December 2020

VOLUME 8 | ISSUE NO. 12 | RS 100 | Pages 60 ISSN NO : 2278-8972 |RNI NO : MAHENG/2012/43707

DECEMBER 2020 C-100 M-94 Y-32 K-36

DYES AND CHEMICALS

Protective Solutions for the Post COVID World C-100 M-93 Y-24 K-13

www.textilevaluechain.in

New age technology that offers protection against viruses.

NEW AGE ANTIVIRAL PROTECTION FOR YOUR CLOTHES & MASKS VIROBAN helps treated fabric surfaces effectively neutralize

Proven Effective Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus according to Modified ISO 18184

infectious viruses

Applicable to Non-woven, Woven & Knitted Fabrics, Fibres, etc

& bacteria.

Proven Effective Against Viruses (ISO 18184: 2019) & Bacteria (AATCC 100 / ISO 20743 / ASTM E2149) Inhibits Virus up to 99% @ 2 hours Contact time Durable up to 30 Washes - Antiviral Durable up to 50 Washes - Antibacterial

*VIROBAN does not claim to prevent diseases/infections or imply any public health claims. *Tested VIROBAN treated textile articles as per lab conditions.

For any further marketing enquiries,

Mail: info@n9world.com I Call: +91-8022056129 www.n9world.com

ANTIVIRAL

ANTIBACTERIAL

EPA REGISTERED ACTIVE INGREDIENT

SAFER TO USE

SUSTAINABLE

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An ISO 9001:2015, ISO14001:2015, OHSAS 18001:2007 Certified Company

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DECEMBER 2020

CONTENTS COVER STORY

08 Hygiene and comfort with 12 Protection, N9 World Technologies processing industry- A strong Potential to become completely sustainable 14 Wet 16 Trending Tie-Dye Engineers, your Chemical industries are the most needed industry Today 18 Chemical

N9 World Technologies- Protective Solutions for the Post Covid World

ASSOCIATION VIEWS

A Year of progress for Indian Textile and apparel 46 2021sector 47 Cotton Association of India INTERVIEWS 49 Interaction with Director of MANTRA 54 All about Raymond’s VIROSAFE

BRAND UPDATE

51 Encircling the Indian Textile Wet Processing Industry ADVERTISER INDEX

TECHNICAL TEXTILES

27 Appliction of IOT in Textile Industry Sources of Cellulose in 30 Unconventional Technical Textiles SPORTS TECH

34 Revolution in Sportswear Market- Covid19 35

Back Page : Raymond Back Inside : Oerlikon Front Inside : Rimtex Page 3 : n9 resil chemical Page 4 :Atul

Page 5 : Rieter Page 6 : Britacel Page 58 : Truetzler Page 57 : Archroma Page 56 : Bluesign

HR UPDATE

Ownership and Risk Taking

CONTRIBUTORS

SUSTAINABILITY

37Clothing from Mink Fibre (FUR) FASHION VALUE CHAIN

39 Ties and Bows 43 Looking Forward to 2021 with Key Trends YARN REPORT

45

Yarn export down in November, Cotton continues to gallop

FABRIC REPORT

46 Fabric report- December

Mr. Vikram Rao

Mr. Avinash Mayekar

Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan

Mr. Yogesh Gaikwad

Ms. Manish Khambe

Mr. S.M Bairagadar

Dr. N.N Mahapatra

Mr. Parvez Mulla

Dr. B.Basu

Ms. Saniya Mulla

Ms. Prachi Ghelot

Ms. Saranya

Ms. Ragini Gupta

Ms. Simran Kaur Sokhi

Mr. Sayank Nandi

Ms. Sukhmit Vaman

Mr. Rajiv Mishra

Mr. Nitin Madkaikar Mr. Vinod Chothani

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EDITORIAL

SUBSCRIPTION

Industrial Revival ‌

Digital + Print Copy issue 1 Year : 12 issues : Rs. 800 2 Years : 24 issues : Rs. 1500 3 years : 36 issues : Rs. 2100 Online Registration https://textilevaluechain.in/subscription/ Subscription enquiry

COVID-19 has disrupted the industry by way of consumption and production cycles. Apparel being the least bought category, few months ago. But as the nations are opening, travelling bans are being lifted, markets opening; industry is reviving at slow pace.

Travelling, the marriage season and festivals gave a little relief to industry; inventory is somehow managed and sold. Now in the fresh New Year, there is a good hope for the industry as COVID-19 Vaccine is in place; people also want to start afresh. Fresh clothing will give a boost to consumer and industry will grow at rapid pace. With a little more than 50% of total capacity being utilized, the Industry is already reviving.

This is a good sign as the new year brings in lot of hopes for all stakeholders!

Textile wet processing is an important part of industry. Textile is most pollutant industry, current issue focusing on textile wet processing and some new age solutions are offered by industry professionals and companies.

IKEA’s entry in the Indian market is an example that every brand in the world is focusing. Indian Market and Indian consumers are also slowly moving towards DIY in the home segment. COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon to Home Textile category and has maximum growth in entire industry.

Start-ups and FDI both are running parallel to each other in the industry; in fact both are dependent to each other, with their independent identity.

We wish all of you a fruitful, productive and healthy 2021 !

JIGNA SHAH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

DECEMBER 2020

+91. 9869634305 ; magazine.tvcindia@gmail.com Advertising and Collaboration enquiry +91.9769442239 ; info@textilevaluechain.com

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Ms. Jigna Shah

TRAINEE EDITOR Ms. Prachi Ghelot

CREATIVE DESIGNER Ms. Ayman Satopay

REGISTERED OFFICE Innovative Media and Information Company 189/5263, Sanmati, Pantnagar, Ghatkopar (East), Mumbai 400075. Maharashtra, INDIA. Cell: +91-9769442239 / +91. 9860634305 Email: info@textilevaluechain.com tvcmedia2012@gmail.com Web: www.textilevaluechain.com

OWNER, PUBLISHER, PRINTER AND EDITOR -MS. JIGNA SHAH Printed and Processed by her at, Impression Graphics, Gala no.13, Shivai Industrial Estate, Andheri Kurla Road, Sakinaka, Andheri (East), Mumbai 400072, Maharashtra, India.

All rights reserved Worldwide; Reproduction of any of the content from this issue is prohibited without explicit written permission of the publisher. Every effort has been made to ensure and present factual and accurate information. The views expressed in the articles published in this magazine are that of the respective authors and not necessarily that of the publisher. Textile Value chain is not responsible for any unlikely errors that might occur or any steps taken based in the information provided herewith.

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N9 World Technologies - Protective Solutions for the Post COVID World

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sion of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses including the SARSs the world patiently waits CoV-2. for the COVID-19 induced restric“With the onslaught of the pantions to end, home grown N9 demic, consumers are increasingWorld Technologies is working toly seeking protection and safety wards a safer future. In the last few in almost everything months this Bengaluru they breathe, touch based company has inor wear. As we are troduced cutting edge antiviral technologies N9 World Technologies Private Limited (N9WTPL), a wholly-owned committed to keepfor diverse industries subsidiary of Resil Chemicals, Bengaluru is an innovative special- ing our customers like textiles, polymers, ty chemicals company committed to offering unique patented safe, we have partplastics, paints, leath- next-generation technologies in the hygiene, comfort and wellness nered with Coner, laminates, floor- space. The company’s technologies offer differentiated value and solidated Pathways cost-effective sustainable solutions to its customers and consumand SANITIZED AG.” ings, ceramics, etc. er brands. In this feature, the senior management of the company informs Mr. Vikram Already well known in shares information about the product portfolio, operational strat- Rao, Managing Directhe textile industry for egy and the future plans. tor, N9 World Techits proven technologies nologies. like N9 PURE SILVER, VIROBAN will be proFRESHON, etc., N9WTduced at the group’s PL is India’s leading formulator of way for the launch of VIROBAN – speciality chemicals whose prod- an innovative and sustainable an- manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru and is already being marti-viral finish keted through their extensive netfor textiles. It work which extends across India is a custom and also other countries like the blend of San- UK, Australia, China, Dubai, Indoitized® T20- nesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Phil19, a pat- ippines, Turkey, etc. ented Swiss quaternar y India’s first EPA registered (Essilane tech- tablishment No. 98255-IND-001) nology and Anti-bacterial manufacturer and is already marketer of innovative protec-

ucts provide safety and comfort to millions in India and abroad.

As a pioneer responsible for creating a market for anti-bacterial textile finishes in India, N9 World Technologies has taken a leading role in the fight against infective viruses and bacteria. They have entered into partnership agreements with Consolidated Pathways Inc., USA and Sanitized AG,

Switzerland to incorporate unique Swiss anti-viral and anti-microbial technologies into sustainable and cost-effective custom blends for the textile industry.

This partnership has paved the

adopted by some of India’s largest fashion brands. An US EPA & EU BPR registered product, it is tested and proven through the internationally accepted modified ISO 18184:2019 and AATCC 100 it acts quickly to prevent the transmisDECEMBER 2020

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COVER STORY

tive technologies, the group’s manufacturing facilities are certified for IMS (ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007)

by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) and SA 8000 and have a capacity of around 30,000 metric tonnes per annum.

Their world-class research facilities are recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India and are staffed by a technical team of about 33 members with several doctorate-holding scholars and IIT-educated scientists. In addition, the R&D application team has a size of about 13 members. The group also has a dedicated Application Research Centre (ARC) staffed by experts in textile manufacturing, giving round-the-clock support.

“We always had a strong focus on

R&D and we have been recognised by the industry and the Government for our revolutionary work through various awards including the Indian President’s Award” adds Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO of Resil Chemicals and Technical

DECEMBER 2020

Director of N9WTPL. With such a outstanding setup in place, it is no surprise that the company has now introduced revolutionary anti-viral and antibacterial technologies for various surface applications like paints,

plastics, laminates, wooden surfaces, leather, textiles, floorings and ceramics.

Based on a unique Ionic technology format these technologies are proven to reduce infective viruses by 99.9% when tested under the internationally accepted ISO 21702 protocol. With their wideranging applications the company aims to make homes and public spaces safer.

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Upcoming Products The company also has several products under various stages of development and is aiming to launch two new products in the new year. EARTH MINT - a new anti-bacterial textile finish made from 100% natural peppermint oil and VIRALGO - a special anti-viral spray specifically aimed at shoes. When it is sprayed on shoes, it effectively neutralises the viruses and bacteria on the surface of the shoes and gives much needed protection to the user.

PRODUCT LINE-UP • VIROBAN is an anti-viral and anti-bacterial textile finish based on a patented Swiss Technology. It creates a highly-cationic charge density on the surface of textiles, deactivating the spread of viruses and bacteria on contact.

• N9 PURE SILVER is a silver-based freshness technology that neutralises odour-causing bacteria on contact, to keep textiles fresher for longer.

• EARTH MINT is a natural bacterial odour control solution for environmentally conscious consumers. Earth Mint uses the power of natural peppermint to effectively neutralise odour causing bacteria on contact and keep the treated articles fresher for longer.

• FRESHON is an antibacterial technology which neutralises the odour causing bacteria that come in contact with the textile surface and keeps the users feeling fresh all day long.

• SILAIDE 100 uses the power of Silver to control growth of bacteria and viruses that come in contact with the treated textile articles.

• CYLATE 20-19 is an EPA registered antimicrobial and anti-fungal textile finish that keeps the treated articles fresher for longer.

• MOISTEX absorbs sweat and spreads it across the inner surface of the fabric and helps maintain optimum skin moisture level by creating the right micro-climate.

• COOLIT is a moisture activated cooling technology based on a polymer system that binds to fibres, when it comes in contact with moisture/sweat and generates a cooling effect.

• KOOLPOLY is a moisture activated cooling technology based on a polymer system that binds with fibres and generates a cooling effect when in contact with moisture/sweat, specifically designed for polyester and polyester rich fabrics.

• SOLADEL UV SHIELD effectively filters harmful UVA and UVB rays from penetrating the garment and affecting the skin, providing round-the-clock protection from harmful UV rays.

• DRIDRY is an advanced moisture management finish, specially designed for synthetics and blends well with activewear, sportswear and performance wear to add the extra mileage to your efficiency, be it work or play.

• NEUDRI is a dynamic drying technology that rapidly wicks perspiration from the skin and transfers moisture to the fabric’s surface, for evaporation, leaving the wearer comfortable and dry.

• PUREPEL is a fluorine free water repellent technology which offers superior durable water repellency and protection against water-based stains.

• N9 PLASTIX AQUA is specifically designed for Water Tank Applications and offers durable hygiene.

• N9 PURE SILVER TECHNOLOGY is a unique Silver Technology developed for applications in Paints and Coatings which is used in Wall Coatings, Furniture Coatings, Floor Coatings, etc. offering added protection and hygiene to the end user.

• N9 PLASTIX SYNHIDE can be used in PVC Synthetic Leather which is used to make seat covers.

• N9 PLASTIX offers excellent Antimicrobial protection in moulded parts.

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PROTECTION, HYGIENE AND COMFORT WITH N9 WORLD TECHNOLOGIES

Vikram Rao

Ganesh Srinivasan

Manish Khambe

Managing Director, N9WTPL

CEO of Resil Chemicals & Technical Director at N9WTPL

Business Development Head at N9WTPL

Trends, consumer behaviour and markets, every aspect of the global economy is having a keen eye on protective textiles because the consumer behaviour is shifting towards some major lifestyle changes, the highlight of which will be protection

Tell us about N9 World Technologies Pvt Ltd. What is the core business of your company?

Vikram Rao: N9WTPL is an innovative specialty materials company committed to offering unique patented next-generation technologies in the hygiene, comfort and wellness space. Our products offer differentiated value and costeffective sustainable solutions to our customers and consumer brands. We operate in segments like Textiles, Plastics, Paper, Laminates and Coatings.

Ganesh Srinivasan: We take great pride in the fact that we are a home-grown technology company with a global footprint and have been following the principles of Atmanirbhar Bharat right from our inception. We create technologies in India, often in collaboration with esteemed research institutes like IITs and market them across the globe.

How is your technology different from the other products available in the market?

Ganesh Srinivasan: It may appear to be similar in terms of performance benefits but the underlying chemistry in our technology is far more robust in terms of performance, safety and sustainability when compared to anything else available in the market. Unlike other technologies, we do not compromise on safety or sustainability to keep the costs low. The value benefits we offer, when communicated clearly will help our industry partners differentiate themselves and stand out in the market.

What made you extend your offerings beyond the textile industry?

Vikram Rao: We are committed to keeping our customers safe and as a first step we launched VIROBAN anti-viral finish for textiles. With

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that in place we decided to leverage our technical expertise to create protective technologies for other touch points. While textiles have been a major focus for us and would continue to do so, we will also be creating and marketing protective and functional technologies for diverse industries.

How will your anti-microbial / anti-viral innovations benefit the Indian Industry, especially in the wake of the pandemic?

Ganesh Srinivasan: Companies across the world are creating products that can offer a certain degree of protection to the consumer from viruses and bacteria; especially viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. But consumers are confused about choosing the right kind of product. With our DSIR approved R&D facilities and EPA registered manufacturing facilities we bring a certain reliability and trustworthiness. Our technol-

COVER STORY ogy helps manufacturers to build anti-viral functionality in addition to providing hygiene without affecting the base properties of the treated article whether textiles or other surfaces. Domestic brands and manufacturers can use this technology to provide extended safety to their consumers without compromising on the finish quality and sustainability goals.

What is your marketing and promotional strategy in India? What kind of technical, marketing and supply chain support will be provided to the customers?

Manish Khambe: N9 World Technologies sets the standard for service and reliability in the Indian antimicrobial industry. Critical part of our strategy is to partner with the Major brands and Coating Manufacturers and get this technology adopted in their products selling in the Indian markets.

We have a strong Business Development team and we are in very close contact with our customers and are very easily reachable. All the SOPs with respect to the application are clearly shared with the manufacturers to achieve consistent results. Test methods are clearly communicated. Marketing support in terms of ingredient branding, co-branding, claims,

social media, etc are discussed at the very beginning of the program so that there is complete clarity with all the stake holders.

Our products are manufactured at our Bangalore plant and distributed through our strong network of Channel Partners in different regions so that the required products are made available immediately to the customers.

How are your products going to benefit the Indian Coatings Industry?

Ganesh Srinivasan: The coatings industry is currently undergoing a transformation. The industry as a whole is moving towards providing value added products to consumers through new functionalities. We have already seen this change in the textile industry a few years back and N9WTPL has been at the forefront of that transformation.

Now we intend to leverage our expertise and technical knowhow to aid the coatings industry successfully undergo this evolution. Right now, we are providing anti-bacterial and anti-viral technologies.

But we also have capabilities to add various other functional benefits like temperature management, etc. to the offerings of the

• www.textileappareljobs.com

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coatings industry.

What is the relevance of this technology to the end consumer? Please elaborate.

Vikram Rao: Now more than ever, health and safety is a top priority for consumers resulting in an increased interest for anti-viral treatments for various surfaces.

Anti-viral coated surfaces help in protecting the consumer from infectious microbes. Thus, our technology will be a key element for preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria through touch points and surfaces.

What are the clear claims that can be done on treated articles to be marketed in India and abroad related to anti-microbials?

Manis Khambe: The claims that can be made and cannot be made are very clearly defined and they differ from market to market.

For example, in markets like India - claims like anti-bacterial or anti-microbial finish can be made based on the use of proper test protocols.

• textileappareljobs@gmail.com DECEMBER 2020

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WET PROCESSING INDUTRY- A STRONG POTENTIAL TO BECOME COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE PRACHI GHELOT Trainee at TVC

In present situation ecological cognizance of individuals about natural products, renewable resources, less ecological harm and sustainability of the products they buy has restored the utilization of natural colors in coloring of textiles. Natural dyes are having some characteristic preferences: No health risks, Simple extraction and purification, No harmful effluent, mild dyeing temperatures and Sustainable sources .

Introduction Wet processing is of extreme importance in textile industries, which influences the finished products and their quality. Enormous measures of water, chemicals and energy are needed for different phases of wet processing activity. In wet processing, water is used as the solvent for the chemical substances and dyes, in light of its low cost and accessibility. In any case, during the process, water gets polluted with synthetics and unspent dyes and gives an end product- effluent. The toxic effluent is not anything but difficult to treat or biodegrade and is harmful to humans and wildlife, especially the aquatic life. This sort of contamination and medical conditions emerge typically in the conventional method of wet processing. Thus, the elective strategies are important to improve the sustainability of the wet processing process in textile industry.

