 2 to 1-

2. Addition of water while performing the wet rub fastness test supposedly facilitates migration of surface dye molecules that are easily leached out resulting in reduction in the fastness properties. For each variable, the fastness properties (Table 3.5.) remains the best for the values that have been identi ied as optimum with respect to the surface colour strength and other colour parameters (Table 3.4.). In order to assess the surface colour strength and fastness properties of cotton dyed under optimized conditions, a harda-treated and aluminium premordanted (using optimum mordant concentration) cotton sample was dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves under optimized conditions. The corresponding results on surface colour strength and fastness properties are tabulated in Table 3.6. Cotton dyed under optimized conditions shows remarkable increase in the surface colour strength (K/S increases to 5.3 from 1.9) compared to the mordanted but undyed cotton. Though lighter shades (positive L* values) are obtained, it becomes darker when the mordanted cotton is dyed under optimized conditions as indicated by lower L* value (61.8) for the dyed sample compared to the higher value (82.5) for the harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted undyed cotton. On dyeing, the shades become more redder (positive a*) and yellower (positive b*). Improved light fastness (rating of 6), comparable wash fastness (ISO-II) and much improved rubbing fastness (both dry and wet) have been obtained when cotton is dyed under optimized conditions. 3.5. Antibacterial property Keeping in mind the demand for multi-functional properties in textiles, the antimicrobial property of cotton dyed with neem leaves was also assessed (Table 3.7). It is very evident from the data that harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves exhibits remarkable antimicrobial function against both gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria till 72 hrs of inhibition. This effect improves with time and is better for gram negative bacteria compared to gram positive bacteria. It has been reported [56-58] that tannin-like polyphenolic compounds have antibacterial activity and that the bio-active compounds in neem leaves (nimbin and other polyphenols) are responsible for imparting antibacterial properties to cotton [25]. This effect is enhanced by the use of metallic salts of aluminum [14]. Thus, as reported by Ammayappan et al and Akiyama et al [57, 58] it can be inferred that in the current study also, the hydroxyl (-OH) group in cotton ibre bonds with polyphenols (tannins) present in neem leaves through


Table 3.5: Colour fastness properties of aluminium sulphate (10%) pre-mordanted cotton fabric dyed with standardized aqueous extracted solution of neem leaves (NL) using variable conditions of dyeing Wash Fastness Light Fastness

Loss in Depth of Shade

25% 50% 100%

4 5 5

3 2-3 2-3

2 4 7 9 11

3 3 3 2 1

2-3 1 2-3 1-2 3

1:10 1:20 1:30 1:40 1:50

2 3 3 3 1

1 2 1 1 2

15 min 30 min 45 min 60 min 75 min 90 min

1 1 2 2 2 2

1-2 1-2 1-2 2-3 2-3 2-3

RT °C 40 °C 60 °C 80 °C 100 °C

1 2 2 3 3

2 2-3 4 2-3 4

Variables

ISO-II Staining of Adjacent Fabric

ISO-III Loss Staining of in Adjacent Fabric Depth of Cotton Cotswool Cotton Cotswool Shade Variation in dye concentration 4-5 4-5 2 3-4 3 4-5 4-5 1-2 3-4 3 4-5 4-5 1-2 3-4 3-4 Variation in pH 4 4 2-3 3-4 3 4-5 4-5 1-2 3-4 3 4-5 4-5 2-3 4 3-4 4 4 2-3 4 3-4 3-4 4 2-3 4 3-4 Variation in MLR 4 4 1 3-4 3 4-5 4 2-3 3 3-4 4-5 4 3-4 3 3-4 4-5 4 2 3-4 3-4 4-5 4 1 4 3 Variation in time (in min) 4 4 1-2 3 3-4 4-5 4 1-2 3-4 3 4-5 4 1-2 3-4 3 4 4 1-2 3 3-4 4 4 1-2 3 3 4 4 1-2 3-4 3 Variation in temperature (°C) 4-5 4 3-4 4 3 4 4 2-3 3 3 4 4 2 3 3-4 4 4 2 3 3 3-4 4 2 3-4 3-4

Rubbing Fastness

Dry

Wet

3-4 4 4-5

2 1-2 2

4 4 4 4 4

1-2 2 2 2 2

4 4 2-3 4 4

2 2 2 2 2

3-4 4 4 4 4 4

2 2 2 2 2 2

4 3-4 3-4 4 3-4

1-2 2 2 2 1-2

Table 3.6: Surface colour strength, colour interaction parameters and fastness properties of harda-treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton dyed at the optimized conditions with neem extract Wash Fastness (ISO II)

Loss Staining Staining on of on of in Depth Adjacen Adjacent Dry Wet t Fabric Fabric of Shade Cotton Cotswool Sample-1 1.9 -82.5 -3.1 -27.5 ------Sample-2 5.3 21.4 61.8 2.3 26.7 6 3 4 4 4-5 3-4 Sample-1, Harda treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton; Sample-2, Harda treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton dyed with aqueous neem extract under optimized conditions of dyeing(100% dye concentration, 7 pH, 1:40 MLR, 80°C temperature and 60 min time); K/S, surface colour strength; L*, lightness/darkness; a*, greenness/redness; b*, blueness/yellowness Sample

K/S at λmax

Rubbing Fastness

ΔE

L*

a*

b*

L F


hydrogen bonding and van der Waal's forces and strong coordinate bonds are also formed between metal ions (mordant), tannins (from neem leaves) and the cotton ibre. This formation of large insoluble metal-tannin

complexes inside the cotton ibre protects the ibre from biotic attack and is responsible for imparting antibacterial effect.

Table 3.7: Zone of inhibition against E.coli and S.aureus for cotton treated with harda, aluminium sulphate and dyed with neem extract at the optimized conditions Scoured cotton fabric Scoured cotton fabric treated with harda Harda-treated cotton fabric premordanted with aluminium sulphate at optimized conditions of mordanting Harda treated and aluminium sulphate pre-mordanted cotton dyed with aqueous extract of neem leaves under optimized conditions of dyeing

Zone of Inhibition (in mm) 24 hrs 48 hrs 72 hrs E.coli S.aureus E.coli S.aureus E.coli S.aureus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1.5

1.0

2.0

1.5

2.5

2.0

5. Conclusion 10% (owf) mordant concentration has been found to be optimum. The optimal conditions of aqueous extraction of colour from neem leaves has been established as 7 (pH), 1:20 (MLR), room temperature (temperature) and 45 min (time) with respect to the highest optical density at the wavelength of maximum absorption (370nm). Mordanting cotton with aluminium sulphate at pH 7 using MLR 1:20 at room temperature for 45 min gives best results with respect to minimal loss in strength and highest colour uptake. The optimized conditions for dyeing harda-treated and aluminium sulphate premordanted cotton with aqueous neem extract has been established at 100% (dye concentration), 7 (pH), 1:40 (MLR), 80°C (dyeing temperature) at 75min (dyeing time). Cotton dyed under optimized conditions shows better balance of properties with high surface colour strength (K/S), good light, wash and rubbing fastness. For uniform dyeing of cotton with neem extract, special care should be taken for controlling of pH and MLR of the dye-bath apart.

