Laser Enhanced Biotechnology for Textile Design: Three Dimensional, Colour and Surface Patterning

就贸易强度而言，纺织和服装部门是全球经济活动的第二大领域，约占世界出口的7%。因此，对环境和社会的影响是巨大的。有害化学品通常用于传统的染色、漂白、印花和后整理工艺，以获得颜色和图案，已被确定为该行业可持续发展的关键挑战之一。使用的化学物质会通过水和空气污染损害工人的健康和当地环境。此外，许多工艺都要消耗大量的水和能源。除了REACH(新的欧洲化学品法规)等立法外，还建议将更多地关注效率作为提高环境绩效的战略。此外，设计者的作用已被认为是促进该部门内可持续解决方案发展的核心。拟议的项目通过研究酶和激光加工技术及其组合以在纺织品上实现3D和彩色表面图案，有助于开发可持续的纺织品设计过程。由于这两种技术提供的工艺特性，与传统的表面图案化技术相比，能源消耗、水消耗和废水产生将降至最低。通过将这些技术结合在一起，这项工作旨在提升现有的技术，并为英国纺织品设计师发现新的创意机会。酶是生物催化剂。换句话说，它们可以用来对有机化合物进行化学转化。由于它们的可靠性、灵活性和环保优势，它们在包括前处理、漂白和整理在内的纺织品湿处理过程中正发挥着越来越重要的作用。由于酶对环境的优势，特别是对有害化学物质的替代和反应的特异性，酶在纺织加工中的应用得到了迅速的发展。然而，它们作为一种创造性设计工具的使用还没有被探索过。在DMU进行的初步试验表明，酶作为创造性的纺织品设计工具具有巨大的潜力。然而，处理过程很慢。在这个项目中，将开发酶技术来实现色彩和3D图案设计效果。通过使用激光处理作为酶处理的前处理，所使用的技术和取得的效果将得到加强。这样做的目的是促进反响和扩大设计机会。一个特别的焦点将是酶印刷技术的发展。如果成功，酶印花将是一个创新的发展。激光在工业中用于切割、标记和焊接一系列材料。它们提供了快速成型工具和生产线能力。激光提供了一种在不使用过多水或化学品的情况下实现纺织品图案的能源效率方法，因此与传统的纺织工艺相比具有环境优势。关于表面图案化，它们实现了图像的数字生成所提供的特异性和控制性。由于越来越多的人接触到激光技术，激光切割，在某种程度上，越来越多地被高端市场的设计师使用。作为一种标记工具，激光被用来‘蚀刻’一系列材料。该项目旨在进一步开发激光标记作为一种创造性的设计工具，通过对特定纤维的定向处理来实现新的3D和颜色效果。所使用的技术将通过前后处理与酶处理相结合，目的是创造新的设计机会，并提高天然纤维织物的表面质量。

The textiles and clothing sector represents the second biggest area of global economic activity in terms of intensity of trade and approximately 7% of world exports. The environmental and social impacts are therefore significant. Harmful chemicals which are routinely used in traditional dyeing, bleaching, printing and finishing processes to achieve colour and pattern, have been identified as one of the key challenges to sustainability within the industry. The chemicals used can damage workers health and the local environment through water and air pollution. In addition, large amounts of water and energy are used in many processes. Alongside legislation such as REACH (the new European Chemicals Regulations), an increased focus on efficiency has been recommended as a strategy for increasing environmental performance. Further to this, the role of the designer has been recognised as central to promoting the development of sustainable solutions within the sector. The proposed project contributes to the development of sustainable textile design processes by investigations into enzymatic and laser processing technologies and their combination to achieve 3D and colour surface patterning on textiles. Due to the process specificity afforded by both technologies, energy use, water use and effluent production will be minimised in comparison with traditional surface patterning techniques. Through combining these technologies, the work aims to enhance current techniques and to discover new creative opportunities for UK textile designers. Enzymes are biological catalysts. In other words they can be used to perform chemical transformations on organic compounds. They are obtaining an increasingly important role within textile wet processes including pre-treatments, bleaching and finishing due to their reliability, flexibility and environmental advantages. Due to their environmental advantages, in particular their replacement of harmful chemicals and the specificity of reaction they enable, the application of enzymes in textile processes has been developed rapidly. Their use as a creative design tool is, however, as yet unexplored. Initial trials carried out at DMU suggest that enzymes have great potential as creative textile design tools. Processing is, however, slow. In this project, enzyme technology will be developed for colour and 3D pattern design effects. The techniques used and effects achieved will be enhanced through using laser processing as a pre-treatment to enzyme treatments. The aim of this is to promote reactions and to broaden design opportunities. A specific focus will be the development of enzyme printing techniques. If successful, enzyme printing will be an innovative development. Lasers are used within industry to cut, mark and weld a range of materials. They provide a rapid prototyping tool as well as production line capabilities. Lasers provide an energy efficient means of achieving textile patterning without the use of excessive water or chemicals and therefore have environmental advantages in comparison with traditional textile processes. In regard to surface patterning they enable specificity and control afforded by digital generation of imagery. Due to increased access to laser technology, laser cutting, and to some extent marking, are increasingly used by designers working in high-end markets. As a marking tool, lasers are used to 'etch', a range of materials. This project aims to further develop laser marking as a creative design tool by targeting treatment at specific fibres to achieve new 3D and colour effects. The techniques used will be combined with enzyme processing via pre and post treatment, the aim being to create new design opportunities and to enhance the surface quality of natural fibre fabrics.