Following is the collated list of some potential wet processing technologies which can change the wet processing industry into a completely sustainable one-

Digital printing As the world awakens to the pollution brought about by conventional textile processing, the energy efficient alternatives offered

by Digital Textile Printing are what a few onlookers state is, the soli-

ings for every meter printed are normal. For instance, if these innovations were accepted around the world, it would convert into a possible saving of more than 2 trillion litres of water for each year.

Nonetheless, water volumes are likewise much lower in the Digital

tary route forward for the Textile Industry. The biggest positive commitment is from Dye-sub and Pigment based printing systems, where 70-80 litres of water sav-

printing of Disperse, Reactive and Acid ink frameworks, where water reserve funds are less, yet around 30-40 litres for each meter printed.

Without question, as the cost of DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY water increases and its availability diminishes yearly, this potential saving has demonstrated imperative to the Textile Industry, particularly as it improves the environmental component of wet processing production.

On an average, the digital printing machine will utilize around 0.14 kw per meter printed, while a conventional rotating screen printer will use on normal 0.46 kw per meter printed. This speaks to a potential of saving over 63% energy.

(Texintel, 2020)

Bio-Pigments While heading to sustainable choices, one should not ignore the ecological impact by the wet processing effluents. According to a study, only 80% of the dyes is retained by the fabric being dyed and the rest 20% fits itself in effluents which is not treated in most of the industries. Many young enthusiastic scientists have developed bio-dyeing solutions based on organic matter.

The start-up, PILI has created environmentally friendly solutions to dyeing, using biotechnology and the well known process of fermentation. The fermentation of organic matter like sugar or wood, allows it to be reshaped into dyes and pigments, which under controlled conditions in laboratories, can be used for bulk productions.

PILI’s technology can offer these 4 essential building blocks : sustainability, high-scale production, high performance and accessibility to the greatest number of people. (PILI, 2020) Naturally coloured cotton Out of thousands of varieties of cotton, 40 are hued, giving a scope

of shading including mocha, tan, dark, earthy coloured, dark, mahogany, red, pink, blue, green, cream and white. In any case, because of their short fibre length which is unacceptable for modern processing, these assortments are fairly obscure. The adequately length fibre long enough to process was created by Sally Fox and is called FoxFiber. It's available in shades of green, beige, earthy coloured and blue and is sold by Vreseis Ltd. It's developed naturally but we don't yet know whether it is watered economically. Normally earthy colored cotton is filled in Peru, Ecuador, Central America, Mexico and South-eastern USA, so it could have some social advantages with the reduced need to colour the fabrics made from this cotton.

Naural dyeing In present situation ecological cognizance of individuals about natural products, renewable resources, less ecological harm and sustainability of the products they buy has restored the utilization of natural colors in coloring of textiles. Natural dyes are having some characteristic preferences: No health risks, Simple extraction and purification, No harmful effluent, mild dyeing temperatures and Sustainable sources .

There are some issues and impediments identified with the use of natural dyes which has decreased its applications – generally applicable to natural fibres only (cotton, cloth, fleece and silk) , poor colourfastness, shades cannot be reproduced exactly, and unavailability of standard dyeing procedures which can be followed everywhere.

Natural dyes are having wide application in the colouration of a large portion of the natural fibres for example cotton, cloth, fleece and silk fibre, and to some extent for nylon and polyester. Be that as it may, there are significant issues for naturally coloured textiles . To

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accomplish great colourfastness to washing and light are likewise a test to the dyer. A few analysts had proposed diverse colouring strategies and process parameters, yet at the same time these data are insufficient, so this requires the need of examination to build up some standard colour extraction method and standardisation of entire cycle natural dyeing on fabrics.

Conclusion Industries of India have been developing at a fast pace, with a large appetite for advancements.

The onset of pandemic might have shut off the industry for a while, but the pause has given a second perspective to the industrialists, managers and the end users on the conventional production processes & consumerism involved in the textile industry.

The consumer demand is slowly shifting towards values and experiences. The consumer of today is interested in knowing the 'impact' of the materials they wear and use at their home. This value shift has forced the retail businesses and likewise the manufacturing industries to ponder over the ways the products can be made more environment friendly, with an optimized approach for production.

As anyone would know, overnight changes are not possible in a large industry like India’s , but small collective steps towards a common goal would definitely do the trick.

References PILI. (2020, Dec 28). Color . Retrieved from PILI: https://www. pili.bio Texintel. (2020, Dec 28). Waterless Digital Textile Printing-A New Starndard in Sustainable Textile Processing. Retrieved from Texintel: https://www.texintel.com/blog/ fwaterless-digital-textile-printinga-new-standard-in sustainabletextile-processing

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TRENDING - TIE AND DYE! Ragini Gupta Intern at TVC P.G Student, Department of Textile Science and Apparel Design SNDT Women’s University

Tie and dye is a technique where colour or dye is applied through various methods but are also resisted or stopped from entering special parts of the material or fabric. For example a rubber band or a thread is tied around a fabric tightly that nothing enters it; then after immersing the fabric in the dye bath the colour does not penetrates or stamps over the area which results in designs and unique patterns.

W

hat is Tie and dye?

Before we jump into tie and dyeing, let us take a look at some basic concepts.

Everything we see has hues, tints, tones and shades. Wondering what did you just read?

It is all the dimensions of colour and we use colours to make things unique, decorative and long lasting. Tie and dye is one of the uniquely beautiful techniques we employ to decorate fabric with long lasting effects and unique colours.

Hues are the names of the colours we see like blue, red, green, and yellow and so on. Tints are the colours in their lighter form.

Similarly tones are the colours in greyish forms and shades are the colours in their darker form. For example, Pink is a tint of red in its lighter form and brown is a mixture of orange red and yellow in darker form. So now as we know what colours are and what they do let’s learn about what are dyes and what is tie and dye. Dyes are colours in the form or pigments and chemicals that are used to improve or brighten or darken the colour of the fabric.

It could be colored in one or many colours. As we can see in an Indian sari the border is of one colour, the embroidery is of another, petticoats is of different colour and even the blouse has its own uniqueness. We see the different colours and the colours look different on different types of materials.

With the similar example, blouse is adorned with brocade which uses golden metallic coloured thread or yarns and the petticoat

DECEMBER 2020

is mainly cotton or linen based which is matched with the colour of the saree itself. And the Sari includes pallu with embroidery with coloured or dyed threads and the use of lace and beads.

Bandhini is the most prominent known tie and die technique used to make small bead like texture on the fabric as well as depict figures and stories on it with the same. It is famous in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

But the both differ in the intensity, colours and fineness. Small dals, beads or stones are used to resist the fabric while tie and dye.

Leheriya is the other very famous technique used which gives an effect of waves on the fabric. It is very soothing and soft texture like looking dye and mostly uses white as one colour and a primary or

COVER STORY different colour for the second or third colour. Different very material takes different steps and dyes to get dyed and to stay long lasting.

Tie and dye is a technique where colour or dye is applied through various methods but are also resisted or stopped from entering special parts of the material or fabric. For example a rubber band or a thread is tied around a fabric tightly that nothing enters it; then after immersing the fabric in the dye bath the colour does not penetrates or stamps over the area which results in designs and unique patterns. This is what encompasses Tie and dye. Tying in a way that the fabric is dyed but also reflects designs and ideas on it by resisting in the desired areas.

Sometimes when we buy something from the market, we find the colour is not fast and bleeds on washing or fades on wearing. No amount of resist or external factors fastens the colour applied.

This is improved by using various techniques and selecting colours and dyes with care. It is important to know these facts because when we do We have to use colours and tie and dye process accordingly for an imperfectly-perfect pattern.

Now let’s understand what is Tie and dye.

For tie and dye various fixers, dyes and machinery are used. These can be natural or man-made, new or old, better or worst. Natural includes anything that comes from nature as in red chilies, turmeric,

berries and bark of trees, leaves, soil and many more.

For example turmeric is used for yellow colour, chilies for red colour, spinach leaves for green colour and tea for brown or black colour. And man-made are vat dyes, direct dyes, saturated dyes and many.

Natural may fade easily if not applied properly. Man-made could be less environment friendly if used in production houses as well.

One has to keep balance between the two. Here is where science step in •Salt is used to fix the colour so that it absorbs and sticks to the fabric, fibers and yarns.

•Fastness depends on the bonding between the chemicals – it can be strong or weak depending on the dye.

The start of dyeing was first done on faded clothes or torn clothes as a way of DIY (Do it yourself), for rejuvenation. And if anything goes wrong one can force remove the dye as well by the use of “stripping” or discharging agents. It means destroying the dye with a powerful agent like Sodium Hydrosulfite, hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite. These agents may be easily found at home or vailable at nearby grocery shops like bleaching powder and ala. Similarly dying can be done at home by using dyes, salt, big spoon, hot water, rubber bands, thread, gloves, a bucket or a large bowl enough to dye the article and the fabric most effectively cotton.

Here is a quick way DIY! Prepare the dye mixture by dissolving it in a container with water.

Prepare the fabric by pre washing and drying it. Then you dip the fabric, the dye and water in one bucket and leave it for a substantial amount of time and then rinse it with cold water. Try testing the dye on a patch of fabric before dying the whole article.

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There are many methods to tie the fabric; it includes tying, knotting, marbling, shibori, folding, tritik, bandhini, leheria and lots more.

Rubbing wax on the tying material could give it more resistant and finer finish. Also one can search Batik painting where only different types of waxes are used for resisting. After all the work is done you can change or intensify the colour by keeping it longer in the bath. If you are planning to use different colors try dying it first with the lighter colour then the darker colour.

You can make different products by using this technique like t-shirts, scarves, poncho, headbands, bags, kaftans, beach wraps, stoles, aprons or anything you like.

Do try this at home and share pictures of the unique product created, as no two articles are same & we are sure you are going to love your own DIY pattern!

Reference https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Dye https://www.google.com/search? q=dyes&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEw ji1OPXoeftAhVYYSsKHfH4C7AQ2https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Dyeing

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CHEMICAL ENGINEERS, YOUR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES ARE THE MOST NEEDED INDUSTRY TODAY Dr. B. Basu Textile Expert

Chemical engineers work with ground-breaking technologies to enhance the quality of people’s lives in areas such as environmental protection, the management of resources, and controlling health and safety. They are required even in the Heavy Engineering, Power Corporations.

W

hat is chemical engineering?

Modern society relies on the work of chemical, biochemical and process engineers - they help manage resources, protect the environment and control health and safety procedures, while developing the processes that make the products we desire or depend on.

Chemical engineering is all about changing raw materials into useful products you use every day in a safe and cost-effective way. For example: petrol, plastics and synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon, all come from oil. Chemical engineers understand how to alter the chemical, biochemical or physical state of a substance, to create everything from face creams to fuels.

The Role of Chemical Engineers The Chemical engineers help in leading to advances in health care, including Technology and Medicine. They also help developing Processing Systems that more efficiently manage waste disposal.

Chemical engineers play a vital role in Food Processing that help

companies make food consumable in a more affordable and healthy way.

The main role of Chemical Engineers is to design and trouble shoot processes for the Production of chemicals, fuels, food, pharmaceuticals and biological, just to name a few. They are most often employed by large scale manufacturing Plants to maximise productivity and product quality with minimum cost. In a nutshell, their core responsibilities revolve around three key objectives, i.e., making processes cost-effective, eco-friendly and efficient.

The Role of Chemical Engineers in Steal Plants The conversion of iron ore to iron is in a chemical reactor. The conversion of iron to steel is another chemical reaction. The processes use vast amounts of energy and heat transfer is a major issue, both heating and cooling. Materials flow about (including quite a lot of fuel, air and water) for which fluid mechanics and control systems are required. Molten iron represents challenges for materials of containment. Crushing and grinding of solids, and solids handling

are involved. Waste treatment and protection of the environment is increasingly important. Above all there is the issue of safety, which chemical engineers are more likely to have been taught than other disciplines.

In the past, steel companies employed metallurgists and mechanical engineers who took about 10 years to learn sufficient chemical engineering on the job. Now they are smart enough to recruit those with the skills for immediate use.

Metallurgists/ Metallurgical engineers usually are responsible for the development of the steel process and products at a steel mill. A chemical engineer could work in the testing lab working on chemical analysis of steel. Also, a chemical engineer could work on analysis of slag reactions. Also, you could work on analysing the pickling process (e.g. inhibited acids).

Lastly, there are various rolling oils used that require engineering and frequently have chemical engineers employed.

Chemical Engineers often share a fair bit of coursework with metallurgy (nowadays of material science) student in school: thermo, DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY kinetics, heat transport, etc. As Cory Pad stated - liquid steel metallurgy is filled with chemical reactions in steel and slag. They are also responsible for the maintenance of Batteries in Coke oven plants.

There are at present 19 Major integrated steel plants in India. SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) is the major public sector company in this sector and TISCO (Tata Iron and Steel Company) is the major private sector company in this industry. Today, TISCO employed 32,364 employees and the whole India, the Steel plant recruits 6.1 million people. By and large 10% Chemical Engineers are required among all the Engineers i.e., Metallurgy, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Software.

The role of a chemical engineer in the cement industry spans from the very first units, all the way to packaging. Unlike most industries, cement manufacturing is completely dominated by mechanical operations with only one partially chemical step. Yet, these mechanical operations fall under the realm of chemical engineering. The various operations are: 1. Sizing of raw material 2. Mixing of raw material in proper amounts 3. Ensuring homogeneity 4. Meeting size requirements 5. Calcination 6. Separation based on particle size 7. Recycle of undesirably sized particles 8. Storage 9. Control of dust in the air Each of these operations, save calcination - which is a process that can be designed only by a chemical engineer; who know the mechanics, economics and technology to optimally run all these units.

Cement production reached 329 million tonnes (MT) in FY20 and is projected to reach 381 MT by FY22.

However, the consumption stood at 327 MT in FY20 and will reach 379 MT by FY22. The cement production capacity is estimated to touch 550 MT by 2020. Today there are about 210+ Cement factories in India with 10 big players. The growth rate is 7-8% and expected to be 8-9% in the next 5 years. In general, 1 man is required for 1 ton of Cement production.

Job options Jobs directly related to your degree include: • Biotechnologist • Chemical engineer • Colour technologist • Energy engineer • Nuclear engineer • Petroleum engineer • Product/process development scientist Jobs where your degree would be useful include: • Analytical chemist • Energy manager • Environmental engineer • Manufacturing engineer • Materials engineer • Mining engineer • Production manager • Quality manager • Waste management officer • Water engineer Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with a degree in any subject, so do not restrict your thinking to the jobs. The demand for chemical engineers at major chemical and pharmaceutical companies is expected to continue but at a slower pace than average through 2021.

Employment is tied to the overall state of manufacturing and to the technologies used to create products (biotechnology, alternative energies, etc.)

As the biotechnology industry con-

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tinues to grow, opportunities for chemical engineers with a background in biology will expand.

Chemical engineering research jobs are increasing in importance with the development and implementation of new energy sources designed as substitutes for the world’s diminishing supplies of petroleum and natural gas.

Process engineering Many chemical engineers become process engineers, when they graduate and start their career.

Process engineering is essentially the application of chemical engineering principles to optimise the design, operation and control of chemical processes. Since this requires equipment design and selection, mechanical engineers may also be employed as process engineers.

Biochemical engineering Biochemical engineering is a rapidly developing sector which takes exciting science discoveries and changes them into cost-effective and environmentally-friendly processes. Biochemical engineers use these processes to create products ranging from new medicines through to renewable energy, as well as greener solutions to waste treatment. Biochemical engineers are responsible for tackling many of today’s global challenges such as the development of vaccines to protect people against pandemic flu, stem cell therapies to cure blindness and biofuels from algae to provide more sustainable energy sources.

Job outlook and Pay Scale Employment of chemical engineers in India is projected to grow, with the Government and Private sector jobs available aplenty. Speaking about Private Sector jobs, chemical engineering graduates can find potential opportunities in sectors such as Petrochemical industries, Petroleum refineries, Cement Factories, Food Processing and Technology units, Fertilizer Factories, Pharmaceutical industries, Biotechnology DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY Sector, etc. Some of the top companies in India hiring chemical engineers are L & T, ONGC, Merchem Limited, Infosys, Wipro, Reliance, and Essar, among others.

Coming to the pay scale for chemical engineers, the salary is quite lucrative. Freshers can earn an average pay of INR 25,000 to INR 30,000 per month, nevertheless, on gaining experience and specific skill sets, you can earn an average of INR 5-7 Lakhs per year. While salary specifics vary in both Private and Government sectors; there are high-end salary packages for those willing to work abroad.

Some of the international companies like Baker Hughes, Techconsult UK Ltd., and Swift Worldwide Resources, offer a salary of INR 1 Lakh – 3 Lakhs per month for competent professionals in chemical engineering.

Looking at the current scope and expansion of the industry, chemical engineering is considered as one of the brightest career option with huge employment opportunities available. Students aspiring to make an entry into the sector should focus on having thorough knowledge and skill sets and should pursue their engineering education from an institute that can serve as a strong backing for their profile. Most of the core companies today rely on prestigious institutions for hiring freshers through campus recruitments. So, if you are expecting to enter core companies in your chemical engineering field, it is wise to join a reputed educational institution that can provide you with industry-vetted knowledge, aptly polish your skills and talents, and support you with on-campus placements.

Work experience Work experience is a valuable way of getting first-hand knowledge of specialised industries. If you are undecided about the area of chemical engineering, that you want to work in, try to get an inplant placement to find out what is available. This may be a placement that is part of your degree, or

one you set up yourself during the summer.

Industrial placements or In-plant trainings are a great way of building up your practical experience and skills, testing and expanding your knowledge, and establishing a network of contacts for future work opportunities. There may also be opportunities to work shadow a chemical engineer to find out more about what they do.

Work experience is available in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and food and drink industries.

Check out the careers section of company websites for more information on the opportunities available. Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers Employers cover a range of industrial sectors. Any company involved in large-scale conversion of raw materials into a product will require chemical engineers. You will find major employers in gas and oil extraction, oil refining, nuclear and other power generation and process industries, including pharmaceuticals, fine and heavy chemicals, and agrochemicals.