Harda-treated and aluminium pre-mordanted cotton exhibits antimicrobial property against gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria till 72 hrs of inhibition. Findings thus show that the natural dye extracted from neem leaves have good potential for dyeing and imparting antimicrobial properties on textiles and its use in this respect can be exploited further. The process is eco-friendly and involves simultaneous operation of dyeing and inishing in the same bath making it cost-effective with use of less water and energy or heat. Also with the growing concern for eco-friendly fabrics and demand for functional textiles such studies may provide necessary solutions particularly in the ield of medical textiles. Thus, shadedevelopment and anti-bacterial properties from other plant sources may be explored.

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Meet your potential clients, boosting your sales and marketing activities


Technical Textile is very well known term and hot cake in present world of textile. Textiles are already known to us for aesthetics, feel and comfort but now it's become functional, smart and performance oriented. The technicality is not only requirement of today's world. Think of safety and sustainability become integrated part of it.

PhD, FTA, FIE Associate Professor, The M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara President AATE, Hon. Secretary, TAI Baroda Unit

Dr. Hireni Mankodi is expertise in ield of technical textile having 30 years of teaching and 20 years of research experience. Presently she is working as Associate Professor in the Textile Engineering, Faculty of Tec hn o lo gy an d En gi n ee ri n g Department, The M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, India. She is Fellow of Textile Association and Institution of Engineers. She was awarded with Career Award for Young Teacher by AICTE. She was nominated as visiting Scholar under UGC-TEC agreement in 2012 and visited Mauritius for 2 month under this scheme. She has also received MRP Project on textile composite from GUJCOST and many more in list. She is recognized Ph D guide in MSU and GTU. During her academic journey, she has published over 80 papers, over 4 0 p a p e r s i n I n t e r n a t i o n a l conferences in different place like Manchester, London, Croatia, China, S w i t z e r l a n d , S o u t h K o r e a , Mauritius, US and Australia etc. She has also undertaken 15 projects in ield of technical textiles. She is m e m b e r o f 7 p r o f e s s i o n a l associations. E-mail: dr.mankodi@gmail.com, h.r.mankodi-ted@msubaroda.ac.in

I have started my research in ield of technical textile in area of hybrid yarn thermoplastic composite at IIT Delhi in 2000 for my pre-PhD work that has changed my vision and way to look towards textile materials and application. Today everyone textile or non-textile people want to jump in ield of Technical Textile ield and government initiating make its more fascinating. Some of my experience is to start with composite, Medical, Automotive, Smart Garment, Acoustics and Protective clothing. Today my work is more inclined towards sustainable technical textile product. The some of the Product Development has been done under sustainable concept using Natural Fibers like Sisal, Ramie, Banana, Hemp and inish like Aloevera, Manuka Honey, Neem in some of technical products for Medical and Acoustic Application by my team. 1) Studies of different Structures and Properties of Suture using Aloe vera gel coating. 2) Spunlace Wound Dressing with Natural Finish like Manuka Honey 3) An Experimental Study of Fabric Structure using Minor Fibers for Sound Resistant Fabrics 4) Novel type of Adult Diaper from Natural Fiber Also product development in of stab resistance fabric is under progress where we have found some very good result. Now I will put some light of basic approach, if someone wants to entre in ield of Technical Textile.

Adult Diaper

Acoustic Application

1. The irst step is to focus on product, its application, market requirement and raw material availability 2. Reverse engineering of product based on it functional and performance requirement 3. Integrated approach for new changes or new design and development of inal product 4. Supply chain concept for mass production and to optimize the process 5. Modi ication required in existing machines for technical product or to understand new structures, ibers and machine available


6. Standardization of Product, testing facility and me th o ds re qui re d to c e rt i f y yo ur p ro du c t performance which different based on application 7. Lots of funding and government schemes are available need to explore.

Thus some new opportunity areas in coming future are as below 1) Sustainable Technical Textile Products and Process 2) Innovation in Nonwoven Technology

4D Fabric by KARL MAYER and NASA The some new innovative product for future are like 4D fabric, Seamless garment, wearable electronics, protective clothing, Bio degradable materials, Eco friendly and sustainable materials.

3) Nano Finishes and Nano Coating Technology 4) Designing Personal Protection Equipment 5) Conversion Line for medical product 6) Hybrid products……… Many more

TECHNICAL TEXTILE PRODUCTS WITH A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH IS A WAY FORWARD FOR TOMORROW


A.T.E. has entered into an exclusive agreeme nt with GA Morgan Dynamics Private Limited, India, for the marketing and sales of cutting room ma chi nery and software systems for technical textiles, home textiles, and shoe upper cutting. All machines are manufactured by Morgan Tecnica Group, Italy. GA Morgan is a subsidiary of Morgan Tecnica Spa, Italy, incorporated in 2008.

Morgan Tecnica Fusionline Morgan Tecnica automates the entire pre-sew processes from designing, product development, sampling, costing, material handling, loading, spreading, pinning, labelling, cutting and parts inspection and is a leader in cutting room automation. Morgan Tecnica's Fusion line can be used for 3D and 2D design, cut planning and con si sts of auto loade rs, a uto spreaders, auto labelling and auto cutters. This lexible automated line can be used for soft as well as hard materials and ensures increased productivity with savings in material wastage and labour cost. Morgan Tecnica automates the entire pre-sew processes from designing,

p r o d u c t development, sampling, costing, material handling, loading, spreading, pinning, labelling, cutting and parts inspection and is a l ea d er i n c ut ti n g room automation. Morga n Te cni ca's L to R – Mr. Anand (GA Morgan), Mr. Gurudas Aras Fusion line can be (Director A.T.E.) and Mr. Navin Agrawal - VP - FF A.T.E. used for 3D and 2D design, cut planning and consists of auto loaders, auto With a team of professionals, Morgan spreaders, auto labelling and auto I n d u s t r i a l T r a i n i n g C e n t r e , cutters. This lexible automated line centralised parts warehouse, and can be used for soft as well as hard direct service centres at Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Tirupur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, GA Morgan is committed to provide top quality products and services to the Indian textile industry.

