Textile Garments Research Articles

RELIABILITY OF THE DAID SMART SHIRT FOR SHOULDER GIRDLE MOTION ASSESSMENT IN HIGH STRING PLAYERS

Smart garment system is efficient for upper body movement monitoring during simple tasks. There is a lack of literature on smart textile garments being reliable for shoulder girdle motion assessment in advanced motor tasks such as high string performance. The aim of the article was to examine the reliability of the DAid Smart Shirt for Shoulder Girdle Motion Assessment during advanced motor tasks such as high string performance. Methods: 14 volunteer violinists aged 18.6 (SD 2.1) with a body mass index 20.05 (SD 2.3) were recruited. The violinists performed a legato bowing task. The DAid smart shirt worked as the assessment tool: a compression garment with textile strain sensors sewn onto it. Cronbach alpha coefficient, Interclass Correlation Coefficient were calculated to assess the within-session test-retest reliability. Results: An excellent and good result test-retest reliability was assessed in 57% of the violinists, for other 43%, the ICC and Cronbach alpha coefficient was less than 0.59. Conclusion: the DAid Smart shirt is reliable for shoulder girdle motion assessment during high string performance. The smart textile garment should be customized and suitable for the body in order to assess shoulder girdle motion during high level or advanced activities such as high string performance.

Flexible Textile Strain Sensor Based on Copper-Coated Lyocell Type Cellulose Fabric.

Integration of sensors in textile garments requires the development of flexible conductive structures. In this work, cellulose-based woven lyocell fabrics were coated with copper during an electroless step, produced at 0.0284 M copper sulfate pentahydrate, 0.079 M potassium hydrogen L-tartrate, and 0.94 M formaldehyde concentrations. High concentrations led to high homogeneous copper reaction rates and the heterogeneous copper deposition process was diffusion controlled. Thus, the rate of copper deposition did not increase on the cellulose surface. Conductivity of copper coatings was investigated by the resistance with a four probe technique during fabric deformation. In cyclic tensile tests, the resistance of coated fabric (19 × 1.5 cm2) decreased from 13.2–3.7 Ω at 2.2% elongation. In flex tests, the resistance increased from 5.2–6.6 Ω after 5000 bending cycles. After repeated wetting and drying cycles, the resistance increased by 2.6 × 105. The resistance raised from 11–23 Ω/square with increasing relative humidity from 20–80%, which is likely due to hygroscopic expansion of fibers. This work improves the understanding of conductive copper coating on textiles and shows their applicability in flexible strain sensors.

Microplastics' emissions: Microfibers’ detachment from textile garments

Microplastics (synthetic polymers <5 mm) have been recently recognized as a big environmental concern, as their ubiquity is an undeniable fact. Their wide variety regarding shapes, sizes, and materials turn them into an intrinsically risky pollutant capable of causing several environmental impacts. Textile microfibers (MF) are a microplastic sub-group. These are mostly shed when a normal laundry of any garment takes place. Special attention has been put onto them, as high concentrations have been found in products for human consumption as shellfish and tap water. However, as there is no consensus on the methodologies to quantify and report the results of MFs detached from textile garments, the degree of similarity between published studies is very low. Hence, the aim of this research was to evaluate the microfibers’ detachment rates of finished garments and to provide a set of comparable units to report the results. These were found to range between 175 and 560 MF/g or 30000–465000 MF/m2 of garment. In addition, there was a high correlation between the MF detachment and the textile article superficial density. Finally, our results were compared with a recent paper that estimated the annual mass flow of MFs to the oceans. This previous publication is 30 times higher when related to the mass but 40 times lower if related to the number of MFs.

Risk factors of failure in start-up textile enterprises

Despite various attempts made to curb the import of textile and clothing products from China, the demand for Chinese textile products and garments in Tshwane is quite high. Start-up enterprises operating in the textile industry of Gauteng Province in South Africa depend extensively on merchandise imported from China. The research was based on a five-yearlong study conducted by Marivate [2014. “The Impact of Entrepreneurial Skills on the Viability and Long-term Survival of Small Businesses: A case of the City of Tshwane, South Africa. European.” Journal of Business, Economics and Accountancy 2 (2): 53–72] by collecting data from a cohort of 312 textile enterprises operating in the City of Tshwane. The aim of study was to construct a survival probability model for the enterprises in the study as a means of identifying the most significant risk factor for failure in start-up textile enterprises. A semi-parametric survival model was used for identifying key risk factors for failure. The study found that about 51% of start-up businesses were viable at the end of the study period. The key determinants of survival and profitability were the ability to order merchandise in bulk on credit from wholesale Chinese suppliers, access to a trusted trading partner in China, ‘Guanxi’, and the attendance of at least one training session on entrepreneurial skills. Based on findings obtained from the study, there is no basis for recommending the elimination of low-wage employment in the textile and clothing industry of Tshwane.