Other manufacturing industries that need chemical engineers include those supplying: • Fibres and polymers • Food and drink • Plastic and metals • Pulp and paper • Toiletries.

Many chemical development engineers work for engineering consultancy and contracting firms.

There are also opportunities to work in pollution control, environmental protection, energy conservation, waste recovery and recycling, alternative energy, medical science and health and safety.

Engineers are well equipped for business roles and may also go into careers in financial services, management, consultancy or law.

Find information on employers in

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engineering and manufacturing, energy and utilities, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV In addition to specific technical knowledge, a chemical engineering degree provides a sound theoretical basis for introducing new technology and advancing existing technology. You also gain an awareness of the global and societal context in which engineering solutions are applied. Transferable skills that would be useful in a range of engineering and business-related roles include: • Project management, through group design work • Resource management • Teamwork and leadership • IT skills •Initiative and attention to detail, through independent research • Creativity and innovation • Communication and presentation skills, developed through group work and presenting research projects.

• Problem-solving and analytical skills Further study Some chemical engineering graduates go on to further study in order to gain professional status as a chartered engineer (CEng) or incorporated engineer (IEng), which helps to boost career prospects.

For more information on the training needed to gain charter ship, see: • Engineering Council • Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Others go on to take further study at Masters or Ph.D level in a specialist area of chemical engineering that interested them at undergraduate level. A Ph.D is essential for a career in academia and research. It is also possible for chemical engineering graduates to take postgraduate study DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY in areas such as design, science or management. For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in chemical engineering.

What do chemical engineering graduates do?

Two-fifths of chemical engineering graduates are working in engineering professions six months after graduation. Of these, 22% are working as production and process engineers.

Destination Percentage Employed 69.4 Further study 12.5 Working and studying 6.3 Unemployed 6.5 Other 5.3 Graduate destinations for chemical engineering Type of work Percentage Engineering and building 40.6 Business, HR and finance 18.2 Information technology 10.4 Technicians and other professionals 8.4 Other 22.5 Ten reasons to become a chemical engineer 1. Diverse roles: In global profession a degree in chemical engineering allows you to work in many different job roles, in a variety of industries, all over the world.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has a membership exceeding 40,000 members in around 100 countries, indicating a thriving and like-minded global profession.

2. Make a difference: Some professions attract the word “vocation”.

Nurses and teachers are often associated with the view that it is not just about the money, but the satisfaction of knowing that you have

helped someone personally and profoundly. Chemical engineers have this opportunity too – better nutrition and improved health; greater social mobility; warmth and light; protection of the environment, and many other measures valued by society are the result of chemical and biochemical engineers’ hard work.

3. Choice of Job: Undergraduates always have a tricky decision about which course to choose, and there's always a danger that the course they decide on could narrow their future job prospects.

That isn’t the case with chemical engineering – it opens doors to biochemical engineering, chemicals, consultancy, education, food and drink, health, safety and environment, mining and minerals, oil and gas (exploration and production), oil refining, paper and packaging, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and toiletries, plastics, power generation (fossil fuels/ nuclear generation or decommissioning/renewable), water, waste Management 4. Top Notch Companies: Great (big) companies some of the world’s largest companies and biggest brands operate in the chemical and process sector. Not surprisingly, oil and gas features heavily in the top 50 companies ranked by revenue, along with energy companies and pharmaceutical suppliers.

5. Travel and lifestyle: Chemical engineering provides some great opportunities for travel and working in different countries, helped by the high proportion of multinational companies operating in the sector. So if you want to see the world, choose chemical engineering – you'll have plenty of chance to work abroad throughout your career. Now a days Merchant Navy is selecting Chemical Engineers apart from Army, Navy and Air force.

6. Scope: Future proof where there are problems to solve, engineers will always be needed. For chemical and biochemical engineers, the

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search for sustainable solutions to our future energy, water, food and pharmaceutical needs (to name a few) will keep them busy for years to come.

7. Proactive: On hand when it matters in times of trouble, like natural disasters, emergency teams are on the ground as soon as possible.

Once their work is over, teams of people – often volunteers – replace them to help establish vital services and infrastructure like clean water, warmth and food. It is always great to know that charities involving chemical engineers are part of these invaluable teams.

8. Career progression: With so many large employers in the sector, there is plenty of scope to progress your career as a chemical engineer. Even if you prefer to work for a smaller company, or on your own as a consultant, there is always an opportunity to choose your own career path. The China National Petroleum Corporation reportedly employs 1.6m people, and food giant the Compass Group employs over 420,000 people. Chemical engineers also work in areas such as risk and insurance, business and finance – even politics. (Competitive exams) The result is a world of opportunity for those looking for an interesting and varied career.

9. Monetary benefits: Although money should not be the number one reason to enter a profession, getting paid a good salary for doing a job that’s interesting and rewarding is a pretty good position to be in. Chemical engineers generally feature at the top end of high earners, with graduate starting salaries in the UK of around £30,000. Median salaries for Chartered Chemical Engineers reach over £70,000 and are even higher for those working in certain industries, which all leads to a great quality of life.

10. Diversity: The chemical engineering profession is incredibly diverse. Take, for example Shell’s Gamba site in Gabon, Africa. In addition to French-speaking GaboDECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY nese personnel, it employs a mix of staff from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and other African countries.

The senior engineers and student interns form a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary team, which is common within our profession.

Challenges of the Chemical Engineers in the Industries • Increasing sensitivity towards pollution • Need to improve energy efficiency (many processes are energy intensive) • Understanding new chemicals which are being developed wrt to their safety / stability/ production process • very high scale of operation (very big plants) • Energy savings.

• Innovative ideas that help the mankind How to become a Perfect Engineer?

• Keep updated with latest technology.

• The syllabus/courses is to be modified time to time in consultation with the academicians, Industrial experts and alumni.

• The Projects prepared by the Engineers are to down to the earth.

The “copy & paste” attitude is to be abolished. The students must know the Aim/objective of the project very well.

• The Industrial Experts who burnt the fingers, who knows “what is what” are to involve as Project Guides.

• Regular attendance, interaction with the Teaching staffs and Industrial Experts will make the Engineers more skilful who will have the confidence to face the challenge in the professional life.

• Deep analytical sense, able to solve the problems, no lethargy in work, positive attitude, determination are the key areas of success in life. Such scientist cum engineer

can only able to face the global challenges.

•Strong mind, good health, having creativity, team spirit, sportsman spirit, through knowledge in the subject, attitude towards the learnings will lead the man to become a perfect Engineer.

•He should know that there is no place for lazy, timid, excuse giving man in this world of competition.

A few tips to face Interviews • Get ready for GATE, • Prepare project work that attracts the interviewers, • Keep updated with latest knowledge, GK and happenings, • Have a good Resume, • Keep records of Industry visits, • Have sound knowledge of your subjects, • Know the Organisation going for interview, • SWOT Analysis, • Know about yourself.

(1) What are the major Process Control activities followed in the various Chemical Industries including yours?

• Process control activities are carried out with the help of automation • Automation levels will change as per the process requirement/ plant capacity/ capital investment capability.

• Automation can be with help of simple local instrument with manual control or can go upto the fully automated • New software are available for modelling and control like ASPEN etc (2) What are the safety measures taken in the Chemical Industries?

• Safety can be divided into two parts • Process safety: for which safety valves/ rupture dics/ software and hardware interlocks etc are use in

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addition to other process control philosophies • Personal safety: use of personal protective equipment’s like helmets/ hot suits/ hand gloves/ goggles/ self-breathing apparatus, fire fighting system etc.

Common misconceptions about chemical engineers.

There are plenty of stereotypes about the chemical engineering profession that simply aren’t true. Here are some of the more common misconceptions about chemical engineers and chemical Engineering.

The majority of chemical engineers are male, but actually, about one in four chemical engineers entering the profession in the UK are female - 28% of last year’s UK chemical engineering undergraduate intake were women. In total Engineering Industries the female % is 34%. However, work is still needed to improve not only the proportion of women in chemical engineering, but also to improve other areas of diversity, equality and inclusion such as disability, ethnicity or religion.

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has signed up to the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity & inclusion in engineering programme to help tackle these issues.

Industry Scenario Market size of the Chemicals industry in India stood at $180 bn in 2019. The production of Total Major Chemicals and Petrochemicals in 2019-20 (upto September 2019) was 13,871 thousand MT. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) in production of Total Chemicals and Petrochemicals during the period 2014-15 to 2018-19 is 4.78%. Alkali Chemicals accounts for around 71% of the total production of Major Chemicals for the year 2019-20 (up to September 2019).

• The petrochemical demand is expected to grow at 7.5% CAGR from FY 2019-2023, with polymer demand growing at 8%.

DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY • The agrochemicals market in India is expected to grow at 8% CAGR reaching $3.7 bn by FY22 and $4.7 bn by FY25.

• The specialty chemicals constitute 18% of total chemicals and petrochemicals market in India. As of FY19, the total market size is around $32 bn. The demand for speciality chemicals is expected to grow at 12% CAGR from FY19-22.

• The chemical industry in India is divided into various segments.

Some of the main segments and their progress statistics are as below: • Inorganic chemicals constitute one of the major segments of the country's total chemical production. A growth rate of 9 percent is recorded for the segment that includes alkalis, fertilizers and detergents as main chemicals.

• Drugs and pharmaceuticals are among the most exported chemicals from India. This segment of the Indian chemical industry ranks at 4th position in the world. The growth rate of 8 to 9 percent is recorded by the segment.

• Agro-chemical products include pesticides and fertilizers as the main chemicals in this category. The 10 percent domestic market growth rate is recorded by this segment.

• Dyes and paints segment has a growth rate of about 12 percent.

The segment also includes polymers and other related chemicals.

• Petrochemicals in the Indian chemical manufacturing industry have the fastest growth rate of 15 percent.

• Considering the growth trends in different sections of the chemical industry in India, one

can easily place the industry among major contributors towards the overall growth of the country's economy. To improve the sales network for the Indian chemicals, the manufacturers and suppliers need to rely upon the online b2b networks. The b2b directories are the places where small and medium sized chemical manufacturing enterprises can gain more benefits.

GDP Of India The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India was worth 2875.14 billion US dollars in 2019, according to official data from the World Bank and projections from Trading Economics. The GDP value of India represents 2.39 percent of the world economy.

Conclusion The chemical industry is among the most diversified industrial sectors and includes basic chemicals

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and its products, petrochemicals, fertilisers, paints, gases, pharmaceuticals, dyes, etc. The sector covers over 70,000 commercial products, and provides the feedstock to many downstream industries such as finished drugs, dyestuffs, paper, synthetic rubber, plastics, polyester, paints, pesticides, fertilisers and detergents.

Currently, the per capita consumption of products of the Indian chemical industry is one-tenth of the world average, which reflects the huge potential for further growth. The issues like inadequate technologies, skilled labour, environmental norms and need to innovate remain a threat to the industry. Only 9.3% Engineers are unemployed. That because of their own lacuna. Analytical skills.

Creativity. Ingenuity. Interpersonal skills. Math skills. Problemsolving skills are the requirements for the Chemical Engineers.

India`s GDP Growth Rate, Historical Data Year

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015

GDP%

5.02 6.12 7.04 8.26 8.00

Growth year

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

GDP % growth

7.41 6.39 5.46 5.24 8.50

DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY

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ENCIRCLING THE INDIAN TEXTILE WET PROCESSING INDUSTRY

By December the industry realized it can no longer survive on apparel only; there was a need to shift to technical textiles. In years to come India should emerge as a front runner when it comes to technical textiles, this will however need strong government support in infrastructure specifically electricity and water. The skills levels needed for this, will have to developed by the industry and organisations like the SDC who can provide authentic knowledge. Since technical textiles is a much more technology driven than apparels.

Yogesh Gaikwad Director, SDC International Limited An Expert in colour management, Textile colouration, Textile testing and Man-Management skills.

Looks after business in the ASEAN region (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka) Easing out from the lockdown, one of the crucial segments of textile industry, the wet processing industry is stepping up and incorporating the much needed changes in the manner of production.

The face of textile wet processing (along with all other industries) is slowly developing to become an eco-friendly one. It is a long shot to bring drastic changes. Mr. Yogesh Gaikwad helps us get a transparent view of the industry- its strengths and weaknesses and a look at the effects of the pandemic on the industry.

What are the recent trends that the textile wet processing industry is looking at, in terms of the type of dyes used, prints and finishes?

If you look at 2020, Initially India was already experiencing a slowdown in demand, which was a matter of concern. Then came one of the strictest lockdowns for COVID-19. This meant the industry had to adapt itself to new norms which it never had faced, so nobody knew how to deal with

it. The industry tried to survive by manufacturing PPE kits, masks and other products that were in demand during the pandemic.

However, these were nowhere near to cover the losses due to lockdown. After the restrictions were eased, the industry started limping back to production levels which were necessary to survive.

By October exports picked up and industry was getting optimistic. By December the industry realized it can no longer survive on apparel only; there was a need to shift to technical textiles. In years to come India should emerge as a front runner when it comes to technical textiles, this will however need strong government support in infrastructure specifically electricity and water. The skills levels needed for this, will have to developed by the industry and organisations like the SDC who can provide authentic knowledge. Since technical textiles is a much more technology driven than apparels.

The awareness of pollution is rising, and the wet processing industry being one of the most severe pollutants of water, is the industry in India ready with state-of-the-art technology to reduce the water pollution caused by wet processing?

The pollutions levels are either stable or rising all over the world (varies from place to place and Pre-pandemic era) and this is inspite of some organisation trying

to control it by means of legislation and demand for compliance norms from brands and retailers.

The major hurdle is that the consumer does not appear in any of the legislations. There is no responsibility attached to the end user. For example, household washing of garments generates maximum effluent load in textile industry. Some household soaps may have chemicals, which can harm the fish in river but there are not enough legislations to stop this at least in India.

We need a wholistic approach to pollution. Colouration process needs to be modernized, for example switching from exhaust methods to cold pad bath in knits.

This does require a better understanding of machinery and process technology. SDC can help the industry with its world-renowned training and online courses. Use of pigment printing where ever possible, helps to reduce wastage of resources, minimize lead time, however I don’t see many companies investing in this idea.

The bottom-line is we need to think out of box and develop a confidence to take risk. The industry has been complacent for a long time.

What are the problems faced by the wet processing industry right now, with the production slowly coming into flow after the lockdown?

DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY The lockdown simply made the industry go to switch off mode. As the lockdown measures are eased, the industry is finding its strength back. Some will have to relook at their business models and go for a robust one. Technical textiles seem to be promising, but it operates very differently than traditional apparel industry. Collaboration with companies having the technological know how should help a great deal. In technical textiles, one cannot sell a defect as an effect. A defect remains a defect unless resolved.

Are there any technologies for dyeing, which do not produce any harmful effluents for the aquatic environment?

The first technology that created a lot of interest was from DyeCoo around 15 years back. It didnot get the success which it may have wished for. The technology was waterless, so could have solved many issues. More research is needed in the use of supercritical

CO2 dyeing. Digital printing did pick up, though at a very slow pace along with sublimation printing which employs less demand for water. Some innovations did make a mark for example, Liquid Indigo for continuous dyeing of cotton for denim fabrics, Moist Cure for continuous dyeing of cotton and polyester cotton blended woven fabrics one step dyeing, etc.

The ideal technology in my opinion would be the 3D manufacturing technology for textiles. This is still at its infancy, however with new innovations in the software and polymer technologies are making good progress, the success should come earlier than anticipated.

What do you think about natural dyes? They are used in some small-scale industries, but they are not water fast, do you think natural dyes can take over synthetic dyes sometime soon?

Natural dyes are picking up in

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demand and exports are rising.

They find use not only in textiles but also food, cosmetics and medicinal applications. India is one of the leaders in this sector and has abundant knowledge about its application. I have also seen the use of natural dyes on murals, on the skin in Indian films. The sector is promising but has many challenges such as, more dyes are needed to get a decent depth of shade, Fastness is not always up to the expectations, use of undesirable mordants, no advantage with reducing effluent load. Biodyes is also another emerging sector and while in conversation with a Ph.D student who is working in this area, it seems challenging to get the yields but it should click if they find the right factors that influence the yield. The SDC would be organizing an online global event to promote the two sectors in probably May 2021.

WET PROCESSING - ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS The textile industry is being considered as the highest polluting industry. We deal with dyes, chemicals to get beautiful colours on the fabric, finishes for functional properties like UV protection, anti-sweat, anti-static, inspect repellant, bacterial repellant and many more, we end up using materials that are harmful to nature. Many a times natural colours are not that easily available and they do not have the characteristics to retain the colours for many years. As a result of limitations to eco-friendly processing, the industry is opting for manmade chemicals.

Avinash Mayekar MD & CEO, Suvin Advisors Pvt Ltd.

I

t is a colourful world, the variations of colour shades around us are what makes everything more mesmerizing; in an era of so many possibilities of colour variants. A

simple white itself has enormous shades to offer from snow white to rusk white. Then, we also have the effect created by the different fibre textures. With all these beautiful colors around, it becomes difficult to keep our garments plain and unprocessed. Colours cannot be kept away from textiles.

DECEMBER 2020

COVER STORY Moreover, we all know that today clothes are no longer just a fashion statement but has grown much beyond. It is the garment, that notthe one that feels good to the skin; is comfortable, breathable and smells good as well. Such high demands from a simple fabric need a lot of processing from aesthetic, comfort and functional properties.

The textile industry is being considered as the highest polluting industry. We deal with dyes, chemicals to get beautiful colours on the fabric, finishes for functional properties like UV protection, antisweat, anti-static, inspect repellant, bacterial repellant and many more, we end up using materials that are harmful to nature. Many a times natural colours are not that easily available and they do not have the characteristics to retain the colours for many years. As a result of limitations to eco-friendly processing, the industry is opting for manmade chemicals.

Wet processing specifically involves bleaching, dyeing and printing on fabrics. All these stages are heavily dependent on clean water sources already in scarcity around the globe. Moreover, these processes damage their reusability. These chemicals are harmful to nature and it is also difficult to segregate these dyes. It is difficult to strict by the environment policy of having effluent completely clear of colours and maintaining properties like ph, BOD and COD of the discharged water into the CETP. In absence of CETP, we need to have a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) installed. So there are many challenges in the textile processing.