Morgan Tecnica Ply materials and ensures increased productivity with savings in material wastage and labour cost. Morgan India serves more than 500 top performing apparel companies in India today, including Arvind Limited, Page Industries, JG Hosiery, Kitex Garments, S. P. Apparels, Orient Craft, Shivalik Fabrics, Bodycare, Nahar Spinning, Pratibha Textile, Rupa, Lux, Dollar, TT Limited and more.

A.T.E. and GA Morgan hope that this association will help them to serve the Indian textile industry better by fully exploiting their operational synergies. For more information, please contact: Mrs. Jasbinder Kaur Panchi Executive Assistant to Director Textile Engineering Group A.T.E. Enterprises Private Limited Tel.: +91-22-6676 6104 Email:jasbinder.panchi@ategroup.co m

High-speed model RD 7/2-6 EN successful in the footwear, clothing and mattress sectors KARL MAYER continues to focus on speed in the double needle bar raschel machine sector and is right to do so, as the RD 7/2-6 EN shows. The RD-series produces high-quality 3D textiles with a trick plate distance of 2 mm to 6 mm. The medium-size

articles cover the entire spectrum of common applications, such as shoe fa bri cs, ma ttress border s a nd c l o t h i n g . Af te r a d j u s t i n g a n d optimising the prototype, it was released for sale in 2019. The order books have been illing up ever since.

“In the irst half of 2020 alone, we have already delivered 75 machines of our new successful model,” explained Tang WenMing, Head of Double Needle Bar at KARL MAYER. “Customers in China, Taiwan and Korea particularly appreciate the


lexible and highly productive machi ne, wi th whi ch they a re perfectly positioned in a volatile market environment.” Compared to its established predecessor model – the RD 7/2-12 EN – the RD 7/2-6 EN are offers up to

The RD 7/2-6 EN

21 January 2021 - The world's largest textile and garment technology showcase, ITMA will continue to p re se n t a nd s ha re i n n ova tive manufacturing technology and materials with the industry at its 19th edition in Milan. ITMA 2023 will feature the theme, 'Transforming the World of Textiles'. It is supported by four sub-themes: adva nced materials, automation and digital future, innovative technologies, and sustainability and circularity. Mr Ernesto Maurer, president of CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, which owns the ITMA exhibition, elaborated: “ITMA 202 3 will highlight innovations and new approaches that serve as catalysts to inspire and help textile and garment manufacturers grow their business, scale and sustain their transformation journey.” “We are in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution that is illed with business and technological

30 % higher speed using the same guide bar equipment. More output per machine also means space is used more ef iciently and less manpower is required. In addition, the design possibilities of the innovative RD series model are just right. The EN pattern drive in combination with a Warp knitting elements of the RD 7/2-6 EN maximum shogging movement of one speed as when using mechanical inch ensures variety. This allows the pattern carriers. By basing the ENproduction of trendy fabrics with up gear on the EL- one, the quality of the to 12,000 stitch repeats, including produced fabrics can be adapted to most common designs produced on the requirements faster and easier. seven-bar RD machines. The various The RD 7/2-6 EN is offered in the fabric designs are possible without gauges E 18, E 22 and E 24. The p a t t e r n d i s k s , b u t c a n b e available working widths are 138” implemented at the same working and 77”.

advances; hence, transformation is even more critical for the continued success of the textile and garment industry. Speed and agility are also of the essence to effectively tackle the ecological and medical challenges t h a t we f a c e t o da y.” Mr. Charles Beauduin, chairman of ITMA Services, which organises ITMA, added: “As the world's leading exhibition, ITMA offers the industry an unrivalled platform to present and share industry innovation and to collaborate with other stakeholders. As the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the business environment, we will be monitoring the situation closely, mindful about the importance of health and safety of all participants and staff. At the same time, we will be launching several initiatives to create additional opportunities to help our exhibitors better connect and do business with potential customers. We will be announcing the new initiatives and enhancements to ITMA 2023 very soon.”

He continued, “ITMA was successfully held in Milan in 2015 and strong response is expected when the exhibition returns to Milan. We welcome all to visit the new ITMA 2023 website to get the latest updates on the exhibition. Please mark your calendar to join us for the ITMA 2023 virtual launch which will be held live on Facebook and YouTube on 28 January 2021.” ITMA 2023 will be held from 8 to 14 June at Fiera Milano Rho, Milan. Space application will open on 3 March 2021. Interested participants can visit www.itma.com to get details. For participation enquiries, please email: application@itma.co. The last ITMA exhibition held in Barcelona in 2019, featured exhibits from the entire textile and garment making value-chain, including raw materials and fabrics. It drew a record-breaking participation of 1,717 exhibitors from 45 countries and visitorship of almost 105,000 from 136 countries.

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released for sale in 2019. The order books have been illing up ever since. “In the irst half of 2020 alone, we have already delivered 75 machines of our new successf ul model,” explained Tang WenMing, Head of Double Needle Bar at KARL MAYER. “Customers in China, Taiwan and Korea particularly appreciate the lexible and highly productive machi ne, wi th whi ch they a re perfectly positioned in a volatile market environment.” Compared to its established predecessor model – the RD 7/2-12 EN – the RD 7/2-6 EN are offers up to 30 % higher speed using the same guide bar equipment. More output

The Textile Association (India) – Madhya Pradesh Unit organized various programs on New Year 2021. Unit celebrated Dignitaries Milan on Makar Sankaranti, Onam, Pongal, Lohari etc. They invited the d i g n i ta r i e s f ro m t he re g i on a l industries to joi n this festival program. Mr. Ashok Veda, Vice Chairman of The Textile Association (India), Central welcomed all the present dignitaries, Chief Guest of this function was Shri Deepak Bhandari, GFID; Mr. Pawan Jain, Prime social group and garments exporters; Mr. Subhash Chopra, Jssf and garments industry; Mr. Manoha rlal , Tex tile World Bhi lwara; Representative from Textile Commissioner Of ice Mr. Ved Pa r ka s h j i B h a g i r a t h ; E x V i c e President Mr. Rakesh Kulshrestha; Cs Mr. Ajit Jain, Financial Analysis, Tax Advisor & Planner Mr. Rajkumar; Textile Mills Association, Mr. M. C. Rawat, Hon. Secretary, TAI – MP Unit; Kaviyatri from Harda Mrs. Jyoti; Hamsafar Kavi Mrs. Suman Verma; and many other senior Management personalities graced the function.