Development of the calculation method of polymer compound mass to be applied onto the textile garment pieces

The article is dedicated to the development of calculation method of a base line mass of a polymer compound to be applied onto the textiles with an added performance of friability relative to each other. The method of strengthening of the yarned joints of products from the range of fabrics of sparse structures is being considered. The obtained results of the research made possible to reveal the negative influence of such indicators as the friability and moving ability of the yarns on the quality of yarn crossections (move ability and friability of yarns in the fabric, it’s tensile strength, stiffness, etc.) and the product as a whole, which make possible to use progressive processing methods during the selection of garment production technology. To ensure the required quality and reliability of yarned joints of garments made of highly expandable fabrics, the studies have been carried out. At the same time, as a control, a fabric was chosen without applying a polymer and another alternative variant was chosen as well, using the liquid-phase polymer compositions along the seams. The control and alternative variants of the samples were subject to comparative assessment according to the criteria of tensile strength, resistance to friability, flexural rigidity, air permeability and resistance to washing. As a result of the studies, the rational parameters of the technological conditions of applying the liquid-phase polymer composition onto the jointing stiches of the garment components were established to improve the performance properties.

Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis and Individual Prevention Practices Among Textile Workers in Vietnam

The object of this study is to estimate the pervalence of rhinitis symptoms amongst textile workers and individual prevention practices currently used by workers in textile factories in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two textile garment companies in the Nam Dinh province of Vietnam from May to October 2016. A total of 1082 workers in all stages of the textile production process participated in the study. Itchy nose and sneeze were the most common symptoms (with 46.9% and 46.9%, respectively, followed by itchy (33.2%) and runny nose (24.5%). Duration of cotton dust exposure per day were positively associated with face mask use (OR=1.90; 95% CI= 1.24 - 2.90) regular face mask use (OR=2.5; 95% CI=1.87 – 3.33) and nasal spray before working (OR=4.2; 95% CI=1.49-11.83). A high pervalence of allergic OR is observed amongst textile workers in Vietnam highlighting the need for preventive measures to reduce exposure to cotton dust.

Excavation of a medieval burgh ditch at East Market Street, Edinburgh

In 2015 excavation works undertaken in preparation for a new hotel development at East Market Street, Edinburgh (NGR: NT 26242 73758), encountered the remains of a substantial ditch feature likely relating to previously excavated ditches in the medieval burghs of Edinburgh and Canongate. A substantial stratified artefact assemblage including both animal bone and ceramics was recovered and the waterlogged deposits in the base of the ditch also offered the opportunity for macroplant analysis. These waterlogged deposits afforded the preservation of artefacts including a textile garment, the first of its kind in the British Isles, and leather shoe soles boasting slender waists and turned out, pointed toes. These finds were both attributed to the 14th to 15th centuries, contributing to a vivid picture of the inhabitants of Edinburgh and Canongate in the medieval period. Analysis of both the artefact and ecofact assemblage revealed two phases of use, from the construction of the ditch in the late 12th–13th century to its eventual disuse in the latter half of the 15th century.

Investigation of current state of pre-consumer textile waste generated at Lithuanian enterprises

PurposeProduction and consumption of textile garments contribute significantly to environment problems. The purpose of this paper is to perform the evaluation of textile waste generated at Lithuanian clothing enterprises based on statistical data analysis and business cases studies.Design/methodology/approachFor the evaluation of real situation of waste generation in companies, an original methodology was developed and used during investigation. In order to get an overall view, statistical data of waste generation and management in Lithuania were also analysed. Waste accounting covered data such as wastes from unprocessed textile fibres and wastes from processed textile fibres and textiles (not otherwise specified).FindingsThe investigation showed that the amount of cutting waste reaches 20-25 per cent of the total quantity of materials used for production. It was found that the waste is not sorted in Lithuanian clothing enterprises and is disposed in landfills in most cases, notwithstanding the positive tendencies of recycling of waste that were observed during past year. However, a practical recycling strategy and broader perception of developing products with greater added value from waste are missing in Lithuania.Originality/valueIn this research, a simple methodology was developed for determining the quantity of the textile waste generated by enterprises, the introduction of which would allow us to expect better results in waste accounting and management. The results of investigation are useful to gain in-depth understanding of waste generation in various countries.

