Verkenning van technologische oplossingen voor milieuproblemen in de textiel- en tapijtveredeling

This report gives an overview of technological solutions for environmental bottlenecks in the textile and carpet finishing sector in the Netherlands. The results of the study will be used to underpin the decision-making process around the possible introduction of a subprogramme on textile and carpet finishing within the framework of StirMT in 1995. Three environmental bottlenecks were selected. These are emissions of dyes and antimony (from antimony-containing fire retardants) to the surface water, production of chemical waste resulting from the use of dyes and water use. Especiallly important for the major environmental bottlenecks caused by the application of dyes are: optimization of the the process chemicals manufacture by measument and adjustment, process adjustments (like minimization of the systems volume), new process techniques (like minimum or non-water-based application techniques e.g. supercritical carbon dioxide coating and electron beam coating) and reuse of excess printing pastes. For the environmental bottleneck caused by antimony emissions alternatives for antimony containig fire retardants are available. The release of antimony from polyester during dyeing can be decreased by process adjustments within the textile finishing process. Process adjustments of the process in the production of polyester itself (in the chemical industry) is another technological solution for this environmental bottleneck. Reuse of water streams (not only cooling and washing water but also waste water) for process water and the application of measurement and adjustment techniques were selected as technological solutions for the water use bottleneck