per machine also means space is used more ef iciently and less manpower is required. In addition, the design possibilities of the innovative RD series model are just right. The EN pattern drive in combination with a maximum shogging movement of one inch ensures variety. This allows the production of trendy fabrics with up to 12,000 stitch repeats, including most common designs produced on seven-bar RD machines. The various fabric designs are possible without pattern disks, but can be implemented at the same working speed as when using mechanical pattern carriers. By basing the ENgear on the EL- one, the quality of the

Chief Guest Shri D e e p a k B h a d a r i , inaugurated the functi on by lightening the Deep Lamp. Mr. A s h o k Ve d a , Vice Chairman, TA I C e n t r a l addressed his welcome speech. He illustrated the activities of TAI M.P. Unit, Various Webinars conducted by Mr. Ashok Juneja, National President, TAI. He informed that TAI M.P. Unit has the target of enrolling 2000 new TAI members in thi s year. He also explained on Budget debating to be organized on 2nd February, 2021. Mr. Veda also briefed on forthcoming N a t i o n a l Te x t i l e C o n f e r e n c e scheduled on 5-6th March, 2021 along with Textile Expo at Indore. Mr. Manoharlal welcomed Chief Guest Shri Deepak Bhandari and illustrated GFID activities of nsme Atamnirbhar Bharat and Make in India. Ms. Nupur Sanghvi, Fashion Designer; Garments Manufacturer

produced fabrics can be adapted to the requirements faster and easier. The RD 7/2-6 EN is offered in the gauges E 18, E 22 and E 24. The available working widths are 138” and 77”. Contact: Ms Cornelia Buchwalder CEMATEX Tel: +41 44 384 48 12 Email: info@cematex.com, www.cematex.com Ms Daphne Poon ITMA Services M: +65 94789543 Email: daphnepoon@itma.com www.itma.com

Mr. Vedprakash, Mr. Rajkumar Doshi, Financial Services and Smt. Jyoti Jalaj, Ms. Suman Verma. M r. S h a r m a o r g a n i z e d t h e entertainment program with Kavita & Guzzles. Mr. Di p esh Ag ga rwa l, Hon . Jt . Secretary proposed the vote of thanks. He thanked JMB Mr. Prateek for decorating the hall for this function. Function arrangement was done jointly by TAI MP Unit, Spinners Club and MP Mill Stores Merchant Association. He also thanked Mr. Ankit Veda of Spinners Club and Mr. Parul Trivedi, Secretary of M.P. Stores Merchant Association for their support and thanked all present audience.


The 10th Annual General Meeting of ITTA was held on 16th December 2020 through Video Conferencing under t h e C h a i r m a n s h i p o f D r. Sundararaman K. S., Chairman, ITTA. Key Note address was given by the Chief Guest Shri Punit Lalbhai, Executive Director, Arvind Ltd. In the Knowledge Session, two eminent s p e a ke r s , S h r i I a n T h o m s o n , Te c h n i c a l D i r e c t o r, Ro c k m a n Advanced Composites Pvt. Ltd., UK and Shri. Barry Goodwin, Managing Director, Amba Projex Ltd., UK shared their rich experience in the ield of Composites. Business session was conducted by Shri Amit Agarwal, Vice Chairman, ITTA. Dr. Anup Rakshit, Executive Director, ITTA, welcomed the ITTA Members, Eminent Speakers, Special Invitee and representatives of Press present in the meeting. In his brief welcome address, he pointed out that this year ITTA has successfully completed glorious 10 years. This year we have organized AGM in a little different way. There will be a Key note address by an Industry Leader followed by the Knowledge Session. Two eminent speakers from UK will be speaking in knowl edge session on very interesting subjects - Latest technology on Fibres and Fabrics used in Composites and Coating and Lamination Technology Employed in Prepreg Composites. Thanking the Ministry of Textile, Government of India, he highlighted that this year two major schemes on Technical Textiles have been announced by the M i n i st r y. O n e i s t h e N a ti on a l Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) with a outlay of Rs. 1480 crore for 4 years wherein Four components are included and the other is Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme on Technical Textiles & Man-made ibres segments with an outlay of 10683

crore. Both the schemes put together will give boost to the Technical Textile Industry in coming years. Dr. Sundararaman K S, Chairman, ITTA, in his presidential address welcomed the members, distinguished speakers and Directors of ITTA and also expressed his happiness on the large number of members present in the AGM. He highlighted that ITTA has been in forefront of responding the COVID-19 crisis at the national level. He explained in detail that in the process of supporting the domestic PPE manufacturing sector within the country, ITTA had also on multiple forums represented the cause of exporters at the level of facemask, PPE, laminated fabric, etc. and rel en tle ssly worki ng wi th the Government to come out with the balance solution of catering to both the Indian needs as well as taking care of the exports. ITTA further requested the Government to lift the ban on the Melt blown fabrics and we have been indicated that it will happen soon. He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic we have created a completely new segment of 7000 cro res becaus e of th e fabr ic manufacturers in India. On multiple fronts, overall technical textile industry will be growing rapidly in the coming years. He talked about the I T TA' s e n g a g e m e n t w i t h t h e Government wherein he informed that today NTTM comprises of multiple of steering committees to layout and execute the vision of NTTM. ITTA is the part of these committees at the apex level. He also mentioned that ITTA has also been interested in creating the Export Promotion Council (EP C) on Technical Textiles and we have made the applications/ representation for the same to the Government. He

pointed out that there has been an unprecedented amount of focus in the government on growing technical textile which started with the 207 list of HSN codes, 92 mandatory items, NTTM and recently PLI scheme was introduced. In addition to the PLI scheme, the Govt. of India is looking at creating the international linkages to both grow the pro ile of Indian technical textiles as well as to bring international testing agencies into the country. ITTA mooted an idea which is been taken up by the Govt. and today the Govt. of India is working with Govt. of Telangana to create a world class testing labs in the state of Telangana. ITTA is also working closely with the BIS for the formulation of Indian standards on technical textiles. Speaking on the event, the Chief Guest Shri Punit Lalbhai, Executive Director, Arvind Ltd. shared his experience in Arvind and working in the technical textile i n d u s t r y. H e spoke about the global market, Punit Lalbhai where India stands in it and to frame what opportunities technical textile brings to the country. Globally, the technical textile industry is a large market and it's growing at a steady rate for 4-5%. It is focused on a diverse set of applications; a lot of them are unlike conventional textiles core to the end users and it's also have a very high potential of innovation & high end value. He highlighted that there are many impediments such as strict quality and quali ication control; buyers not educated about the values in many cases, etc. to growth of technical


textile however we have a lot of opportunities in this ield.