Planets tracker report published recently gives shocking revelations that wet processing is requiring an estimated 430 liters of water to produce just one kilogram of fabric. There are solutions available for every problem. Talks of sustainable technologies, ecofriendly or organic processing is known to one and all. There are various niche markets or segments where

the environmental impact of the garments is taken into consideration; however it is more of a pocket growth towards this direction than bulk practices being followed.

More talks and less implementation is seen because of the difficulty of the pricing structure around it. It is the end-user demand that drives the market and hence until the top brands take responsibility for ensuring labels produced under them to be sustainable; it will always be a long road away.

The manufacturers will opt for technology upgradation to more sustainable options, only when it is an absolute necessity and also when their investments yield a fair price. Availability of ecofriendly chemicals or using technology for the entire textiles value chain that will save on water, energy, waste, greenhouse gas emissions and process time. All these are being developed simultaneously and innovations are taking place at all stages.

In a step to help achieve a low carbon footprint for the textile industry, two leading textile chemical companies DyStar and RotaSpray have jointly developed Pad-Spray Steam (PS2 Process). It is a new continuous dyeing process without intermediate drying for woven cellulosic fibre fabrics with Remazol, Levafix, and Indanthren dyes, together with Sera auxiliaries.

Huntsman Lanasol CE is a stateof-the-art chrome-free dye range that allows mills to discontinue the use of after-chrome dyes. According to the company, Lanasol CE outperforms traditional afterchrome dyes across the board – at every level of dyeing and processing.

Apart from the advances in dyes and chemicals; techniques like Plasma, ultrasonic, laser, biotechnology digital inkjet printing are the new innovated eco-friendly technologies. They offer more sustainable advantages to wet processing than the conventional methods. In these methods, there are fewer or no harmful chemicals, wastewater, and mechanical

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hazards to the textiles and the environment. There are innovations in procedures and technologies across the various stages of wet processing from de-sizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, finishing to printing.

Conclusion There is a need to understand that while we cannot live without dyes and chemicals in the present era; we need to also protect our environment. It is our responsibility that pollutants in liquid, gaseous or solid-state from our factory need to be completely harmless while discharging. To take care of this issue, we must produce chemicals that can dilute the toxicity of dyes and finishing chemicals. There has to be utmost care, while disposing off such waste from the processor; while opting for ZLD. We can minimize the impact by using the right types of chemicals and dyes from reputed companies. The cost saving on cheaper alternatives needs to be completely avoided if it demands a compromise on the environmental impact. The best way to tackle this issue is by collaborative solutions from retailers and manufacturers. A little initiative by retailers to provide the right cost for such processes and mandates, will ultimately lead to the utilization of the right chemicals that are a tick to the environment as well as a tick to the processors’ pocket.

Social compliance and Environmental compliance is the only way forward. Hence, the entire value chain should work on achieving it by utilizing eco-friendly dyes and chemicals along with sustainable technology.

Let us save our nature‌to secure a brighter tomorrow!

DECEMBER 2020

TECHNICAL TEXTILES

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APPLICATION OF IOT in TEXTILE INDUSTRY Internet of Things (IOT) is a concept of having a network of physical objects. “Things” refers to objects so, by meaning of Internet of Things one can say an interaction or transaction of data and even controlling to a certain extent the physical objects by the help of sensors, software and technologies [1]. Example of this technology in our real life can be, finger print scanners in our phones, where the sensor detect the fingerprints and if it matches opens the phone.

Sayak Nandi Department of Textile Technology, Government College of Engineering and Textile Technology, Serampore

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ntroduction Internet has changed the landscape of industries in two decades.

Internet has not only provided a platform for business, but also changed the business model as a whole. Currently, amidst the pandemic in 2020, we have witnessed the businesses turning more and more virtual. As a result, the concepts of IOT, AR, VR have already become some of the important tools in the current scenario. Now if we consider the current Textile Industry, we stand in the Industry 3.0, i.e. computer powered industry; one can consider it to be a bridge between the evolutions of a man driven industry into an artificial one. With the developments in Cloud Computing huge amount of data can be held and easily processed at a very short time. Tthis has helped in the application of IOT, AR, VR in the Industries and Textile Industry is no exception.

Several Companies have already taken initiatives on that route. As a result the current Textile is in a swift transition from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0. So, the technology discussed here might not be very viable to the current market,

however in the years to come this technology can be expected to be in mainstream.

Conception of IOT Internet of Things (IOT) is a concept of having a network of physical objects. “Things” refers to objects so, by meaning of Internet of Things one can say an interaction or transaction of data and even controlling to a certain extent the

physical objects by the help of sensors, software and technologies [1]. Example of this technology in our real life can be, finger print scanners in our phones, where the sensor detect the fingerprints and if it matches opens the phone.

Now this technology has immense advantages if applied in the Industries. It can immensely reduce human effort, minimize errors

Fig. 1. IOT in Textile Sectors [2] DECEMBER 2020

TECHNICAL TEXTILE and reduce variations. So, these technologies are being adopted by the Industries gradually. One can also expect introduction of 5G (that can share data at a speed upto 20 GB/s) will have some serious impact on this technology in the recent future. This article enlists some of the application of these technologies in the Textile domain.

Applications of Internet of Things in Textile Industry Manufacturing Sector IOT has immense application in the Manufacturing sector, from the fibre to a finished fabric. By optimizing blends [3] to detection of fibre characteristics using AI and storing and processing data using IOT can help in reducing the variations in final product [4].

IOT integration in spinning and weaving machines can help in optimizing the process and reducing faults drastically. Monitoring of intermediate processes and automatically collecting data from Blow room to Ring Frame can help in enhancing the quality, reduce time, reduce man power, reduce paper work, and reduce machine stoppage time, enhances production and reduces cost. This monitoring of data from machine can give real time visibility of the process. It can also help in instant detection of machine faults, help in enhancing the machine life [5].

Rieter ESSENTIAL is an application by Rieter with such facilities is available in Play Store. Similar application in the weaving sector can be seen in Weaving Things, an industrial platform [6]. Automatic fault detection of textile products is another aspect of this IOT, Cognex, an American machine manufacturer produces machines and softwares in this aspect [7].

Even the efficiency, strengths and weaknesses of a worker, can also be assessed using this technology.

From Automatic colour matching (Datacolor for instance) [7], automatic sewing machines (YOHO in Japan for instance) [7], digital

printing, to Floor space management IOT opens huge scope for the textile sector [7-9].

Fashion and Designing and product Sector Virtual digital sampling tools, that develop a sample that looks very similar to the finished products and implementing them using modern CADs have reduced the fabric wastage and has provided a lot more flexibility to the system.

In the current system one is just a few clicks from developing an eproduct [8]. The huge amount of cloud data, internet searches from customers, and easy and quick availability of recent designs helps in product development as per customer [10]. In future, one can expect, 3D printing and 4D printing to have a huge impact in final product manufacturing sector.

Automated Embroidery machines also have taken a huge leap, since it provides greater precision, reproducibility, reduces time and human effort in creating embroidery and designs; one can just enter designs in Embroidery CAD (eg, Richpeace) and the designs can be obtained accordingly. Few such machine manufacturers can be Aura, Baba, Maya, etc. [11].

Automated Embroidery machine opens huge scope in E-Textile sector, for integrating conductive yarns into the garments.

Traceability is one aspect that can prove sustainable claims of any textile product. However it is very difficult to get proper traceability in this dispersed textile supply chain. The application of IOT, cloud computing can benefit this particular aspect. Bar codes are most commonly used for traceability. However there had been a few companies (for instance Textile Genesis) and a few technological innovations in this aspect [12].

Marketing Sector The use of Internet of things has a lot of advantages in the sales sector for textiles. The main advantage being it facilitates the effective handling of big data. With

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better handling of big data, it helps in better understanding of the textile markets and customers.

With better understanding of market and customer, it can help in a better and quick decision making.

Even when a company is trying to introduce a new product, it can better predict the reaction of customers and also reduce the shelf life of the product [13].

Advertising is another important aspect that is very much affected

by IoT. Google’s local search ads is a major example the advertisements. Advertisements now target a particular section of people, based on their searches. For instance a person who searches for clothing a lot, will be shown related advertisements [14].

E-Textiles E-Textile is an emerging sector that is expected to grow at a rate of 30.4% as per a survey. This sector has a huge potential in future, currently it has application in medical, military, fashion, ecofriendly, energy and production sectors [15]. Since majority of the applications are sensor-based, IoT and AR, VR, AI, Cloud Computing can have high impact on this sector in future.

References 1.Wikipedia. Internet of Things. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things#:~:text=From%20 Wikipedia%2C%20the%20 free%20encyclopedia,and%20 systems%20over%20the%20Internet.

2.Fernández-Caramés, T.M. and Fraga-Lamas, P. (2018). Towards the Internet of Smart Clothing: A Review on IoT Wearables and Garments for Creating Intelligent Connected E-Textiles. Electronics (MDPI). 7, 405. DOI: 10.3390/electronics7120405 3.Stjepanovic, Z. (2001). Optimisation of Cotton Fibre Blends using AI Machine Learning Techniques.

In Book: Advances in scientific computing, computational intelligence and applications, pp. 187DECEMBER 2020

TECHNICAL TEXTILES 192, WSES Press.

4.Doke, S.S. and Shanmugam, N. (2002). Artificial Intelligence and its application in textiles. Asian Textile Journal, pp. 49-54.

5.Industrial Automation. Benefits of IoT and automation in the textile industry (article). https:// www.industrialautomationindia. in/articleitm/2328/Benefits-ofIoT-and-automation-in-the-textile-industry/articles 6.Weaving Things. Adaptive IIOT Edge Platform. https://weavingthings.com/ 7.Saha, S. (2018). Industry 4.0 in Apparel Industry- An Introduction. Online Clothing Study. https://www.onlineclothingstudy. com/2018/11/industry-40-in-apparel-industry.html?m=1 8.Fatiya, A. (2017). Role of IoT and Digital technology in Textile In-

dustry. CIO Review India. https:// textiles-apparels.cioreviewindia.com/cioviewpoint/role-of-iotand-digital-technology-in-textileindustry-nid-3531-cid-41.html 9.Serraview. IoT and Space Planning: Which Integrations Provide the Most Value?. https://www. google.com/amp/s/serraview/iotspace-planning-integrations-provide-value/amp/ 10.Segura, A. (2018). Internet of Things (IoT) in Fashion Retain.

Fashionretail.blog. https://www. google.com/amp/s/fashionretail.blog/2018/06/11/internet-ofthings-in-fashion/amp/ 11.Chowdhary, A. (2019). Computerized Embroidery Machine: Challenges and Innovations.

Apparel Resources. Apparelresources.com/technology-news/ manufacturing-tech/computerized-embroidery-machine-challenges-and-innovations/

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12.Nandi, S. (OCS Team). (2020).

Importance of Traceability in Textile Supply Chain. Online Clothing Study. https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2020/10/ what-is-traceability-importanceof.html?m=1 13.Barhanpurkar, K. & Barhanpurkar, S. (2019). Application of Big Data in Textile Industry. Textile Value Chain. Textilevaluechain. in/2019/02/06/applications-ofbig-data-in-textile-industry/ 14.Quantic Mind. IoT is Changing Advertising: Here’s How to Get in the Game. https://www.google. com/amp/s/quanticmind.com/ blog/iot-changing-advertising/ amp/ 15.Nandi, S. (2020). An Overview of E-Textiles, Manufacturing, Applications. Textile Sphere. https://www. textilesphere.com/2020/09/e-textile-overview.html?m=1

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TECHNICAL TEXTILE

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UNCONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF CELLULOSE IN TECHNICAL TEXTILES S.M. Bairagadar

Parvez Mulla

Saniya Mulla

Lecturer

Student Textile Department

Student Textile Department

DKTES's Textile and Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji

Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Wood logs, bark, chips and sawdust accounts for about 44 percent of biomass energy. But any organic matter can produce biomass energy. Other biomass sources can include agricultural waste products like corncobs and fruit pits.

Wood and its waste are used to generate electricity.

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bstract Biomass is a renewable energy source because its supplies are unlimited. Biomass is used for energy production like heat energy, or in various industrial processes as raw material for a range of products. It is derived from animal or plant material. In the last decades, the agro wastes in manufacturing different types of composites has found increased utilization. The agricultural waste materials used for production of plastic composite is receiving the substantial consideration currently. There are various methods for conversion of bio-mass into useful products depending on the application area.

To upgrade biomass into a better and more practical fuel, thermal conversion processes is used. Heat being the dominant mechanism.

To produce a fuel that is more practical to store, transport and use a range of chemical processes may be used to convert biomass into other forms. In this paper the main emphasis is given on purification methods of cellulose and use of its products in technical textiles.

Introduction The supply of Biomass being unlimited, it is a source of renewable energy. Biomass is used for energy production like heat energy, or in various industrial processes as raw material for a range of products. It is derived from animal or plant material. It can be a grown energy crop, wood or forest residues, waste from food crops like wheat straw or bagasse, horticulture yard waste, food processing (corn cobs), animal farming manure which is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, or human waste from sewage plants. CO2 is released by burning plant-derived biomass.

Yet it is being classified as a renewable energy source within the EU and UN legal frameworks because photosynthesis cycles the CO2 back into new crops. This recycling of CO2 from plants to atmosphere and back to plants can even be considered as CO2 negative; as a huge portion of the CO2 is moved to the soil during each cycle. Less CO2 without the value related to building new infrastructure. Co-firing is not without issues however; often an upgrade of the biomass is beneficiary. Upgrading to higher grade fuels are

often achieved by different methods, broadly classified as thermal, chemical, or biochemical.

In the last decades, the agro wastes in manufacturing differing types of composites found the increasing utilization. the planet statistics of the Wheat and rice straw indicates that about 710 million metrics many Wheat straw and 670 million many rice straws are produced annually because the agricultural waste, beside the opposite cereal and forest waste.

Therefore, it causes a huge environmental impact and this problem is growing annually. The assembly of plastic composites from agro waste materials is receiving the substantial consideration currently.

Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Wood logs, bark, chips and sawdust accounts for about 44 percent of biomass energy. But any organic matter can produce biomass energy. Other biomass sources can include agricultural waste products like corncobs and fruit pits. Wood and its waste are used to generate electricity. Paper mills and saw mills use much of their waste products to urge steam and electricity for DECEMBER 2020

TECHNICAL TEXTILE his or her use. However, since they use such tons’ energy, they need to buy for extra electricity from utilities.

In the last ten years, the agro wastes in manufacturing differing types of composites found the increasing utilization. The world statistics of the Wheat and rice straw indicates that about 710 million metrics many Wheat straw and 670 million many rice straws are produced each year because the agricultural waste, beside the opposite cereal and forest waste.

Therefore, it causes an enormous environmental impact and this problem is growing annually. Plastic composites production from agro waste materials is receiving the substantial consideration.

Conversion of Biomass Thermal conversions Thermal conversion processes use heat as the dominant mechanism to upgrade biomass into a better and practical fuel. Torre faction, gasification, and pyrolysis are basic alternatives, these are separated principally by, the extent to which the chemical reactions involved are allowed to proceed (mainly controlled by the availability of oxygen and conversion temperature.) There are less common, more experimental or proprietary thermal processes that may be beneficial, such as hydrothermal upgrading. Some are developed to be used on high moisture content biomass, including aqueous slurries and permit them to be converted into more convenient forms.

Chemical conversion A range of chemical processes may be used to convert biomass into a fuel that is more practical to store, transport and use, or to exploit some property of the process itself. Many of those processes are based in large part on similar coalbased processes, like the FischerTropsch synthesis. Biomass can be converted into multiple commodity chemicals.

Biochemical conversion Biomass being a natural material, many biochemical processes have developed in nature to break down the biomass chemically.

A lot of biochemical conversion processes are often harnessed. In most cases, micro-organisms are used to perform the conversion process: anaerobic digestion, fermentation and composting. Glycoside hydrolases are the enzymes involved within the degradation of the main fraction of biomass, like polysaccharides present in starch and lignocellulose. Thermostable variants are being used as catalysts in bio-refining applications, since recalcitrant biomass often needs thermal treatment for more efficient degradation.

Electrochemical conversion Biomass are often directly converted to electrical energy via electrochemical/electro-catalytic oxidation of the material. This can be performed in a direct carbon fuel cell, direct liquid fuel cells, direct ethanol fuel cell, direct methanol fuel cell, direct formic acid fuel cell, L-ascorbic Acid Fuel Cell (Vitamin C fuel cell), and a microbial fuel cell. Consumption of fuel can be done indirectly via a cell system containing a reformer which converts the biomass into a mixture of CO and H2 before it is consumed within the cell.

Methods of purification of cellulose Delignification is the removal of the structural polymer lignin from plant tissue, so that it can be used for further applications. The biotechnological research is being conducted both on the synthesis of lignin in the plants and the degradation of lignin by microorganisms. Research is going on for developing industrial applications for the enzymes of microorganisms to degrade lignin. Some fungi are quite proficient at living on wood, because they produce enzymes such as per-oxidases that catalyze the breakdown of lignin in the presence of oxygen. Vari-

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ous efficient methods have been developed by researchers in order to isolate cellulose from cellulosic materials. The cellulose isolation requires the removal of other substances such as hemicelluloses and lignin from wood and cereal straws. However, a protocol originally described by Green using acidified sodium chlorite is frequently applied to delignify wood as an initial step in the isolation of cellulose, which causes serious environmental concerns.

In other words, to obtain cellulose fiber from wood and agricultural residues, traditional paper producing procedures are used.

This consists of degrading a large amount of lignin and hemicelluloses and making them soluble in an aqueous medium. For economically viable exploitation of this biomass, the first and important stage must be the efficient isolation of its major fractions which are cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. The processes currently employed for commercial straw pulping; which uses inorganic reagents. To achieve high cellulose extraction efficiency, only at the expense of the hemicellulose fraction, which undergoes hydrolysis and degradation. These processes not only under exploit the lignin, but also cause serious environmental problems. For these reasons, intensive research is being carried out on the development of environmentally friendly approaches, which generally involve the use of organic solvents for efficient separation of the three major components.

