The textile dyeing industry plays a crucial role in fashion and fabric innovation. However a significant environmental impact due to the extensive use of petrochemical sustainable surfactants is associated to many fashion and fabric processes.
Conventional textile processes rely on petrochemical surfactants which contribute to alarming levels of pollution as they ultimately end up in wastewater. These surfactants are commonly used for achieving uniform colours in textiles, enhancing dye affinity for materials like polyester and acrylic, and managing foam during heating.
SurfToGreen will minimise the ecological footprint by replacing conventional additives from petrochemical resources with eco-friendly alternatives that respect the environment without compromising on performances and costs
Although bio-based surfactants like rhamnolipids are often suggested as more sustainable alternatives, their widespread use is still hindered by cost challenges in various industrial applications. SurfToGreen project will overcome these limitations by developing innovative and sustainable alternatives for stain and oil removal on textile, control of the wetting behaviour of textile, and levelling formulations. The project synthesises bio-based surfactants using glycerol as a platform; surface active polymers derived from side streams of the forest industry (lignin, sugar, hemicellulose-based materials) are additionally investigated as potential platforms for surfactant synthesis.