Knowledge Session Abstract of the two presentations in Knowledge Session are given below;

Kevlar and Carbon used for making composites. He also talked about Carbon/ Dyneema Hybrid for making Ferrari nose box to achieve a light, durable and energy absorption body and passed succe ssf ully the Collapsible Steering Column Test & Drop Test for controlled collapse and energy absorption. Some examples of composites are Formula 1 Chassis Carbon ibre - strong, stiff, low density & highly ef icient, Sauber C12 & Super Aguri - Carbon + Kevlar super lightweight racing car panels and North American Racing Series C a r b on / Dy n e e m a - l i g h t b ut reasonably durable, strong, lexible & Damage Tolerant.

Shri Ian Thomson, Technical Director, Rockman Advanced Composites Pvt. Ltd. sp oke abo ut t he “Fibres and Fabrics What, Why, Where and When thru my 4 0 y e ar s i n Ian Thomson C o mp o si te s ”. He talked about the variety of ibres and fabrics used in manufacturing, testing, tooling and structure design of the racing cars i.e. F1 cars. He explained the importance of different ibres such as Dyneema,

“Coating and Lamination Te ch no lo gy Employed in Barry Goodwin P r e p r e g Composites” was presented by Shri Barry Goodwin, Managing Director, Amba Projex Ltd. He explained the de initi on of composite material and composites prepregs which can be Preimpregnated by thermosetting and thermoplastic method. Prepreg can be made from Carbon, E glass, quartz glass, Aramid, Ceramic and Kenaf.

The acquisition of STOLL by the KARL MAYER Group earlier in 2020, will lead to an integration of STOLL's and KARL MAYER's North American subsidia ries. STOL L Ameri ca's operation in New York City will close and resources and activities will be integrated into KARL MAYER's Greensboro, North Carolina location. This process started in October 2020 and will be completed at the end of the year.

machine programming, and c u sto me r s e rv i c e . S om e te a m members will relocate from New York and others will be new.

He said that there is robust global market waiting for this industry and both domestic consumption and export will be growing rapidly. He talked about Arvind's journey with turnover of 1000 crores in technical textiles divi de d into Human Protection, Industrial products primarily Filtration and Composites. He mentioned the major points on how to start a business i.e. time arising, resource availability, quality, lot of focus and push boundaries.

The STOLL core team in its new location will include business and technical management, textile design and product development, STOLL

The team's focus will be twofold. Of course, serving the needs of the STOLL machine market with innovative machines, spare parts and te chni cal service. And equally important, innovation support services to customers, brands, incubators, startups and educational institutions. These support services include textile product design and development, sample, prototype and

Even natural ibres like- Flax, Hemp, etc can also be used for speci ic applications. He explained in detail the different Prepreg manufacturing techniques such as Dry multi-axial technique, Machines - Typical PUR Laminator, Laminating dry systems, Pre-coated lay-up (woven), Precision blade coater, Roller coating m/c, Precoated prepreg lay-up m/c, UD Tape prepreg process, UDT Prepreg m/c, Rotating carbon creels for UD tapes, Woven prepreg process & Fabric prepreg m/c. Global demand for carbon ibre composites is US $15.75 billion in 2015 & to achieve US $23.11 billion by 2021 and to reach US$ 38.0 billion by 2024 (6-7% CAGR). He pointed out that in future the thermoplastic and recyclable prepregs will play a very important role wherein Slit-preg & tow-preg applications are growing rapidly. He also said that India has huge potential for growth in this arena. Shri Nirav Mehta, Director, ITTA proposed a vote of thanks. Shri Mehta thanked all the Directors and ITTA members who were present in the AGM. He specially thanked three e mi n e n t sp e a ke r s f or m ak i n g excellent presentations.

small collection production and training. For these new activities, KARL MAYER is making a major investment in the Greensboro building, adding a state-of-the-art textile development and visitor center. This center will have customer collaboration and training areas with e n d - p r o d u c t s a m p l e s , ST O L L machines for demonstration, training and production purposes, and a prototype inishing and assembly operation. The new center will offer similar collaboration opportunities


for industry partners working with other KARL MAYER technologies. It is planned to be completed in March 2021. Tony Hooimeijer, President of KARL MAYER North America, is looking For more details, please contact: Press release Postanschrift / post address: KARL MAYER Gruppe Industriestraße 1 63179 Obertshausen

forward to the joint innovation producers and all industries that can projects with many partners and for a imagine the use of textiles an wide variety of textile applications. extremely strong resource in North "With the new development and America" says the manager. visitor center and the synergies that come with combining our capabilities, we offer textile Media contact: Ulrike Schlenker Tel.: +49 6104/402-274 E-Mail: ulrike.schlenker@karlmayer.com The building of KARL MAYER North America

Product Development, Digitalization, Niche products and world class R&D institutions is the way forward to Reposition India in Global Textile Value chain with enhanced share: Textile Industry Experts “Digitalization across value chain is the key to growth and competitiveness in Textile Industry in India. It increases interaction with buyers in multiple of 5 and allow c o mp a n i e s t o w o r k c l o s e r to consumer through e-commerce, said Mr. Ajay Arora, Managing Director, D'décor Home Fabrics Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Ajay Arora

Strategizing for Growth in the Post Covid World'. CEOs from the textile industry deliberated on the revival of demand; opportunity for India; diversi ication; s ustainable manufacturing, R&D, innovation and building global brands. Mr. R. D. Udeshi, President – Polyester

Mr. R. D. Udeshi

during FICCI TAG 2021, 12th annual textile and apparel conference held virtually on 15-01-2021 at Mumbai. Mr. Arora further added that given the huge local market of 1.3 billion people, Indian companies should focus more on domestic market, achieve scale and gradually look at exploring export opportunities as we become globally competitive in due course.” Participants from textiles industry joined the FICCI TAG conference virtually from across the country and delib erated on the theme of 'Repositioning Indian Textiles and

Mr. S. K. Gupta

Chain, Reliance Industries Ltd. said that “Indian textiles industry has revived post Covid with the help of new product segments in knit-based industry as focus on comfort wear has grown among users substantially.