Softening of jute fibers using enzymes Application of enzymes called hydrolases in presence of moisture, enhances catalytic degradation of specific carbohydrates such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins present in the hard barky root ends. The synergistic effect of the two biological systems, enzymes and bacteria, brings out the perfect softening of barky tissue during a minimum period of piling.

DECEMBER 2020

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TECHNICAL TEXTILE

Enzyme application during jute piling causes accelerated maturation of pile referred to as 'accelerated softening'.

Softening of cotton fibers using enzymes The cotton fiber is treated with celluloses, Trichoderma reseal, which increases the softness. The use of celluloses produced by bacteria of genus Bacillus on cotton enhances softness and hygroscopicity and preserving excellent tensile strength.

Softening of cotton fibers using chemical treatments The organic solvent treatment involves the treatment of lignocellulosic substances with Organic solvent in water media in the presence or absence of a catalyst. Acetic acid pulping has been proved to be an effective organic solvent method to delignify and fractionate wood and non-wood. An advantage of delignification with acetic acid is that, it can be followed immediately by bleaching, since addition of hydrogen peroxide yields the bleaching agent peracetic acid. Except for paper, the acetic pulp could be also used as raw material of cellulose derivatives because of the high content of cellulose. Recently, one of the developments in acetic acid pulping is the Formacell process, based on the addition of 5-10% formic acid to aqueous acetic acid, resulting in improved selectivity of delignification. Besides their role in delignification, organic acids actively take part in the hydrolysis of hemicelluloses. Correspondingly, organic acid based pulping processes include the option for manufacture of dissolving pulps as a feedstock for cellulose derivatives and cellulosic fibres.

The direct dissolution method is another way to isolate cellulose from the cellulose sample. More recently, Zhang and co-workers found that sodium hydroxide/urea and sodium hydroxide/thiourea aqueous solution can dissolve cellulose directly and quickly. Both

solvent systems are inexpensive, less toxic and simple. However, spinning solutions containing high concentration of cellulose are unstable, which is a disadvantage in industrial applications.

Moreover, the dissolution mechanism for cellulose in these solvent systems is not clear. A study identified that a sodium hydroxide/ thiourea/urea aqueous solution can dissolve quickly in direct dissolution method. They found that the new solvent they introduced is more powerful in dissolving cellulose, and can be used to prepare more stable spinning solutions containing higher concentrations of cellulose than aqueous solution used before. This method does not require activation treatment. Besides time methods, the other methods that can be applied in cellulose isolation are the Jayme-Wise methods and Diglyme-HCI methods. According to the study of Cullen and Macfadane, the Diglyme-HCI method leaves a small lignin residue in the crude cellulose while in JaymeWise methods; the a-cellulose produced is relatively pure. They conclude that the Diglyme-HCI method, with or without bleaching, appears to be a simple, fast method for extracting a-cellulose from hardwoods and softwoods.

Use of bio-mass in technical textiles Eco-friendly natural fibers in disposable sanitary napkins High cost of sanitary napkin: Financial constraints make it difficult for a major section of the women to buy quality sanitary napkins, with merely 68 per cent of the rural communities able to afford them.

Wood pulp a threat to environment: Current sanitary products are non-biodegradable and flushing them down the toilet will clog up the sewage system The wood pulp fibres are manufactured with a lot of chemicals: Most sanitary pads are made or bleached with chlorine com-

DECEMBER 2020

pounds that contain trace of the organ chlorine-dioxin.

Sanitary napkin causing skin infection: For ordinary sanitary napkin used continuously for two hours, its surface may have bacteria numbering up to 107 per square centimeter and this contamination may seriously affect the health of the women. Symptoms of infection during menstruation include external genital infection, skin itch, ascending infections.

In view of these threats, some alternative measures have to be taken in order to produce ecofriendly sanitary napkins. So ecofriendly treatments and chemical treatments, which are less hazardous to the environment can be identified and incorporated in the fibres to make it more suitable for the production of sanitary napkins. Application of enzymes is demanded today for producing environment-friendly products.

Manufacture of Straw Medium Density Fiberboard (SMDF) The processing of straw is not similar to that of wood, in the early stage of the composite material process the harvested and baled wheat straw is seduced (chopped), hammer milled, screened, and pre-wetted before defibration. The processing steps are almost same like those in conventional woodbased systems and involve resination, drying, mat-forming, prepressing and, finally, hot pressing.

During hot pressing a synthetic resin binder (adhesive) is typically added to bind the fibers together to form a composite material.

MDF is produced in a dry fiber process. Fibers and adhesive bonds decides the strength of MDF. Thereby, the adhesives are necessary to make sure effective bonding between the fibers. Formaldehyde based MDF-products, for instance UF, MUF, and PF resins are widely used sort of resins for typical MDF-products like cabinet doors, shelves, laminated floors, furniture and panels for building construction.

TECHNICAL TEXTILE Use of banana fibre for making paper-boards Pulp and Paper industry is considered to be the highest consumer of forest raw material. Due to the continuous use of plant raw materials like bamboo, soft wood, hard wood the forest areas covering such plant materials are day-byday decreasing at an alarming rate.

Considering the gradual shortage of conventional cellulosic raw material, emphasis has been given on utilization of new fibrous raw material for the manufacture of pulp, paper, board and other cellulose based products. Unlike paper, the demands of paperboards are also day by day increasing Paperboards are mostly used as packaging media. However, some boards are used for some special purposes.

Cellulosic leather boards are used in making bags, suitcase, footwear and allied industries. Substantial quantities of such specialty boards are imported. The main characteristics of these boards are that they exhibits high tensile and bursting strength, good water repellency, smooth and easy punchability, good stiffness, high flexing index, high resistance to abrasion and dimensional stability. Likewise, solid toughen board is additionally a kind of specialty paperboard suitable for packaging of machine, tools, food products etc. items. Solid board has certain advantages over conventional corrugated fiberboard.

Wild banana plants (Musa velutina) were collected from hilly areas of Arunachal Pradesh and paper within the sort of press cuttings and office waste are obtained from the market. The foreign materials like plastics, strings, clips etc. were sorted out prior to used.

For extraction of banana fibre, the sheaths were opened manually from the stem and washed with cold water. The sheaths were cut 90 cm length then air-dried.

The sheaths were then processed through a machine i.e. fibre responder and the crude fibers were collected. These were then washed with cold fresh water. The

separated banana fibres were then treated initially with an enzyme prior to bleaching. Enzyme treatment removes certain gummy material also as lignin from fibre. The fibres were then washed with cold water and bleached with single stage hydrogen peroxide solution.

Wheat Straw Pulp as Reinforcing Aid for Recycled Softwood Pulp Repeated papermaking decreases the bonding potential of pulp fibers. For efficient utilization of secondary fibers, it is important to seek out ways to recover this lost potential. Number of methods are in practice; mechanical refining, chemical additives, enzyme treatment, physical fractionation, and blending. Blending of fresh pulp with recycled fibers helps in upgrading the recycled pulps. Generally, the blending pulp used are stronger than the recycled pulps; mostly virgin softwood pulps are used. Wheat straw fibers are good in fiber bonding potential, which they keep even on repeated papermaking. Blends of wheat straw pulps and recycled softwood pulps can combine the advantages of high bonding potential of wheat straw fibers and high inherent strength of softwood fibers to result in a more economical and environment friendly papermaking furnish. Wheat straw pulps enhance strength of recycled pulps and therefore the blends containing about 40 to 60% offer the simplest combination of tensile and tear strengths.

Biomass fibers Biomass fibers are obtained from renewable biomass resources like natural animal and plant fibers, recycled fibers and synthetic fibers. As resources of textile raw materials are decreasing, developing biomass fibers will convince to be an vital step in expanding the market of sustainable textiles. Also, using biomass fibres is going to be an effecient method in establishing sustainable fibres within the textile industry. Natural fibers are produced in each of the countries in the world. Various products like

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textiles, ropes, brushes, carpets, mattresses, mats, paper, board materials, etc. are manufactured from it. The development of renewable, biodegradable biomass fiber also promotes the growth of other industries like chemical fiber industry. There is a considerable growth in biomass fiber industry in China. It produces over 200 million tons of biomass fibers.

With such large biomass fiber resources, it paves thanks to significant development of this industry.

Biomass as fuel Textile sector, being a major consumer sector of primary energy, must adopt measures to enhance its competitiveness. Biomass is a preferred and viable alternative energy source for the sector, while simultaneously develops an entire forest industry devoted to the supply of forest solid fuels. The main advantages are the reduction of external dependence on imported fuel due to the utilization of an endogenous natural resource, the creation and preservation of jobs, the increased competition in this sector by reducing energy costs, the utilization of national technology and therefore the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions.

Potential for use of biomass in textiles Biomass is used to get rid of dyes from textile wastewater. An organic process was investigated for effective textile wastewater treatment. the method includes of a basic step performed by selected fungal biomasses, mainly dedicated to the effluent decolourisation, and of a subsequent stage by means of activated sludge, so as to scale back the remaining COD and toxicity. The treatment with Trametes pubescens MUT 2400, selected over nine strains, achieved excellent results in regard to all parameters. The finishing scale-up introduces a moving bed bioreactor with the supported biomass of the fungus allowed to verify the effectiveness of the treatment with high volumes. Despite promising results, further steps must be takDECEMBER 2020

SPORTS TECH en so on optimize the use of these biomasses for a full exploitation of their oxidative potential in textile wastewater treatment.

References: 1. Zenat, A. N., Nagwai, A. H., Isis, B. K. and Nader, S. S. (2006), Characterization Properties of Rice Straw Pulp Treated with Streptomyces Species and Titanium Dioxide IPPTA J., 18(I):82.

2. Goswami, P T. , Kalita, S., Ghosh,

K., (2006), Utilization of Banana Fibre for Making Certain Specialty, IPPTA J., 18(2):43.

3. Singh, S. P., Darbal, S., Naithani and Singh, S. V. (2003) IPPTA, 15(2): 67-70.

4. Jeng Shiun Lim, Zainuddin Abdul Manan, Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi, Haslenda Hashim (2012) , A review on utilisation of biomass from rice industry as a source of renewable energy, Renew. Sust.

Energ. Rev. 16:3084–3094.

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5. Jenkins B.M., Kitani O., Hall, C.W, (eds.) 1998, Physical properties of Biomass in Biomass Handbook Chapter 5.2. Gordon and Breach, New York.

6. Klass L. (1998), Biomass for Renewable Energy and Fuels. Entech International, Inc. Barrington, Illinois, United States.

7. Munder S.(2013), Improving thermal conversion properties of rice straw by briquetting, MasterThesis. University of Hohenheim.

REVOLUTION IN SPORTSWEAR MARKET – COVID 19 Over the past few years, Sportswear companies have woven digital engagement into their DNA. They have the ability to interact directly to an audience without a physical footprint, amplify their messaging, and drive engagement. These features has allowed them to drastically accelerate online sales even during the lockdown.

Saranya

A

Intern at TVC Student, NIFT, Chennai

s an arbitrary good, sportswear may seem an unlikely winner in the wake of COVID-19. The category includes apparel and footwear which has some unique characteristics that make us think when compared to other categories. For larger and stronger companies, it is evident that COVID-19 has been an accelerant as the companies extended their connections with consumers and drive business through more profitable channels.

In the sportswear space, the total addressable market (TAM) is estimated at $472 billion globally.

Since apparel and footwear has been a low-growth category overall, sportswear takes increasing

share over time. Sportswear increased from 18% to almost 26% of the apparel category from 2007 to 2019.

In fact, sportswear has shown a 6.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five years, one-and-a-half times that of the apparel market.

Nowadays consumers are being increasingly concerned with the connection between their lifestyle (physical activity and food consumption) and their overall health.

This COVID-19 and the potential health risks have intensified the desire to eat better, live better, and feel better. It is believed that sportswear is well positioned to benefit from this as consumers express the desire through active lifestyles.

When it is believed that the longterm view for sportswear will be positive, COVID-19 has given an exceptional situation resulting in a coordinated global shutdown.

As a result of the shutdown, it lead

to consumer weakness (such as unemployment), combined with a broader apparel and footwear inventory glut, will likely hurt arbitrary spending overall. This situation will undoubtedly reduce the near-term sales and margins as sportswear companies adjust to overall market conditions.

Despite these challenges, sportswear category appears to be resilient in the midst of COVID-19, and not just because the pandemic appears to have intensified consumers’ desire to focus on their health and wellness.

Over the past few years, Sportswear companies have woven digital engagement into their DNA. They have the ability to interact directly to an audience without a physical footprint, amplify their messaging, and drive engagement. These features has allowed them to drastically accelerate online sales even during the lockdown.

The pace of recovery varies for DECEMBER 2020

H R U P DAT E each brand and category, it is a fact that sportswear sales will be one of the fastest arbitrary categories to recover, with the past downturns. As retail conditions normalize globally, sportswear sales will also.

Sportswear category has a long track of record for the past 30 years which makes us believe that this might continue over the long term.

Sometime, past performance will not be an indication for future happenings. Investment involves all possible risks which includes all possible losses. Equity securities may also decline in real and perceived values in general market, economic and industry conditions. Investment made in foreign securities may involve risks due to currency fluctuations, economic and political risks in the emerging markets.

Decathlon is one of the major players in sports goods category.

It has released its report about the sales during the pandemic situation. The report says that products for cycling, fitness cardio, yoga and running are among the top-10 purchased categories for

customers who are looking to bolster home equipment for fitness, following the relaxation of the lockdown. There was over 141% volume growth in the gym benches and bench racks sales and a 141 percent increase in demand for individual dumbbells or dumbbells kits. Kettle-bells sales have increased 151 percent. Other than fitness products, fitness accessories were also in demand and had an enormous increase in sales in May. Product like resistance bands had topped the list, with a growth of 2,000%.

As a precautionary measure, Decathlon has taken a lot of measures to ensure social distancing norms are adhered to it at their stores. The announced initiatives include a purely digital shopping experience called 'Scan and Pay' for customers who are looking to shop in-store. Customers can walk-in the store and choose products from the more than five thousand off-the shelf products, scan a barcode by using the Decathlon app and pay through digital mode.

This is presently available in 63 out of 74 stores. More than 50 percent of these stores, 25-50 percent of the customers are using 'Scan

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and Pay'. Metro cities like Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, it is over 60 percent.

This situation did not happen for local players. While Decathlon stores are welcoming visitors, a domestic company is yet to come to terms with the coronavirus-led disruption. A domestic sportswear brand, which supplied products for sportspersons and federations for many years, expecting to see sales hike after lockdown restrictions were released. It might take a while for things to look up same as before. Demand will return anytime soon.

Reference 1https://blog.williamblairfunds. com/kwesi-smith/sportswearsweet-success-amid-covid-19/ Retrived on 20th September, 2020.

2.Saumalya Santikari, After COVID -19 storm, sportswear and ftness products witness surge in sales https://www.moneycontrol.com/ news/business/companies/aftercovid-19-storm-sportswear-andfitness-products-witness-surgein-sales-5533801.html Uploaded on July 10, 2020. Retrived on 20th September, 2020,

OWNERSHIP AND RISK TAKING Rajiv Misra R Square Consulting

I believe that if the right talent is attracted and selected then the responsibility to build ownership and risk taking attitude is of the SME owner/founder. It is a slow process and the time taken will depend on both the owner/founder and senior leader in question, however, at the heart of this process is, for the SME owner to develop the mentality of accepting failure.

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H R U P DAT E

As the business owner / Leader do you picture yourself in the above?

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ne of the common things I hear from a number of textile SME owners, is how they end up doing most of the heavy lifting. Even the senior members of their team are unable or unwilling to take ownership of getting things done or not wanting to take the risk of taking wrong decisions. This issue seems to be prevalent across industry segments and seems to be one of the bigger challenges a textile SME founder/owner faces when he/she is looking to grow their business.

The first challenge is to attract the right talent to their organization, the second is to ensure that this talented individual stays beyond one year in the company so that he can make a difference to the business results and third is for this person to take the required risk and ownership to ensure end to

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www.innovativedesigns.in

end completion of any task. Let us look at the third aspect and know more about the methodology to build this ability in the critical layer of leadership in the company.

I believe that if the right talent is attracted and selected then the responsibility to build ownership and risk taking attitude is of the SME owner/founder. It is a slow process and the time taken will depend on both the owner/founder and senior leader in question, however, at the heart of this process is, for the SME owner to develop the mentality of accepting failure. Over the last few years, in the desire for getting better production or quality parameters, most owner/founders have chosen to move to the norm of no mistakes or mistake proofing their processes and systems.

The undesired side effect of this notion is that it makes people fearful of making mistakes, and if a mistake is made to try to hide it or cover it up. I remember an old saying from my childhood, “the only person who does not make a mistake is someone who does not do anything”. So in the quest for perfection, the leader could be converting his teams into people who do nothing.

It is famously said that “there are no failures, only feedback” and I would like to share the following steps to build a culture where risk taking and ownership becomes the second nature. a.As owners/founders please learn to accept mistakes made by your teams. Use the mistake/failure as

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a coaching opportunity. b. Ensure that you are providing feedback to the teams on a regular basis. The feedback needs to include, what went right and what did not, as even in a failure, something is right. c. Reward failures-when I was a young officer in the army 36 years ago, I learnt by doing and making mistakes. There was a small cost attached to the mistake but never was I told to check from my superior before taking any action. d. Each failure needs to be taken as a learning opportunity. I once consulted for a company which gathered all staff members in case of a failure or a mistake being made. The failure was discussed and common learnings gleaned, summarised and internalised by all. The company built a culture where even a failure of a senior leader would be discussed in the open, if it could be used to internalise common learnings. There was no ego or shame connected to failing or making a mistake. e. Connect your reward framework to the number of failures/mistakes made. The point to be kept in mind that the same mistake/failure repeated is not a mistake, it is a blunder which you should deal with appropriately.

Building this ability to take ownership in your team is one of the key attributes of a great textile SME owner. Try to implement the process that I have a given out in this article and let me know how it has worked in your company.

innovative.designs.prints@gmail.com

DECEMBER 2020

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

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CLOTHING FROM MINK FIBRE (FUR) Dr. N. N. MAHAPATRA Business Head(Dyes) SHREE PUSHKAR CHEMICALS & FERTILISERS LTD

Minks is a carnivorous mammals in the weasel family native to North America. Their silky fur has kept people warm since at least the 11th century. “A mink coat is the coat to many women—and to growing numbers of men,” says Fur Commission USA, the United States’ primary fur trade organization. Mink are aggressive animals and must be handled with care. They bite readily and are handled with thick, leather mitts. Wild mink spend up to 80% of their time in their dens, sleeping, grooming, and eating food they have carried home.”

