The electro-chemical activation of aqueous media is relatively new technology.
The alkaline part of the activated media (catholyte) is used in a wide variety of
applications due to outstanding detergency properties. The standard
phosphate based detergents currently used by consumers cause a negative
impact on the environment. Catholyte provides an environmental friendlier
alternative as it returns to be neutral water within 48 hours after activation.
Although catholyte may be an environmentally friendly medium for washing,
the influence that it has on the properties of textile materials, for example wool
and polyamide is still only based upon speculation. Little is also known about
the soil removal efficiency of this medium on wool and polyamide.
The aim of this study was to evaluate electro-chemically activated water
(catholyte) as an alternative detergent for machine washable wool and
polyamide 6,6. This was done by determining the influence of catholyte on
certain important properties of these textile fabrics as well as the soil removal
efficiency.
The machine washable wool and polyamide 6,6 textile fabrics were laundered
at 30°C and 40°C with catholyte, phosphate detergent or distilled water for five,
ten, twenty or fifty laundering cycles respectively.
The standard test methods for laundering (AATCC 61) and measuring the
tearing strength (ASTM D1424), tensile strength (ISO/SANS 13934-1), wrinkle
recovery (AATCC 66), bending length (BS 3356), soil removal (AATCC 135) and
dimensional change were used. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the
statistical interpretation of the results obtained. Catholyte, detergent and distilled water caused a significant decrease in the
tearing strength of both the polyamide 6,6 and wool fabrics. The temperature
had no significant influence on the tearing strength of polyamide 6,6 fabric
although it caused a significant decrease in the tearing strength of wool. The
number of laundering cycles caused a significant decrease in the tearing
strength of the warp yarns of polyamide 6,6 as well as the weft and warp yarns
of wool, however it did not have a significant influence on the weft yarns of
polyamide 6,6.
Catholyte, detergent and distilled water as well as the temperature and number
of laundering cycles did not have a significant influence on the tensile strength
on the weft yarns of the polyamide 6,6. It did however cause a significant
decrease in tensile strength of the warp yarns of polyamide 6,6 and the weft
and warp yarns of wool.
Catholyte, detergent and distilled water as well as the temperature and number
of laundering cycles had a significant influence on the bending length
(stiffness) of polyamide 6,6 and wool, causing the fabric to become stiffer.
Catholyte, detergent and distilled water caused a significant increase in the
wrinkle recovery in the weft of polyamide 6,6 and decrease in wrinkle recovery
in the weft of wool. It did not have a significant influence in the warp of wool
and polyamide 6,6. The temperature had no significant influence on the
wrinkle recovery of the wool and weft of polyamide, although it caused a
significant fluctuation in the warp of polyamide 6,6. The number of laundering
cycles caused a significant fluctuation in the wrinkle recovery of the polyamide
6,6 and wool fabrics.
Catholyte, detergent and distilled water, as well as the temperature and
number of laundering cycles did not have a significant influence on the dimensional stability of polyamide 6,6. It did however cause the wool fabric to
shrink significantly.
Catholyte and detergent proved to be significantly effective in removing soil
from polyamide 6,6 and wool. The temperature only had a significant influence
on soil removal from the wool.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-10172011-115917 |
| Date | 17 October 2011 |
| Creators | van Heerden, Natasha |
| Contributors | Prof HJH Steyn |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-10172011-115917/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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