Mr. D. Ghosh

He further suggested that if Indian companies need to achieve the scale than end to end approach is required and it needs to be supported by world-class R&D institutions set up in public private partnership. Mr. S. K. Gupta, Advisor and Board Director, Raymond Ltd. speaking at the panel said that “Cotton is our strength; we should not lose focus on same. While Proactive product development is the key to growth, sustainability focus and compliance can create huge differentiation for India among global peers.” Mr. D. Ghosh, Vice President- Sales, Oerlikon Textile India Pvt. Ltd. said that the “Synthetics industry growth is the key and India need to increase the share of manmade ibers in the country to increase share of Indian textile industry in global market. India can also look at collaboration with neighbouring countries across supply chain to give push to textile industry's growth.

Mr. Prashant Agrwal

Mr. Ajay Sardana


Mr. Prashant Agarwal, Jt. MD, Wazir Advisors Pvt. Ltd. said that India needs to reposition itself through anchor led model, which will involve MSME's to develop scale. Complete Digitization of supply chain will make Indian companies more competitive and give services as per buyers need. In another session on Capacity building for competitiveness, Mr. Ajay Sardana, Joint President & Head Corporate Affairs, Grasim Pulp & Fibre Business, said that creating sustainability across supply chain and adopting collaborative approach is the way forward for the textile

industry's growth. Mr. G. V. Aras from ATE Enterprise suggested that t he c o un t r y n e e d s t o broaden its product basket for increase its global footprint and look beyond US and EU for growth. Home textiles, technical textiles, cotton and Mr. G. V. Aras Mr. Gunish Jain synthetic knit goods will in be the front runners to provide digitalization the textile and apparel industry and desired growth and newer how companies are adopting advance opportunities. technologies to address future Mr. Gunish Jain, CEO, Bluekaktus opportunity areas. shared is view on importance of

Spinner shares experiences with Uster Quality Expert and its Alarm Center A push noti ication appears on M uha m ma d A s hra f ' s mob ile phone. It reports that there is a variation in the CVm level at his mill. Ashraf calls his foreman to i n f or m h i m , s o h e c a n t a ke immediate action. The problem is quickly identi ied and ixed – t ha n k s to th e A la r m C en te r function with Uster Quality Expert. I t g i v e s r o u n d - t h e - c l o c k monitoring of vital processes in the mill, and keeps management constantly informed of any issues. In the case outlined here, th e fa ul t wa s r a p i d l y pinpointed to a mix-u p of bobbins at the S a n g z o r Muhammad shraf, spinning mills in GM, Sangzor UZ Uzbekistan, where Ashraf is General Manager. Ashraf has been using the Uster Mobile Alerts app for three months. Sangzor exports yarns to Pakistan, Turkey, Russia and China, and all its customers naturally expect to receive exactly the quality they speci ied. Ashraf knows the value of quality in keeping customers satis ied. It's a top priority, so he likes to be informed of

any deviations – whether at his desktop in the mill or on his mobile phone when he's out. The value of staying connected Spinners around the world share a co mbi na ti on of re qui re ments: controlling quality through immediate actions, while improving productivity and minimizing waste. Uster understands this need – and has responded with the Alarm Center, one of ive Value Modules included with Uster Quality Expert. The Alarm Center prompts early intervention in quality issues. Key proc es ses a re mo ni tored, a nd performance is displayed on a dashboard. It allows spinners to recognize problems at a glance, enabling immediate reactions. Smart algorithms and in-built Uster Application Intelligence ensure reliable alerting. The Application Intelligence embedded in Assistant Q can immediately recognize issues, with no need for con iguration by the spinner. Users receive problemsolving suggestions, and can also expand the knowledge base with actions they enter themselves. The learning system grows according to customer needs and ensures that relevant know-how is retained in

mills. The Alarm Center is also available on a mobile app, for quality management that is independent of time and location. There is no limit to the number of app users with one Quality Expert system. Mobile Alerts can be used by as many staff as re quired, to sui t the mi ll's organization of processes and responsibilities. Since the launch of the standalone version of Uster Quality Expert, the community of Uster Mobile Alerts app users has grown more rapidly. Uster Quality Expert Standalone connects Uster qualit y testing and monitoring instruments and leverages their value towards signi icant pro itability gains. With the new standalone version, a relatively small investment means cotton spinners can quickly optimize quality and pro itability at the same time. Alerts – negative, positive and customized Mobile Alerts shows critical issues and the Alarm Center provides negative alarms as well as positive ones. That means it points out quality issues but also suggests potential improvements. Ashraf says: “I very mu c h a pp re c i a t e th e p o si t ive


information, as improvement is part of the game. If you don't improve you will stay behind.” With the latest release of Uster Quality Expert, alarms and improvements are listed separately for fast focus on serious issues – and for making quality managers easily aware of so far unnoticed improvement possibilities.

Sangzor_production hall The mil l for which Ashraf is responsible started operation 14 months ago with almost all new machines. He's sure that the Mobile Alerts app will become even more important to him over time, as parts begin to show the irst signs of wear.

But he is already feeling the bene it of the app, especially for its performance, design and userfriendliness. The facility to preselect which alarms to receive is another well appreciated feature of Quality Expert. Users can customize and activate or deactivate the kind of alarms, or the area of events, they want to get as push messages. Make it a better life for spinners Before the introduction of Uster Mobile Alerts, it was more dif icult for spinners to see alarms. Now, quality management has become both safer and easier, as issues can be identi ied and located immediately. Problemsolving guidance is also another popular feature, as the app proves its worth across different staff groups, such as lab personnel, maintenance managers and all who s hare responsibility for professional

quality supervision. “Thanks to Uster quality assurance systems, textile spinning gradually becomes easier,” Ashraf says. “I enjoy Uster Quality Expert. It gathers and analyzes our online and of line results and keeps sending quality alerts and exceptions with possible root causes displayed graphically on my mobile phone 24/7 – and it's good news that Uster Quality Expert expands its insightful analytics with va l u a bl e i n t e l l i g e n c e a s e a c h additional instrument is connected.” Contact for journalists: Edith Aepli On behalf of Uster Marketing Service Uster Technologies AG, Sonnenbergstrasse 10, 8610 Uster, Switzerland Phone +41 43 366 38 80 Mobile +41 79 91 602 91 edith.aepli@uster.com