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n addition to wool and silk, a number of specialty fibers are obtained from animals. Animal Fibers are textile fibers obtained from animals. They are basically hair or fur or skin or secretions of animals. In most cases, animal fibers are similar to each other. They grow in two principal coats: the shiny and stiff outer coat or hair; and the undergrowth or fur. Hair forms a protective shield around the animal's body against the elements; fur is closer to the skin and consists of shorter fibers than the hair that acts as insulation against heat or cold. Fabrics containing specialty fibers are expensive because of the difficulties in obtaining the fibers, and the amount of processing required to prepare the fibers for use. Unlimited combinations of specialty fibers with wool are possible. Specialty fibers may be used to add softness or luster to fabrics.

They also enhance the insulating properties of blended fabrics. Animal fibers are natural fibers that consist largely of certain proteins.

Examples include silk, hair/fur (including wool) and feathers. Alpaca fiber and mohair from Angora goats are very popular.

The animals are raised as fiber animals. Sheep, camel, goat, and rabbit are the commonly used animals for providing animal fibers which are very soft in texture; horse, cows and pigs give straight fibers which are less soft. The coarse, longer hairs, hairs of medium thickness and the undercoat are segregated, cleaned and they are sold as luxury fibers.

These fibers are then woven or knitted or felted to form beautiful Animal fabric and ultimately made into soft and warm jackets, ponchos, blazers, wraps, shawls, coats and other clothing and accessories. Carpets, rugs and blankets are made with rougher fibers. The animal fibers are of many kinds and are differentiated according to the animal it is taken from, their chemical structures, the way they are obtained and the fiber length.

They are all made up of protein.

Production of Mink Fibres Minks a carnivorous mammals in

the weasel family native to North America. Their silky fur has kept people warm since at least the 11th century. “A mink coat is the coat to many women—and to growing numbers of men,” says Fur Commission USA, the United States' primary fur trade organization. Mink are aggressive animals and must be handled with care.

They bite readily and are handled with thick, leather mitts. Wild mink spend up to 80% of their time in their dens, sleeping, grooming, and eating food they have carried home.”

The mink re-grow their fleece about 3 times a year. To gather the fleece the farmers handle the mink with heavy gloves because minks are very aggressive animals. They cut the fibers by hand. Mink hairs are rather short, but very thick and soft. The mink fibre is cut and/ or combed from live animals, like angora fibre from rabbits or cashmere from goats. The mink fiber is cut and combed from live animals and the animal is not harmed in the process. For the animal, it probably feels like brushing (similar to regular brushing for cats) or DECEMBER 2020

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y a gentle massage.

Adult minks yield about 25 g of fibre. There is a high percentage of fibre loss during the carding process etc. so it takes the fibre from two or three adult minks to spin a typical 50 g ball of mink yarn.

“The mink and cashmere fibres are woolen spun (a spinning technique where the fibres go every which way) leveraging the fibres’ natural lightweight insulating properties by trapping more air and creating a yarn with a signature ‘halo’ that is exceedingly lightweight, soft and warm – a yarn you want to pet.” The mink are brushed twice a year to harvest their treasure of superfine down. Mink fibres are unparalleled for their luster, softness and desirability.

This fiber is 100% mink fur which has been combed and is in top form. It is very soft at 15 microns.

Best suited for lighter wear such as hats or scarves rather than mittens and sweaters. Or it can be blended with another fibre to give it more strength. It will work best spun into a two or more ply yarn.

As it is combed there isn't guard hair present and the fibre is longer than most mink you will find on the market making it a bit easier to spin.

You are buying 28 grams (1 ounce) in this listing. This is a natural light brown combed top form. Staple length is about 30mm (1.18 inches). It is available in creamy off white in another listing. The last photo shows both colours together.

(I also hand spin and sell this - look in other listings for some of the yarn) To get the nicest fibre, the mink need to be well cared for. By shearing and de-hairing, or combing the

fibre, this makes the fibre a renewable resource just like wool and angora rabbit fibre. Thus you can wear mink without harming the animal.

Properties of Mink Fibres Mink hairs are short and thick, but very soft. Yarns made of mink are beautiful, extremely soft, and very delicate – mink fiber must be spun with another, stronger fiber such as wool or silk, or, if it is 100% Mink – we would suggest to combine the mink with another yarn to obtain enough strength in the finished project.

Yarns made of 100 % mink are available, but not practical. The short and delicate fibres break down easily in 100% yarns. Most mink yarns are a blend of mostly mink with some wool, silk or cashmere added to provide strength.

A typical mink yarn will be about 70% mink.The mink yarns are very beautiful and soft. They have a unique feel that is unlike other yarns.

The natural colour of mink's fur is a glossy dark brown. This is the colour most people associate with mink. Mink that are commercially farmed can have other colours. By selectively breeding the mink, lighter brown colours can be achieved, as well as pure white and black.

Run your hands through the fur on the outside of the coat. The fur should be soft and silky whether you rub with or against the grain.

There should be two distinct layers of fur: the longer guard hairs and the shorter, thicker underfur.

If the fur is spiky or in tufts, then it is not a good quality mink.

The mink fiber has a high value in worsted industry. The basic properties of the mink fibre are

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similar to the cashmere, while the warmth of the mink fibre is more superior to the cashmere. Because of the short length and high static, the spinning performance of mink fibre is poor. Considering all of these reasons, we take polyamide, tencel and viscose to blend with the mink fibre.

The mink fibres are gathered when the mink naturally sheds its fur and are later mixed with cashmere fibres to obtain a superbly soft and fine fabric, eventually treated with vegetable thistles to give the cloth the "sable effect" that adds sparkle and three-dimensionality to the surface.

Uses of Mink Fibres Knittable mink fur yarn is produced by combining narrow strips of mink fur with silk or cotton yarn.

Fur yarn is now used in myriad techniques including crocheting, weaving and knitting to produce soft, cozy apparel.

Lace Mint scarf are very popular. As for brands for mink yarn, I found a few. Great Northern Yarns (now MinkYarn.com) says it was the first company to bring mink yarn to market. Lotus Yarns makes a few varieties from fingering weight to aran/heavy worsted and from 100% mink to various blends. There is also a company called Great Yarns! that sell their mink as Pure Elegance. Jade Sapphire also makes 100% mink and mink/cashmere blended yarns.

Blanket is made out of an exclusive Lanificio Colombo fabric, a precious mix of cashmere and mink fur and it comes in brown mélange. High technological manufacturing processes allow to combine cashmere with mink fibres, that are traditionally considered suitable only for fur clothing or accessories.

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fashionvaluechain@gmail.com

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FA S H I O N V A L U E C H A I N

TIES AND BOW TIES A gentleman should dress to his strengths to accommodate his individuality. Dressing well is not about following the tides of fashion or adhering to outdated rules. It is a skill to help you through life challenges-from job interviews to special dates and to show you true self in any setting (Potter Gift, 2015).

Simran Kaur Sokhi

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SUKHMIT VAMAN

Mentor Student Department of Textile and Apparel Designing SNDT Women’s Universtiy, Mumbai

bstract Ties and bow ties are an integral part of mens’ as well as womens’ fashion. Ties are one of the wardrobe essentials for everyone. Silk, wool, cotton, linen are common fabrics used for ties. Mostly people prefer silk ties as it looks more formal and elegant. The halfWindsor, Full Windsor, and Fourin-hand are the common knots.

Most of the other types of tie knots are a variation of these three, with slight differences. Wearing a tie not only enhances the personality but also attracts respect and gives confidence to the wearer. Nowadays ties are recycled to a finished product to produce different types of fashionable items like tie made into a dress, hand bag, wallet or photo album, tie made accessories like bracelets, head gear, hats, belts etc. Bow ties, once a strictly male accessory, have made a comeback in fashion recently.

People have started wearing bow ties as a fashion statement. This shows that they are creative and do not shy away from wearing a bow tie. People are becoming very creative when it comes to ties and bow ties. The butterfly, big butterfly, batwing, club round and diamond are different shapes of

bow ties. Creative bow ties made by upcycling things such as table covers, shoes, belt etc.

A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life – Oscar Wilde Introduction A gentleman should dress to his strengths to accommodate his individuality. Dressing well is not about following the tides of fashion or adhering to outdated rules.

It is a skill to help you through life challenges-from job interviews to special dates and to show you true self in any setting (Potter Gift, 2015).

Ties and bow ties are an accessory that exudes great class and sophistication. It represents pure uncaged creativity, a confident willingness to be different, and an uncompromising embrace of style in daily life. A bow tie can make you unleash the James Bond in you. Wearing a bow tie is always a strange choice. That does not make it a bad chance or the wrong choice, but it does make it a choice worth considering – twice.

One will be amazed by the power of a tie and bow tie. The perfect tie or bow tie will instantly transform an otherwise dull outfit to

DECEMBER 2020

something that oozes confidence and quirkiness. It can become a conversation piece or the centre of attention, which makes choices about pattern and shape more important. The tie or bow tie one chooses, will end up saying a lot about their personality and character (G. Clay Whittaker, 2017).

Neckties A necktie, or simply a tie, is a long piece of cloth, worn, usually by men, for decorative purposes around the neck, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot, bow, bolo, four-in-hand tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat.

Neckties are generally unsized,

but may be available in a longer size.

Ascot tie

F A S H I O NT R VA LU EN D EUC PH D A ITNE The ascot (also called "plastron") is a ribbon in fabric with large and pointed ends. The ascot is typically worn on the neck under the shirt with two upper buttons open. It is quite common to wear it during special events such as weddings and ceremonies Bow tie Bow tie also called papillon is a ribbon in fine fabric knotted around the neck in a symmetrical manner, so the two opposite ends form two rings. Bow ties are quite widespread especially in events where it is necessary to be elegant such as business dinners, cocktail parties and business evenings.

Bolo /Bola tie A bolo tie (sometimes bola tie or shoestring necktie) is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord or braided leather with decorative metal tips and secured with an ornamental clasp or slide

Four-in-hand tie (Normal ties) Long necktie that goes around the neck with one end looping over the other end twice, then being pulled through the loop making a slip knot.

Colors, materials and pattern make the tie Certain colors are often associated with various moods and character traits. Yellow or gold ties often get referred to as a power tie, purple ties as regal and blue or red as patriotic – especially in America. Just think about the Ppresidential TV debate – when did you see someone wearing a burnt orange, plum or bottle green tie? Probably never. In fact, a good defense lawyer will always recommend that his client wear a blue tie because it invokes feelings of trust and honesty. This rule also applies to why many politicians and world leaders choose blue ties during public events.

For the more sophisticated tie wearer, more unusual colored ties are a desirable departure from the simple, bright colored neckwear that can be found anywhere. Wearing a tie, a dark shade of turquoise, rust or chartreuse underlines that they are different in a unique way – they don’t just follow the trends, they set their own tone.

Reasons to start wearing a Tie Whichever fashion comes or goes, wearing a tie is something that will never be out of trend. Because the tie gives you classy look.

1. Embellishes the shirt: A formal shirt beneath the suit have more chances of being plain. Wearing a patterned tie makes it look more attractive.

2. Attracts respect: A tie is not just to make one’s neck and shirt more decorated. A tie holds the respect of the people towards the wearer.

When someone sees someone in a tie, they cannot help but see how nice they look.

3. Ancestors’ gift: Tie’s age is more than 300 years in mens’ fashion.

The necktie was the first of its kind to become popular in Europe around 17th-18th Century. So, it is a great tribute to the ancestors when one chooses to wear a tie.

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4. Looks great: Almost everybody admits that one of the prime reasons of wearing a tie is that ‘it looks great!’ With a perfectly stitched suit, pant, and shirt, nothing can be more decorative other than a tie.

5. Gives confidence: When one knows that wearing a tie can attract these many advantages, one’s confidence automatically boosts. And this confidence helps in every aspect of life – whether a meeting or a date!

Some of the innovative neckties Zip It Up Finally, one can wear the one part of a hoodie that everyone loves, the zipper, and discard the rest!

This tie is the perfect accessory. It is also quite time saving.

Duct tape: Is there anything it Can not do?

Added benefit: when this tie rips, one can patch it up, nobody will ever notice the difference

Keeps your beer cool, and your Style cooler This is the ideal accessory for anyone who is ever had to say, “Hey, hold my beer. I have to file this expense report really quick.”

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F A S H I O NT R VA EN LU D EUC PH DA T IN E Bow Ties The bow tie is a type of necktie.

A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that the two opposite ends form loops.

There are generally three types of bow ties: the pre-tied, the clip on, and the self-tie. Pre-tied bow ties are ties in which the distinctive bow is sewn onto a band that goes around the neck and clips to secure. A clip-on does not go around the neck but clips to the collar points. The traditional bow tie, consisting of a strip of cloth which the wearer has to tie by hand, is also known as a "self-tie," "tie-ityourself," or "freestyle" bow tie.

Reasons to wear a bow tie: 1. People will remember the guy in the bow tie.

Men in bow ties not only distinct themselves from the rest of crowd but bow ties attract the eye to the face allowing people to remember the wearer. Not everyone is willing to take the risk of wearing a bow tie, but those who do are remembered.

2. Bow ties will not get covered in sauce during your business lunch Silk neckties are not washable; so if one gets them dirty you have to send them to the drycleaner, which may be expensive or it may ruin the fancy tie. It is way easier with a wooden bow tie –one may need just a tissue to wipe an accessory.

3. Bow ties do not get in the way Bow ties will not get caught in the office shredder, fridge or car door.

They do not catch a gust of wind and blow up in your or friend’s face awkwardly.

4. Chicks dig bow ties Girls like guys with confidence.

Pick the right bow tie that fits your

face and combine it with the right outfit and she’ll be amazed. Women like when guys dress up well, so why not dress up nice more often?

5. A bow tie proves you are creative The ability to pair a bow tie with a shirt is an especially tricky feat.

Doing it well shows the world that you have some creative perspective. Traditionally, the quirk and style of bow tie indicates that the man wearing one thinks outside of the box. He sticks out in the crowd.

Innovative bow ties by The BowHo Guy

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Conclusion Though we live in a more casually dressed world than almost any generation before us, what we wear around our necks is still important. Indeed, as men have moved away from ties, those who choose to wear them set themselves apart even further. Perhaps the most important takeaway is that ties and bow ties are in fact excellent additions to your business attire, provided you know how to use them and what outfits to use them with. Understanding these basic principles can then help you proceed with mixing and matching respective outfit ideas with your ties and bow ties. It is also important to consider that it is likely you will not get the “perfect fit” on your first try, but further experimenting with ties and bow ties options can at least help you achieve that “perfect look” in no time.

Bibliography https://guff.com/some-of-themost-innovative-neckties https://moneyinc.com/most-expensive-neckties/ https://www.gq.com/gallery/tiesneckwear-tie-bars http://www.misterbharat.com/10reasons-why-should-you-startwearing-a-tie/ http://www.nationalbowtieday. com/bow-tie-history-types/ https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Bow_tie https://www.gq.com/galler y/ what-to-wear-with-a-bow-tie https://www.menprovement. com/how-to-wear-a-bowtie/ https://www.bewooden.com/ blog/fashion/top-10-reasons-towear-a-bow-tie-A/ https://fashion2apparel.blogspot.com/2017/01/types-necktieswear-mens-neckwear.html https://motinternational.com/ mens-fashion-bow-ties-for-business-yay-or-nay/ DECEMBER 2020

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LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021 WITH KEY TRENDS PRACHI GHELOT Trainee at TVC

es to the screen-made tones of AI Aqua, the five trends for 2021 are moulded by key drivers for future: the pressing requirement for sustainable products; the physical impact of customers’ digital choices; and the expanding interest for clothing pieces that offer worth by means of adaptability.

1.THE MUSHROOM FEVER Mycelium is the material and ingredient trend for 2021 and beyond that. Mushrooms are the flora of mycelium, an underground organization key to regenerative agriculture and carbon retention. We are as of now observing mushrooms turning into a significant fixing in beauty items, food and drink, and even dried and reconstituted as eco-friendly packaging. In design, mycelium leather is beginning to be utilized as a material on purses, shoes and little adornments. It is expected to move past the pilot item stage and scale since brands, for example, adidas, Stella McCartney, Lululemon and Kering have all put resources into the mycelium-based biomaterial Mylo– each brand consenting to invest sevenfigure amount to scale-up production and create a supply network for this leather alternate.

2.ACTIVE WEAR THAT MOVES WITH YOU Here is the development of wearable tech, consolidating wellness and personalisation. Sports clothing and footwear are incorporating sensors that screen your body and monitor you progressively.

Think pocket fitness coach, yet inside your shoes or coating your

The transition to modular designs and plan thinking in fashion is introducing another period of attachable and detachable components to clothing, footwear and accessories, regardless of whether it’s an enriching neckline or a three-in-one puffa jacket.

Lycra.

Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA are inserting sensors into clothing to screen vital signs – this wearable technology is set to disturb the sports apparel or activewear market. There are as of now, pioneers, for example, Nurvv Run, which offers tennis sneaker insoles joining sensors to analyse your running technique, in addition to the remote yoga educator business Yoganotch, whose

on-body sensors sit close to the skin and give real-time input on the nature of the clients’ stance.

Expect these tech activewear elements to begin to shape what exercise gear resembles, as designer start to deliberately put patterns into pieces of clothing, for instance, to enable direct access to the right parts of our bodies to assist us with accomplishing the ideal poses DECEMBER 2020

FA S H I O N C VO AV LE UR E S CT HO AR IN Y

3.CIRCULAR FASHION We have known about the circular economy, where assets are reused ceaselessly without wastes.

Adidas is testing the Ultraboost DNA Loop – a shoe that can be reused toward the finish of its life and changed into another shoe – with a view to a 2021 more extensive item dispatch. More modest running expert brands, for example, On Running are dispatching membership running shoe administrations to begin the move to a closed circle enrolment framework, while French brand Salomon has made nearby collection points for its first completely recyclable running shoe, the Index.01 (the shoes will be washed and dismantled there so the materials can be reused locally into new materials or synthetic pellets to make other footwear, for example, ski boots).

