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In fall 2013 EcoTexNano started its exploration towards the safe use of Nanomaterials in textile finishing operations. By now the project has entered its third-, and final year. By the end of 2016 EcoTexNano will provide a support tool for the textile finishing industry, to assess the risks for human health and the environmental impact of using nanomaterials in textile finishing operations.
Pilot productions
The core of EcoTexNano consists of pilot-scale productions. During these small-scale production runs, the fabrics have been treated using either «conventional finishing» or «nano-finishing», allowing the quantification of the differences in environmental impacts and risks to human health. The applied finishes provided the fabrics with one of the following functionalities: Antibacterial, UV protection, Soil release, or Flame retardancy.
The data collected during the production trials serves as the baseline for the Risk Analyses (RA) and Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) being conducted throughout the project. Examples of such data include:
- The number of nanoparticles in the air (for Risk Analyses).
- Raw materials used, energy consumption, water consumption, hazardous waste streams, and air emissions (for Life Cycle Assessment).
Pilot trials were performed at Piacenza, the manufacturer of luxurious woolen fabrics, and Vincolor, the subsidiary finishing department of Crevin (upholstery manufacturer).