In the course of a panel discussion organised by the India ITME Society on Dec. 3, 2020 entitled 'Safety and Sustainability in the Textile Industry'. Safety and sustainability have been important subjects for many years, but post COVID-19 their centrality has been much more recognised. We must continue to concentrate on these key issues even after the pandemic dies down - these issues matter regardless of COVID. A Wikipedia entry de ines safety as “the condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes” and adds further as “the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk”. Most times in the years before 2020 when we thought about safety we would think of the kinds of things that could be called either careful behavior or accident prevention - don't go rock climbing, or motorcycle or car racing; wear safety glasses, shoes, gloves, helmets, …we would think of interlocks on machines, our attitude, and take action in case of incidents. In 2020 though, safety most often refers to COVID-19. We're thinking more about air. Sustainable development can be de ined as development

t ha t mee t s t he n e e ds of th e pre s en t w i th ou t compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UN's Brundtland commission in 1987 identi ied three pillars of sustainable development as economic growth, environmental protection, and social equality. This is widely recognised as the correct approach today and that is why the United Nations and most of the countries have adopted sustainable development goals that include indicators that relate to people, planet, and economic growth.

Figure 1: Sustainable Development Goals Source: un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/ communicationsmaterial/


These aspects, i.e., people, planet, and economic growth, are intimately connected: it is from the environment we get the raw materials that allow us to build our economy at the end, everything that is physical comes from the environment. When we produce goods we have to be careful that we do not harm the environment through pollution because this will reduce the ability of the environment to regenerate and to provide for us in the future. But there are more aspects to our environmental re s po n s i b i li t i es b e yo n d n o t po l l u t i n g - t h e se responsibilities must also include protecting natural habitats and biodiversity. Otherwise, there are many unintended negative consequences. Here are some pictures from a recent report released by the IPBES (the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) that explain to us why if you have land degradation and habitat loss we run the signi icant risk of pandemics.

Figure 2: Disease and the environment Source: ipbes.net/pandemics

It also explains how human health, animal health, and the environment are intertwined - and how biodiversity is very important. When we push animals into smaller and smaller areas, we have an increased chance of humananimal con lict and this can lead to more pandemics. The IPBES report also shows that there are 631,000- 827,000 unknown viruses in nature that could still infect people and create more frequent pandemics unless we address the risk drivers which include deforestation and wildlife trade. Economic impacts are considered to be hundred times the estimated cost of prevention, so there is a strong argument for us to act on all these environmental issues.

Figure 3: Top 5 global risks in terms of impact Notes and sources: (1) Global Risks Landscape, World Economic Forum, 2018; (2) Societal risks due to climate and environmental change have broadly been included under environmental risks; (3) Others includes geopolitical, societal and technological risks

Though many of us often experience the problems of air quality, we often think of this as a nuisance and nothing more. Unfortunately, research shows that air pollution is contributing to millions of deaths each year. It's a bigger factor than many many diseases that we tend to take more seriously. It is estimated to account for 1 in 9 deaths globally and is the fourth leading risk factor for death on the planet. Indoors, good, fresh air is essential for health and productivity - it makes you more energetic, improves your concentration, reinforces your immune system, helps you work better. Health and productivity are factors that translate directly into economic terms. Good air for people is a great investment! Fresh air is actually the irst line of defense against airborne diseases like colds, lu, COVID and other infections. You can see the recommendations from the leading air quality standards bodies in the world. But here we run into a safety-sustainability paradox that we need to resolve. 3 aspects of air are important 1. the right temperature and humidity for comfort and productivity 2. fresh and healthy i.e., high fresh air 3. environment-friendly or sustainable with low energy consumption

That is why we can say that environmental risk is human risk is business risk. A study by the World Economic Forum earlier in 2020, even before we understood the pandemic's proportions, showed that four out of the top ive risks to business are actually related to the environment! Environmental sustainability involves many factors. Of prime importance is carbon dioxide and climate change. There are other factors as well - air quality, water, and land. Let's see how these are also related to carbon emissions.

Figure 4: Economic-safety-sustainability challenge of air


With conventional air conditioning systems you ind that you can have any 2 of these 3 options, but not all 3 at the same time. So, safety and sustainability seem to be at loggerheads. Fortunately, there is a way out of this paradox: the answer we believe is indirect evaporative cooling which allows us to have a high degree of fresh air, comfortable conditions, and also low energy use. So, a safe, healthy, and sustainable solution is indeed possible.

With such a high volume of textile material made every year, you can imagine that all this material at the end of its life takes up a lot of space, taking away land that could be used by Nature. This is the kind of waste that needs to be recycled to free up land on the one hand and if you're smart about doing it then we can also save a lot of energy and water

If we come to the issue of water - the water stress map below shows the kind of trouble many parts of the world are in when it comes to water - the darker the red the greater the problem. Large parts of Africa, Asia, and South America have massive water stress. India is home to 18% of the world's population but only has 4% of the world's water. Figure 6: Textile material low in the added value chain Source: Gherzi Textil Organisation With such a high volume of textile material made every year, you can imagine that all this material at the end of its life takes up a lot of space, taking away land that could be used by Nature. This is the kind of waste that needs to be recycled to free up land on the one hand and if you're smart about doing it then we can also save a lot of energy and water. Figure 5: Water risk atlas Source: wri.org/applications/aqueduct/water-risk-atlas

In this situation, how do we get water for our industry? And face the twin challenges of making freshwater available every day for production needs, but also ensuring zero pollution? The answer is to change our mindset and own the idea that the most secure source of water is actually wastewater. If we can do this, we solve both challenges in one go: convert waste to value by recycling precious clean water from wastewater; generate biogas from wastewater and also recover energy and nutrient potential from biosludge. Less cost of water transport means further reduced carbon emissions. There are business gains because of this as well: regulatory compliance; sustainable growth; enhanced brand image and improved product acceptability in the market; and better price realization. You also have the satisfaction that you are doing the right thing and that your business will be able to continue in the future because you are not depleting valuable water resources. What about converting textile waste to wealth? A wonderful low chart from the leading consultants, Gherzi, shows the low of hundreds of millions of tons of textile material in the added value chain and of the textile waste chain.