Brands and designers are launching programs wherein, they are collecting the garments back in exchange of a minimum discount, thus encouraging and enlightening consumers about the circular fashion concept. 2021 will see us getting a move on towards a more sustainable economy. “ Waste isn’t waste until we waste it “.

- WILL.I.AM 4.MODULAR AND DETACHABLE DESIGNS

The transition to modular designs and plan thinking in fashion is introducing another period of attachable and detachable components to clothing, footwear and accessories, regardless of whether it is an enriching neckline or a three-in-one puffa jacket.

This pattern is proclaiming better approaches for purchasing and incorporating a value into products, here and there essentially refreshing or reviving them, at different occasions by adding elements to articles of clothing or things to cross seasons or to give usefulness. Driven by the need to show such esteem and life span, as we hope to purchase less and purchase better, the utility component of this attachable and detachable design is summarized with the attachment of straightforward clasp gadgets, for example, the rock climbers’ carabiner clip for adding little, on the go accessories and elements, and the sophisticated straightforwardness of earrings intended to clip airpods safely in one’s ear.

5.5. COLOURS OF THE YEAR 2021 : Ultimate gray and illuminating Pantone, very recently selected and announced that it had chosen 2 colours of the year for 2021: ultimate gray and Illuminating, a mixture of dull, acquainted grey and the bright yellow of lemon skin.

It’s a selection for the past year of quarantine, a time within which

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we have had a tendency to insulate ourselves from everyone and draw in in monochrome blankets at home.

The gray of cloudy skies, cement, comfy bed linens, gravity blankets, or low-light screens—the color evokes our collective experiences over the past year. It’s a depressing summation: throughout 9 months of quarantine, we’ve definitely acquired the “ultimate grey,” a state of mind—mush—as very much like the colour of a product. Gray suggests that ambiguity and irresolution. Neither black nor white, it doesn’t purpose towards ending, simply the continuation of indefinite amount. With coronavirus cases still mounting, that’s definitely wherever we’re at.

“Illuminated,” the brilliant, bright colour which resembles bright highlighters, feels like some weight has lifted and feels like the end of a dark tunnel, the sun rising over dark areas, the cockcrow of hope that comes together with a chance of a immunogen.

ReferencesKatherine Saxon, (8th July 2020), Mushroom Laether is more than a Sustainable Alternative to Animal Skin. Available at https://wtvox. com/fashion/mushroom-leather/ https://keepcalmdoyoganow. wordpress.com/2018/04/12/photo-4/amp/ Eleanor Gibson, (10th September 2020), Pebbel Pods are earrings that keep Airpods in place, Available at https://www.dezeen. com/2020/09/10/pebble-pods-airpod-apple-misho-suhani-parekh/

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Yarn export down in November, cotton continues to gallop

Nitin Madkaikar In November, basic textiles comprising fibres, spun and filament yarns shipment was up 22% YoY in terms of US$ worth US$575 million or INR4,178 crore, accounting for about 2.3% of total merchandise exported from India during the month. The increase was mainly a recovery of sharp decrease of 26% seen in October 2019. Even compared with previous month, the increase was a mere 7%. On a cumulative basis, exports were still down 3% in the first eight months of 2020-21, compared same period a year ago.

Spun Yarn Spun yarns shipment totaled 110 million kg worth US$295 million or INR2,160 crore in November. They were down 6% than November 2019 in terms of volume and 7% down in terms of US$. Compared to October 2020, they were slightly up in November. China once again was the largest importer in spun yarns with value up 6%, followed

by Bangladesh (-28%). These two markets accounted for about 41% to total yarn shipment during the month.

Cotton yarn export was 87 million kg worth US$239 million (INR1,755 crore). These were shipped to 70 countries at an average price of US$2.74 a kg, up US cents 2 from previous month and US cent 1 from a year ago. China was the top cotton yarn market, followed by Bangladesh, Peru, Vietnam a n d Portugal.

Cotton yarn export was 87 million kg worth US$239 million (INR1,755 crore). These were shipped to 70 countries at an average price of US$2.74 a kg, up US cents 2 from previous month and US cent 1 from a year ago. China was the top cotton yarn market, followed by Bangladesh, Peru, Vietnam and Portugal.

100% man-made fibre yarns exports of 7.55 million kg, comprising 3.03 million kg of polyester yarn, 2.59 million kg of viscose yarn and 1.78 million kg of acrylic yarn. Polyester yarn export was worth US$6.2 million or INR45 at an average price of US$2.03 per kg in November. USA was the largest market followed by Brazil and Turkey. Viscose spun yarns export was worth US$6.82 million and were exported at an average unit price of US$2.63 a kg. Turkey was the largest importer of viscose yarn, followed by Bangladesh and Brazil.

Blended spun yarns worth US$37 million were exported in November, including 11.3 million kg of PC yarns and 2.3 million kg of PV yarns. Brazil was the largest importers of PC yarn from India followed by Argentina while Turkey was the largest importer of PV yarns from India followed distantly by Brazil.

Cotton Cotton fibre shipment in November, the second and crucial month of 2020-21 marketing season, doubled compared to last year in volume at 968 thousand bales worth INR1,879 crore or US$256 million. This was an extension to a good start for the season.

China reemerged as the largest market for Indian cotton during the month, followed by Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Export price realisation for cotton averaged INR114 a kg or US cents 70.62 per pound during November. This was way above Cotlook A index, the global spot price benchmark and also just above domestic spot price for benchmark Gujarat Shankar-6. During the month, Cotlook averaged US$77.40 per pound and Shankar-6 at US cents 69.64 per pound, making Indian cotton a bit less competitive in global market.

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FABRIC REPORT- DECEMBER Vinod Chothani

International Fabric Market The western countries are observing holidays from 15th Dec to 10th jan, hence the export quantities have been decreased. There is very less demand in the western countries for fabric. Some buyers have also cancelled order because of the second lockdown in Europe.

Domestic Fabric Market -Overall, the domestic market is pretty silent at the end of 2020 -The yarn & fabric is witnessing a steady increase in price increase by 10-15% because of high raw cotton price at this point.

-On an average, the market as of now has opened up 50-60%, there has been an increase in orders and productions compared to when the lockdown was first lifted.

International Fabric Market The western countries are observing holidays from 15th Dec to 10th jan, hence the export quantities have been decreased. There is very less demand in the western countries for fabric. Some buyers have also cancelled order because of the second lockdown in Europe.

In both Domestic and International Markets, we are being optimistic and hopeful. The increase in demand brought in by the new year sales will be known by the mid of january.

A S S O C I AT I O N V I E W S

2021 – A year of progress for Indian Textile & Apparel sector: ITF PRABHU DHAMODHARAN Convenor Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF) Coimbatore

Industry is currently managing the trade well with sufficient liquidity due to infusion of funds in the system with Central Govt’s ECLGS scheme. The sector needs to utilise the opportunity to maintain the financial discipline to work on shorter credit terms across the value chain to improve the Business performance and sustain the recovery momentum.

With Covid 2019 making year 2020 as a year of learning; it has also created a big turbulence in the sector. With its natural resilience, Indian Textile & Apparel sector bounced back very strongly and is doing well now.

As an association representing the entire value chain of textile sector, we are more confident about achieving the much-needed growth in the year 2021 in our sector.

2021 – A Year of progress: We can make 2021 – A year of progress for Indian Textile & Apparel sector: ITF with the following focus areas – 1. Focus USA for Apparels Indian Home Textile sector achieved a status of biggest gainer of volumes in US market in the first 10 months of this year. Now, it’s time to step up the efforts to repeat the same success in USA market for our Apparel DECEMBER 2020

COT CT OO VN E RR E SP TO OR RT Y

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products.

Vietnam’s FTA with EU will intensify the competition for India at EU. At the same time, a level playing field with our top 3 competing nations in the US market in terms of Duty; combined with quick economic recovery & consumption at USA makes a compelling case for Indian Apparel sector to focus on US Market for immediate growth.

We need to intensify efforts and focus at all levels including Govt, cluster and firm level to grab our share in US markets in Apparels.

2. Focus on value addition with new capex Using the low interest regime & easy liquidity combined with robust demand visibilities due to post Covid opportunities, it’s time for Indian Textile & Apparel sector to step up effort in the terms of new capex investment at various stages of the value chain with a single focus on value addition with the goal of 20 % increase in per product revenue.

3. Focus on product Diversification and innovation: PLI Indian Apparel sector should use the forth coming PLI scheme as the stepping stone for much-needed product diversification and innovation in the MMF space and build scale to attract global buyers.

4. Focus on Tech adoption & Digitalisation All manufacturing units need to invest in technology adoption and digital initiatives with Industry 4.0 strategies in mind to achieve global benchmark in terms of productivity and efficiency to build long term competitiveness.

5. Focus on Agility To equip the entire industry and eco system towards growth phase, a strong culture-building of having an agile mindset is the best way forward to institutionalise the success.

6. Focus on Discipline in credit cycles Industry is currently managing the trade well with sufficient liquidity due to infusion of funds in the system with Central Govt’s ECLGS scheme. The sector needs to utilise the opportunity to maintain the financial discipline to work on shorter credit terms across the value chain to improve the Business performance and sustain the recovery momentum.

We Team ITF, as a dynamic textile association will enable the strategies in line with these focus areas with our member companies and work towards our theme and goal of 2021 – A year of progress for T & A sector.

2021 – A year of progress for Indian Textile & Apparel sector: ITF 1. Focus USA for Apparels 2. Focus on value addition with new capex 3. Focus on product Diversification and innovation: PLI 4. Focus on Tech adoption & Digitalisation 5. Focus on Agility 6. Focus on Discipline in credit cycles

Cotton Association of India: Speech By Shri Atul S. Ganatra Shri Atul S. Ganatra

During the ongoing 2020-21 crop year also, the country is likely to go through a massive support price operation and if a recent statement given by Shri P.K. Agarwal, CMD, CCI to the Press is any indication to go by, CCI is ready to procure around 100 lakh bales during 2020-21.

In fact, CCI has already procured over 48 lakh bales valued at Rs.13, 939 crore up to 12th December 2020.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be the biggest setback to the economies the world over. This pandemic has not only endangered the health of the citizen and disrupted their normal lives but also brought their economies to a grinding halt.

Every country of the world is fighting the pandemic in its own way and acclimatising with the new normal norms to live with the impediments and disruptions caused on account of the lockdown imposed to contain further spread of this pandemic.

In India, lockdown was imposed in March 2020. The scale of India’s restrictions brought the country of 1.3 billion people to a sudden halt and caused the economy to take a staggering hit. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in April – June 2020 quarter shrank by 23.9%. India became the most affected major economy due to COVID-19.

However, the silver lining is that India emerged as one of the top three destinations for FDI. Its current account surplus climbed to a record US $ 20 billion. With its double digit growth in exports to China, India’s trade deficit with China has nearly halved the trade gap between the two partners in the first five months (April-August) of the current fiscal.

DOMESTIC COTTON SCENARIO The lockdown also had a major impact on the Indian cotton sector. Before COVID-19 crisis, this sector was expected to grow steadily. However, the far-reacting impacts of novel corona virus severely impacted our cotton business and had a disastrous effect on every link in the cotton and textile value chain.

Although production of cotton in India during the 2019-20 crop year was higher by over 15% to 360 lakh bales from 312 lakh bales produced in the country during 2018-19, demand was drastically reduced by about 19.75% to 250 lakh bales in the 2019-20 crop year from 311.50 lakh bales consumed in 2018-19.

International trade from India also suffered due to the pandemic and the country could export only 50 lakh bales cotton during 2019- 20 which was much less than the quantity it was expected to ship. Cotton imports to India during 2019-20 were merely 15.50 lakh bales against 32 lakh bales imported in the previous cotton season.

WEAK PRICE TREND AND MSP OPERATIONS Slack demand weakened the cotton prices, which fell by about 15% during the 2019-20 crop year compared to the previous cotton season. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and other Government agencies had to intervene and the country went through a massive support price operation. CCI had purchased 115 lakh bales during the 2019-20 crop year.

During the ongoing 2020-21 crop year also, the country is likely to go through a massive support price operation and if a recent statement given by Shri P.K. Agarwal, CMD, CCI to the Press is any indication to go by, CCI is ready to procure around 100 lakh bales during 2020-21. In fact, CCI has already procured over 48 lakh bales valued at Rs.13, 939 crore up to 12th December 2020.

As you all are aware, during the last three years, the Government has increased the MSP of GUJ ICS105 29mm (trade name Shankar-6) cotton by over 33% (about 26.5% in 2018-19, 1.9% in 2019-20 and 5% in 2020-21).

MSP is important to provide price support to farmers to prevent them from distress sales in the event of severely low prices. However, the burden on the Government exchequer can be minimised by incentivising exports of cotton from India, which will eventually enable farmers to realise competitive prices for their produce like their counterparts in other countries like USA, Australia, Brazil, etc. Indian cotton is the cheapest cotton in the world and hence, there is a tremendous scope of improving export performance of the country.

INTERNATIONAL COTTON SCENARIO In its latest report, International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has estimated the world cotton production for 2019-20 season at 26.05 million tonnes, while the consumption of cotton for the said season is estimated to be 22.54 million tonnes. The world carry-over stock at the end of the 2019-20 crop year is estimated at 21.24 million tonnes. The world carry-over stock at the end of 2020-21 crop year is also estimated by the ICAC to be relatively higher at 21.65 million tonnes.

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INTERVIEW

INTERACTION WITH DIRECTOR OF MANTRA (SURAT)

We select students for innovative work in Textiles like, to improve quality, enhance productivity, to offer new technology, to produce eco-friendly sustainable technology. Optimum utilisation of the technology has to be taught to each technical personnel.

Dr. P.P. Raichurkar Additional Director, MANTRA, Surat Share your Educational and Professional Journey I started my career in 1980 with Bombay Dyeing and Mfg. After Cotton Terry weaving Technology Course from 1984 from Silk and Art Silk Mills Research Association.

From 2007 onwards, I was with Textile Education & Research at Center for Textiles NMIMS Deemed to be University. My last 12 years were devoted to Industry-Institute interaction leading to the education of Technical personnel to develop practical competency in Textile production, planning, maintenance and other allied activities. Training in Textile manufacturing processes such as Spinning, weaving, knitting. chemical processing and garmenting, etc.

The main focus was to bridge the gap between Industry and Education by Industry participation in education. The advantage of the this education system developed, was to train technical personnel in the available Technology in Textile Industries. So, technical graduates are ready for work from the day one on the production floor.

Industry Training component is reduced to a minimum. Further, each technical personnel is given one project that is useful to a Industry. The project taken up by

Technical graduates must be leading to solutions for the production problems in the Corporate Textile Industry. This, leading to publication in important refereed Textile Journals. The education system developed at CTF NMIMS Deemed to be university is unique in that, it selects rural students with poor background leading to 100 % placement in the Textile Industry.

Curriculum for DTT B.Tech is such that students spend 60% of their time on the modern production floor. These students, if given basic necessities of life will work for the textile production units continuously and will not look elsewhere and are an asset to the production unit.

Being an Educationist, your interaction and life in the Industry I am proud of my professional career in Textile Industry, education and research. This was possible due to the guidance by dedicated and senior Mentors in the Textile Industry viz Bombay Dyeing, Mr. M. Srinivasan, Ex-CEO; Mr. R. H. Bengeri, Ex- CEO; Silk Research Dr. T. H. Somashekar, Director Rtd., CSTRI; Mr. D. Mahadevappa, Additional Director Rtd. DOS GOK, Dr Rajan Saxena, Ex-VC NMIMS Deemed to be University; Mr. M. S. Anjane, Executive Director

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Rtd. PSSGL; Prof. H. V. Sreenivasmurthy, VJTI; Mr. K. H. Gopal, HR President Alok industries and Mr. Updeep Singh, HR President Welspun. These are few leaders from the textile industries, who helped me give shape to unique education system to provide employable programs with Textile industry by participation in Education. Hence, it was possible to initiate Research in the Textile Industry by Textile undergraduates. Curriculum must be built in such a way that, in addition to regular teachers teaching, Textile Industry seniors also guide and monitor graduates for Industry useful projects.

As a Mentor, what capabilities would you choose in your Ph.D students?

We select students for innovative work in Textiles like, to improve quality, enhance productivity, to offer new technology, to produce eco-friendly sustainable technology. Optimum utilisation of the technology has to be taught to each technical personnel.

How has the industry evolved In the last few years ?

The Indian textile industry is one the most important industries for the Indian economy. Its importance is underlined by the fact

INTERVIEW that it accounts for around 4% of GDP, 14% of the industrial production and 17% of the country’s total export earnings. Besides, the sector employs nearly 35 mn employees; the textile industry is the second-largest employment generating industry in both rural and urban areas, after the agriculture industry. The vast pool of skilled and unskilled workers, availability of labour at low cost, strong base for production of raw materials characterize the textile industry in India. The increase in domestic demand and ability of the units in the industry to process small or customized orders are some of the advantages for the textile industry in India. The textile sector is highly diverse and has hand-spun and hand-woven segments at one end of the spectrum and capitalintensive, sophisticated and modern mills at the other. The textile industry is vertically-integrated across the value chain and extends from fiber to fabric to garments.

Industry is modernising rapidly in all segments of textile processes such as Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Chemical processing and Garment manufacturing etc. The value addition in ready-made garments made by garment manufacturers are not able to compete due automation needed in garment manufacturing. Availability of the required supply chain in the entire production circle, is one of the disadvantages in India. There is acute shortage of Technical people to work for automation of Textile Industry in the country. Technical textiles Industries has good future in the country with the support from Centre of excellence under various COE developed by ministry of Textiles.

What are the latest trends in the industry?

Production of eco-friendly Textiles

with Anti-microbial treatments for the apparel /baby care and for allied health care products is offered as Technical Textiles. Hygiene and health promotion is possible by use of textiles such as Mask, PPE KITS ,Baby wear, ladies wear etc.

Thus, increased usage of Technical Textiles in various segments such as Apparel, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Auto sector /Transportation and Communication, textiles is making its way to provide an improved life style. Textile Industry in India needs automation to support large-scale quality manufacturing. There is great scope in decentralised sector, to upgrade technology and supply chain systems required for automation in India. For this, awareness program for the entrepreneurs has to be made available.

