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

就贸易强度而言，纺织和服装行业是全球经济活动的第二大领域，约占世界出口的7%。因此，环境和社会影响是巨大的。有害化学物质通常用于传统的染色、漂白、印刷和整理过程中，以获得颜色和图案，已被确定为该行业可持续发展的主要挑战之一。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，在许多过程中使用大量的水和能源。除了REACH（新的欧洲化学品法规）等立法外，人们还建议将更加关注效率作为提高环境绩效的策略。除此之外，设计师的角色被认为是促进行业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来实现纺织品上的3D和彩色表面图案，有助于可持续纺织品设计过程的发展。由于这两种技术提供的工艺特殊性，与传统的表面图案技术相比，能源使用、水使用和废水生产将减少到最低限度。通过结合这些技术，这项工作旨在提高当前的技术，并为英国纺织品设计师发现新的创作机会。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。由于其可靠性、灵活性和环保优势，它们在纺织品湿法工艺（包括预处理、漂白和整理）中发挥着越来越重要的作用。由于酶在环境方面的优势，特别是对有害化学物质的替代作用和反应的特异性，酶在纺织工艺中的应用得到了迅速发展。然而，它们作为创造性设计工具的用途尚未被探索。在DMU进行的初步试验表明，酶作为创造性纺织品设计工具具有巨大的潜力。然而，处理速度很慢。在这个项目中，酶技术将用于颜色和3D图案设计效果。通过将激光加工作为酶处理的前处理，可以提高所使用的技术和达到的效果。这样做的目的是促进反应和拓宽设计机会。一个具体的重点将是酶打印技术的发展。如果成功，酶打印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。它们提供了快速原型工具以及生产线能力。激光提供了一种节能的方法来实现纺织品图案，而不使用过多的水或化学品，因此与传统的纺织工艺相比，具有环保优势。关于表面图案，它们使数字生成图像所提供的特异性和控制性成为可能。由于越来越多地使用激光技术，激光切割，在某种程度上打标，越来越多的设计师在高端市场工作。作为一种标记工具，激光被用来“蚀刻”一系列材料。该项目旨在进一步发展激光打标作为一种创造性的设计工具，通过对特定纤维进行靶向处理，以实现新的3D和色彩效果。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.