Figure 7: Flow of textile waste Source: Gherzi Textil Organisation

As Gherzi has pointed out, this idea needs to be taken to its logical conclusion and we need to work very hard on recycling much more. This chart from Gherzi shows some of the potential in percentages. It's a huge potential business opportunity. There are also some European regulations which mandate that producers take responsibility once again, at the end of the consumer life, of the products they've produced. Perhaps we need a mindset shift to view our most secure source of our textile material as waste textile material. I think that the base technologies are there though there is a question of getting some intermediate pieces of technology, and driving these to scale. Another important step that we can take to manage sustainably is that of digitalization. The vision is that you


can get wisdom from data - and transform from a hindsight driven, to a foresight driven organization in the process. The new technologies of the internet of things (IoT) and the speed with which these can manage and process data allow us to move irst from descriptive analytics - a description of what happened; to diagnostic analysis and answer the question of why it happened; then you can move to predictive analytics and think of what will happen; and inally, to prescriptive analytics and answer the question of what is the best thing to do.

air quality' and actually build sustainable savings. In some of the projects that we've done, we've seen savings of 1-5% on overall cost, savings of water and energy of around 15% and so 15% of carbon emissions as well. The payback on such investments is just a few months. There are problems though with the widespread adoption the Internet of Things in the textile industry where we ind that the heterogeneity of deployment - the lack of a digital interface in older machines, as well as many different interface standards and protocols, proprietary protocols, etc., create a real problem that leads to a high cost of digital enablement. It is important for the textile industry, textile machinery manufacturers, and global bodies like the ITMF to collaborate to formulate best practices and standards to help digital adoption in the textile industry worldwide.

Figure 8: Vision of Digitalisation: Wisdom from Data Source: ecoaxis.com

With IoT there are many advantages for sustainability. For example, we can decrease the speci ic energy and water consumption; reduce carbon emissions; enhance indoor

To summarise, safety and sustainability are terribly i mp or ta n t s ubj e ct s a n d tha t th ey a re de e ply interconnected. I have also shared some ideas for what we can do to solve the problems of air, water, waste and climate change, how there's a business opportunity therein; and inally how digitalization can be a very important platform to put all of these ideas together.

Call for Articles A PEER REVIEWED REFEREED BI-MONTHLY JOURNAL Journal of the Textile Association (JTA) is bimonthly prestigious peer reviewed journal; Blind Review Process is being followed. To ensure the integrity of the blind peer-review for submission to this journal, every effort is made to prevent the identities of the authors and reviewers from being known to each other. For this the reviewer should not be from the same organisation as that of the author. The author should submit three reviewers, which are related to the ield of the subject paper with full contact details and reasoning for suggesting this reviewer. JTA welcomes Original Manuscripts, Research Papers, Review Paper and Case Studies from the researchers, academicians and business people all around the globe. Especially we are interested in publishing new and emerging areas of Textile and Clothing. Your contribution in Research Article is an honor for us. All the Manuscripts should be sent by E-mail as per JTA format & guidelines to the Editor with your contact details and Mobile Number to taicnt@gmail.com or jtaeditor@gmail.com.


NEWS FORTHCOMING EVENTS 4th National Conference (Virtual) – TEXCON 2021 New word of Textiles – Shaping for the Future Date : 18th to 19th February, 2021 Venue : Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Ujjain Road, Indore – 453 111, M.P. Contact : Mr. Ajay Joshi Shri Vaishnav Institute of Textile Technology, Ujjain Road, Indore – 453 111, M.P. Mob. : 7389208664, 9522237612, 8518019275 E-mail : texcon@svvv.edu.in Website : http://events.svvv.edu.in/texcon/ 76th All India Textile Conference – Hosted by TAI – M.P. Unit Date : 05th to 06th March, 2021 Venue : Jall Auditorium, Tukojiganj, Indore (M.P.) Contact : Shri Ashok Veda, The Textile Association (India)- MP Ashok Bhavan, 14/1, Race Course Road, Indore – 485 001 M.P. Tel. : 0731-2433612, 9131767240 E-mail : taimpunit@gmail.com, ashokveda007@gmail.com 22nd Edition Fabrics & Accessories Trade Show Date : 06th & 07th March, 2021 Venue : Karnataka Trade Promotion Org. Bengaluru, Contact : S.S. Textile Media Pvt. Ltd. 826, 9th cross, 10th Main Rd, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru, 560 038 Karnataka Tel. : +91-80-25214711, 41151841 Mob. : +91-9845446570 E-mail : sstm@textilefaiarsindia.com Website : www.textilefairsindia.com 10th Edition – Hometex Tech Expo Date : 19th to 21st March, 2021 Venue : Anaj Mandi, PANIPAT Contact : Essential Events & Trade K/801, Casa Lakeside,Palava City, Dombivali (East), Mumbai - 421 204, RAJESH SINHA : 93240 77881 MANOJ ARYA : 9718514089 BINA PANCHAL: 93070 38629 E-mail : mkt.essential@gmail.com, salesessential3@gmail.com Website : www.essentialtradefair.com

Yarnex – India Intrnational Yarn Exhibition Date : 01st & 03rd July, 2021 Venue : Pragati Maidan, Delhi Contact : S.S. Textile Media Pvt. Ltd. 826, 9th cross, 10th Main Rd, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru - 560 038 Karnataka Tel. : +91-80-25214711, 41151841 Mob. : +91-9845446570 E-mail : sstm@textilefaiarsindia.com Website : www.textilefairsindia.com ITMA ASIA + CITME Date : 12th to 16th June, 2021 Venue : National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai, China Website : http://www.itmaasia.com ITM 2021 Date : 22nd to 26th June, 2021 Venue : Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Centre, Beylikduzu, Istanbul Website : www.itmexhibition.com FILTECH 2021 Date : 23rd to 25th August, 2021 Venue : Cologne, Germany Website : https:// iltech.de th

Shanghaitex – 20 Intl. Exhibition on Textile Industry Date : 23rd to 26th November, 2021 Venue : SNIEC, Shanghai (Pudong) ITME India Exhibition 2021 Date : 08th to 13th December, 2021 Venue : IEML, Greater Noida Contact : India ITME Society 1210/1211, Dalamal Tower, A wing, 12th Floor, Plot No. 211, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021, Tel. : 40020233, 22020032, 6630 3834 Fax : 022-2285 1578, E-mail : contactat@india-itme.com;admin@india-itme.com;

Every effort is made to ensure that the information given is correct. You are however, advised to re-check the dates with the organizers. ADVERTISEMENT INDEX Suessen

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Nov-DEC, 2020 Volume 81 No. 4




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