Sustainability, Carbon footprint, Waste management, how relevant and important is it? Is it just talk of the town or any fruitful measures are taken by industry?

Sustainability, carbon foot print and waste management is essentially required for textile industry growth in the country. Textile hard waste reutilisation and recycling has to be done to protect nature.

As on today systematic hard waste recycling or regeneration has to be worked out on a war footing. For example, Carbon fibre hard waste, especially from electronic goods produced by carbon composites are a problem to the entire world its production is not degradable and hence not sustainable.

How have you personally adopted sustainability in your life?

Promotion of eco-friendly natural textiles usage, I personally practice and promote. I encourage Textile Industry participation in education to develop sustainable

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educational system to meet the requirements of both the stake holders. Textile Industry for its Competent Technicians requirement on the other Rural youth with basic qualification of SSC with gainful employment after 3 years of education in Textiles. This, I have done in cotton Technology Industries. I also have the educational curriculum model for Man- made Textiles, Wool and Silk industries.

This education system needs support from the biggest Industry who is mother Textile Industry to employ all engineers including Textile engineers and Technologists. The need based sustainable Textile education model needs to be promoted in rural india, where the textile Industry base is being spread.

How has COVID 19 treated you and what changes do you feel post-pandamic?

Well, COVID 19 has affected normal life of me in promoting education for employment. The entire Textile Industry stopped for few days, but now almost all Textile Industries are working to full strength. Migration of competent workers has affected normal working of the corporate textile industry. Whereas, in the decentralised sector, export orders have reduced drastically.

Some technical textiles orders have substantially increased viz. masks and PPE kits. Personally for me, I got a great opportunity to work both as a Educationist and Researcher, to meet challenges in Textile Industry post-pandamic. Our priority is promotion of Technical Textiles for health and hygiene maintenance by encouraging producers of Technical Textiles with structured educational program jointly by association of Education /Textile Industry /Research Institutes, for grooming new generation entrepreneurs.

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B R A N D U P DAT E

ENCIRCLING THE INDIAN TEXTILE WET PROCESSING INDUSTRY Manufacturing Sustainable Bast Yarns Modern rotor spinning system from raw material to yarn

Interest in bast fibers such as flax or hemp has recently increased as environmental movements have gained great popularity. Bast fibers are very versatile and valuable for textile and non-textile applications. Rieter offers tailor-made, economical solutions for processing bast fibers in short staple fiber spinning.

Bast fiber is a type of plant fiber that can be collected from the inner bark of plants such as flax, hemp or ramie. Linen (made of flax) is one of the oldest textiles developed, dating back nearly 10 000 years.

With today’s increasing environmental awareness, textiles made of bast fibers are being rediscovered for everyday use as well as for luxury fabrics. Bast fibers are very sustainable. For the cultivation of flax, for example, very few pesticides are used and the water requirement is low (Fig. 1).

Flax – a fiber with a difference Especially in summer, the advantages of linen clothing are obvious.

Fig. 1: Flowering flax field The fabric absorbs moisture from the air and exchanges it with the ambient air. Thus, the fabric has a cooling effect and is still dry. An additional benefit of this water absorption is the antistatic effect.

The linen fiber is very tear-resistant, so the fabric is hard-wearing and extremely durable. As a result, a linen garment can last for many years without damage.

Cottonization of bast fibers Flax is used as an example to explain the spinning process for bast fibers. Flax is unique in the fact that different types of fibers can be extracted from the same raw material. Some of these fibers are processed via the traditional wet spinning process which, however, is very cost intensive. Other extracted fibers are well suited to be shortened which is a precondition for manufacturing yarns economically using cotton spinning technologies. The process of reducing the flax fibers to short staple fibers and giving them the same characteristics as cotton is called “cottonization”. This works in a very similar way with other bast fibers, like for example hemp.

From flax tow to short fibers Fig. 2: Preparing the flax tow for the spinning mill To prepare the flax tow for short-staple fiber spinning, on a Temafa machine Rieter is cooperating with the German company Temafa. They are a global expert on blending and opening, recycling, air engineering and natural-fiber extraction. The so called Rieter-Temafa-concept prepares the flax tow in such a way that high-quality yarns can be produced from it using the rotor spinning process. The flax tow is progressively relieved of shives and dust – without a cutting process (Fig. 2). The raw material is refined in different opening and cleaning stages using machines from Temafa and Rieter. The cottonized material then passes into a baling press.

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In this process, the fine cleaner UNIflex B 60 is responsible for giving the fiber material the same length, fineness, purity and spinning characteristics as cotton (Fig. 3). The desired fiber length is set by adjusting the nipping point. This also reduces the short-fiber content and thick, non-fibrillated fibers are removed. The variable opening intensity opens the fiber bundles into individual fibers.

Intensive cleaning is performed at the same time by precisely setting the cleaning intensity. The quantity of waste is controlled via the VARIOset function. Using VARIOset and the integrated dedusting unit reduces trash accumulation at the card.

Further cottonization with the web card C 75 The web card C 75 sets new benchmarks in quality and productivity for cottonizing bast fibers. Compared to conventional cards, the card technology with a 1.5-meter working width achieves a reduction in process-related waste which results in better raw-material utilization.

Fig. 3: The fine cleaner UNIflex B 60 gives the flax fiber material the same length, purity and spinning characteristics as cotton The card is adapted to suit the flax fibers using appropriate carding elements. The focus is on the fiber’s refinement, length and purity. The one-roller licker-in module is used to open the fibers gently. The mote knife on the licker-in module ensures that any remaining shives, unopened flax bundles and dust are removed efficiently. The efficient removal of these components and the short fibers is continued by the carding elements in the pre- and post-carding zones. The main carding zone facilitates the separation and removal of short fibers, contamination and fiber neps. The cottonized web sliver passes into a baling press. The bales are then ready for spinning preparation.

Optimum fiber and spinning preparation The specific structure of the bast fibers calls for suitable preparation technology. The automatic bale opener UNIfloc A 12 copes well with the heterogeneous flax fibers. It opens material uniformly from the bale and prepares the optimum tuft size for the subsequent machines.

When it comes to mixing, the UNImix B 72 with its three-point mixing principle is the ideal machine. The large storage capacity provides for an appropriate dwell time for the material and thus ensures a trouble-free production flow. Depending on the yarn counts to be spun, an integrated autoleveler draw frame module after the card is sufficient for 100% flax.

For blends with cotton or man-made fibers the spinning preparation process is different and involves the blender UNIblend A 81. Depending on the quality requirements, carding is followed by one or two draw frame passages.

Decisive advantages with rotor spinning of bast fibers Rotor spinning machines offer advantages for the spinning of bast fibers. The incoming draw frame sliver is opened into single fibers in the spinning box, whereby the fiber material undergoes further cleaning and particles can be removed.

In the case of blended yarns, the blend is improved by the re-doubling in the rotor grove. With the spinning nozzles in rotor spinning the yarn characteristic can be additionally influenced.

Yarns made of flax blends or of 100% flax are manufactured efficiently on the Rieter rotor spinning machines R 70 (fully Fig. 4: Yarns of 100% flax or blends can be produced economically on a rotor spinning machine DECEMBER 2020

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Depending on raw-material quality, yarn counts of Ne 4 to Ne 10 can be spun from 100% flax. The finer the yarn count the higher the amount of fine fibers required. With blends yarn counts up to Ne 20 are possible.

Flax yarns produced on rotor spinning machines offer advantages in the end product compared to traditional ring spinning. The yarns have higher elongation, lower hairiness, a lower shive and dust content and significantly better downstream processing behavior. In addition, the conversion and equipment costs are low. Blended yarns are suitable for producing easy-care garments. The blends offer a wide scope for designing fashion items and thus enable a considerable expansion of the product range. The woven fabrics and end products offer good abrasion resistance and higher dye retention.

Lakshmi Machine Works Ltd - Industry Specific updates NEWS 1. Textile Machinery Division: -Order book is about Rs.1,400 Cr of which 30-35% would be active order book, up from 20-25% few months ago.

-Most of the mills are back in operations and export of yarn has also picked up quite well.

-Customers have re-started project discussion and expansion plans.

-Order book has started to build up in Textile Machinery; however, 4QFY21 will show a clear picture of the capital expansion plans of the customers.

-Textile Machinery utilisation is at 60-65%. Demand for spares have improved meaningfully over last 6 months.

-Yarn and Garment exports from India is picking up which is a positive sign for the company’s customers.

-Many textile companies are earning super normal profits and many are recovering losses that were suffered over a period of time during slowdown due to improved spread and uptick in demand.

2. Machine Tools Division: -Company is witnessing robust demand in Machine tools segment and has an order book with visibility of 3 months (normally 2 months) -Getting equal traction from Auto & Non-Auto Sector in this division.

-Witnessing meaningful traction in exports rather than domestic market. This segment is also seeing benefit from China +1 strategy.

-Defence & Aviation sectors have taken a back seat.

-Capacity utilisation of this division would be upward of ~80% 3. Other Highlights -India is been seen as a potential substitution to China for sourcing by other Eastern & Western countries as part of China+1 strategy .

-China has around 120mn spindle capacity and India has 50mn spindles capacity. Bangladesh is close to 15m spindles market and Vietnam is 5mn spindles market.

-Export enquiry have also picked up as markets like Bangladesh, Vietnam , Pakistan , Turkey , Uzbekistan have also benefited from diversification from China. Bangladesh is the largest market for LMW. However lot of export order have adverse credit terms and LMW is selective in picking orders.

-Irrespective of subsidies, if demand improves and continues for more than 6-12 months, the sector will see capacity expansion in near future.

-Textile players will take benefit of PLI scheme as most players are running at full capacity and will need expansion, also low tax rate will also improve economics.

-Government has provided lot of support to sector like MSME classification, PLI, reduction in custom duty for input of man made fibre, support during COVID through various liquidity measure.

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INTERVIEW

ALL ABOUT RAYMOND’S VIROSAFE: THE NEW TECH-TREND FABRIC FINISH OFFERING PROTECTION AGAINST VIRUSES ALL ABOUT RAYMOND’S VIROSAFE THE NEW TECH-TREND FABRIC FINISH OFFERING PROTECTION AGAINST VIRUSES Interiew with Mr. Ram Bhatnagar, Vice President & Head- Sales and Distribution, Raymond Limited.

Raymond Ltd., which is India’s leading textile and apparel producer and retailer, and has sanitisers got an empowering reaction most recent anti-viral range of Masks are not, at this pointfor theitsonly weapons to battle the imperceptible virus textiles/fabrics called ViraSafe.

In an interview with Mr. Ram Bhatnagar, Vice that has taken on the world. Innovation is at the front line of the battle. It has, truth be told, President & Head- Sales and Distribution, Raymond Limited, we ask all the linbecome a lifestyle, with schools and work going on the web platforms. Furthermore, even gering questions about the ground-breaking range of virus-protecting textiles personal protective gear is coming tech-powered. Take, for example, masks. Tech-enabled introduced masks have entered the market which guarantee better security against the virus.

by Raymonds- ViraSafe!

Ram Bhatnagar

Raymond Ltd., which is India's leading textile and apparel producer and retailer, has got an empowering reaction for its most recent anti-viral range of textiles/fabrics called ViraSafe.

In an interview with Mr. Ram Bhatnagar, Vice President & Head- Sales and Distribution,

Vice President & Head- Sales and ral agent in the world to develop effect. We as a brand have always fabrics with anti-viral agents us- been innovative and driven by Distribution, Raymond Limited.

What was the inspiration behind launching this range, apart from the protection it ing Nano Silver ion embedded in Technology. We thus continue to offers to the wearer?

Zeolite. This is a patented technol- pioneer and work towards providogy having obtained certifications ing the best for our customers.

Post-pandemic, customer hasUS, become conscious of their safety and hygiene in all from the FDAthe & EPA in the EU- extra asks and sanitisers are not, aspects How much the risk of infection of their lives.

Thus, they would be looking to useis products which will help them do BPR and other international agen- reduced at this point the only weapons to that. for the wearer?

Consumers now are willing to try out something new and different which will give them cies. The Key features of ViraSafe battle the imperceptible virus that peace of mind and comfort.

Our Anti-viral range does not only offer protection The virus gets killed within from two bacteria are: has taken on the world. Innova- and virus but also eliminates odour; thus having a deodorizing effect.

We as a brand have hours, once in contact with the tion is at the front line of the bat- always All-day from viruses beenprotection innovative and driven

by Technology.

We thus continue to pioneer and work tle. It has, truth be told, become and Germs, assured safety, sus- fabric. We are claiming the antitowards providing the best for our customers. viral fabric effectiveness up to 30 a lifestyle, with schools and work tainable technology, anti-Odour.

Washes or 30 Home laundering. going on the web platforms. FurWhat was the inspiration behind So will depend How much is the risk of infection reduced forthe the effectiveness wearer? thermore, even personal proteclaunching this range, apart from on no. of washes and not on no. of tive gear is coming tech-powered. the protection it offers to the days or months.

Here is a Take, for example, masks. Tech- The virus gets killed within two hours, once in contact with the fabric. Weglimpse claiming the wearer? on the viruses against whichare ViraSenabled masks have entered the anti-viral fabric effectiveness up to 30 Washes 30 Home laundering. So the effectiveness afeoroffers protection: market which guarantee better se- will Post-pandemic, the customer has depend on no. of washes and not on no. of days or months. Here is a glimpse on the curity against the virus. become extra conscious of their viruses against which ViraSafe offers protection: Raymond Ltd., which is India's leading textile and apparel producer and retailer, has got an empowering reaction for its most recent anti-viral range of textiles/ fabrics called ViraSafe. In an interview with Mr. Ram Bhatnagar, Vice President & Head- Sales and Distri- Itsafety and hygiene in all aspects It is also in deactivating is also effective in deactivating twelve bacteria type effective microbes, three Enzyme type bution, Raymond Limited, we ask microbes of theirandlives.

Thus,type they would twelve bacteria type microbes, five Mold microbes. all the lingering questions about be looking to use products which three Enzyme type microbes and the ground-breaking range of vi- How willdoes helpthis them do that.technology Consumers Mold microbes. anti-viral work?five Is this antype embedded finish in the fabric or rus-protecting textiles introduced a now aredone willing to fabric? try out some- How does this anti-viral technollayering on the

by Raymonds- ViraSafe! thing new and different which ogy work? Is this an embedded give them peace of fabric mindwhich and has Give us a brief of the anti-vi- Itwill is a chemical finish on the anti-viral properties supreme finish in the fabric and or aoffers layering comfort.toOur Anti-viral range does ral finished fabric recently protection the wearer. done on the fabric? not only offer protection from baclaunched by Raymonds teria and virus but also eliminates It is a chemical finish on the fabWe have tied up with a leading odour; thus having a deodorizing ric which has anti-viral properties manufacturer of inorganic antiviand offers supreme protection to

M

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INTERVIEW the wearer.

What are the precautions one should take, and usage instructions like washing, cleaning, etc?

There are no special precautions to be taken. This is simply an antiviral finish on the fabric of his/her choice. So one must simply follow the care required as per the fabric chosen. This finish however does not require any special care and the effectiveness of the finish on the fabric will last up to 30 washes.

What is the cost of this fabric and the variants in terms of colours and designs available?

The anti-viral range of fabrics is available in the range of Rs. 487 – Rs. 2427/mtrs, in more than 112 qualities and 615+ SKUs across PV(Polyester-Viscose), PW(Polyester-Wool), Jacketing and Suits category.

As the market is opening up, the concern for protection remains the same, and to safeguard health

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Reference for image : https://www.instagram.com/raymond_ the_complete_man of its customers, Raymond’s ViroSafe offers protection against microbes, with fabrics finished with the anti-viral finish, an assured safety when one steps out!

DECEMBER 2020

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EXCEL ALONG THE BLUE WAY It started 20 years ago, with an idea for a responsible textile industry.

The idea became the Bluesign mission: to provide service-based solutions that help the industry realize responsible manufacturing, globally. THE BLUE WAY is a mindset towards advancements for supply chain inputs and outputs.

From improvements in resources and chemical usage to emissions and waste reduction – THE BLUE WAY creates a positive impact and better textiles.

As global society begins to catch up, we are taking our momentum into the next 20 years. We look forward to walking the walk together with you.

Let’s be 20 years ahead.

bluesign.com/20

bluesign.com/business DECEMBER 2020

00120118007_DU_ARCH_Poster_Sustainable_1847.85x1193.8_4c_en.indd 1

committed to sustainability and innovation

100%

Products enhanced, colors enhanced, performance enhanced – “Life enhanced”.

We are a global leader in color and specialty chemicals for applications such as textiles, paper, paints, construction or adhesives. Our latest innovations include: EarthColors®, a range of textile dyes made of agricultural waste and fully traceable from the source to the shop, Inkpresso®, a system allowing textile digital printers to produce their inks on site and on demand, SmartRepel ® Hydro, a water repellency technology designed to keep textiles dry and nature cleaner, and Leucophor® ACS, a new concentrated brightening agent for white paper with a reduced CO2 footprint.

At Archroma, we continuously challenge the status quo in the deep belief that we can make our industry sustainable.

/ GROWING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

www.archroma.com

We touch and color people’s lives every day, everywhere

02.11.18 13:21

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Minimum space, maximum potential: the new autoleveller draw frame TD 10

Better blending from the beginning: TD 10 With the TD 10, an ultramodern autoleveller draw frame featuring the latest digital levelling technology comes to the market.

The TD 10 incorporates technical highlights more compact than ever. Due to its clever design, the TD 10 requires on average 20 % less space than comparable competitive models. In addition its intelligent SMART CREEL, combined with the T-LED remote display, offers unparalleled functional reliability and transparency.

DECEMBER 2020

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Clean Technology.

Smart Factory.

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From Melt to Yarn, Fibers and Nonwovens Oerlikon Manmade Fibers Segment with the product brands Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven is one of the leading provider for filament spinning systems, texturing machines and BCF carpet yarn, staple fiber spinning as well as nonwovens solutions.

For further information visit us at www.oerlikon.com/manmade-fibers.

Spinning

Creeling

Drying

Cutting

Continuous Polycondensation Transfer Line

Gear Metering Pumps

Drawing/Cooling

Baling

Spinning/ Quenching Take-up/Winding

Doffing Texturing

| DOECCTEOMBBEERR 22002200

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COVER STORY

DECEMBER 2020