Investigating mathematical methods for high-throughput prediction of the critical buckling load of non-uniform wool fibers

The sensation of prickle from textile garments is directly related to the force that a fiber protruding from the fabric surface can exert on the skin without buckling – its critical buckling load (CBL). Finite element modeling (FEM) has previously been used in the literature to predict CBLs for a set of 25 fibers with different along-fiber morphology. With a view to high-throughput analysis of fibers, we investigated two analytical methods that were potentially faster and less computationally intensive than FEM and applied them to calculate CBLs for the same set of fibers. In addition, we tested a numerical integration and gradient search (NIGS) method that we developed by adapting a previously published, non-FEM, numerical approach. The analytical methods that we tested were either inadequately formulated or prone to instability. Our NIGS method was more reliable that the analytical methods (but slower to compute), and its results appeared more accurate than the published FEM results, based on an inconsistency metric that we developed. The published FEM results and the NIGS predictions agreed within 5% for 60% of the fibers, and within 10% for 72% of the fibers (with differences ranging from 0.4% to 19.1%) and generally showed qualitative agreement on the response of CBL to fiber shape, with some notable exceptions. The response of CBL to dimensional variation was complex. This, and the inconsistency between methods, highlights the need for caution when analyzing complicated biological structures, such as wool, and the value of verifying the reliability of any predictions from any approach.

E-Commerce Services in India: Prospects and Problems

Electronic commerce (e-commerce) as part of the information technology revolution became widely used in the world trade in general and Indian economy in particular. With advancements in technology, there have been changes in the methodology for business transactions. India, being a rapid adaptor of technology is apace with the current scenario of electronic data exchanges and has taken to e-commerce. E-commerce stands for electronic commerce and pertains to trading in goods and services through the electronic medium. India is showing tremendous growth in the Ecommerce. The low cost of the PC and the growing use of the Internet is one of reasons for that. There is a growing awareness among the business community in India about the opportunities offered by e-commerce. Textile Industry is second largest industry in the country contributing 14% to GDP. E-commerce and electronic applications in automation has brought in tremendous growth in India. E-commerce is connecting rural India for the business hence develop village economy. The future does look very bright for ecommerce in India. India is showing tremendous growth in the E-business. India has an internet user base of over 100 million users. The penetration of e-business is low compared to markets like the US and the UK but is growing at a much faster rate with a large number of new entrants. India is yet to witness a breakthrough E-commerce success story particularly in online retail. E-commerce creates new opportunities for business; it also creates new opportunities for education and academics line. It raises key challenges that are being faced by consumers relating to e-commerce viz., Ethical issues, Perceptions of risk in e-service encounters, challenges for e-business education and legal system. The new Innovative Technologies in Electronic and IT applications is backbone of the Industry development. This can happen only when E-commerce supplements and compliments development of the Engineering Industry and large-scale Quality manufacturing happens in India. India needs to promote E-commerce business to develop rural India by developing effective communication to map value of the goods produced and make available goods and services at low cost to the consumers. Textile garment Industry has got tremendous support by E-commerce by online web portal but consumer needs to be taken into confidence by educational program in rural India.

Printable elastic conductors with a high conductivity for electronic textile applications.

The development of advanced flexible large-area electronics such as flexible displays and sensors will thrive on engineered functional ink formulations for printed electronics where the spontaneous arrangement of molecules aids the printing processes. Here we report a printable elastic conductor with a high initial conductivity of 738 S cm−1 and a record high conductivity of 182 S cm−1 when stretched to 215% strain. The elastic conductor ink is comprised of Ag flakes, a fluorine rubber and a fluorine surfactant. The fluorine surfactant constitutes a key component which directs the formation of surface-localized conductive networks in the printed elastic conductor, leading to a high conductivity and stretchability. We demonstrate the feasibility of our inks by fabricating a stretchable organic transistor active matrix on a rubbery stretchability-gradient substrate with unimpaired functionality when stretched to 110%, and a wearable electromyogram sensor printed onto a textile garment.

The Feasibility Analysis and Development of the PET Regenerated Staple Fiber Industry

Waste PET bottles which is the main ingredients are PET (polyethylene terephthalate), is not easy to degrade under natural conditions. If without recycling rationally, waste plastic bottles will pollute the environment, that is of no advantage for “the construction of resource saving and environment-friendly society”. This paper introduces a new kind of recycling way – the technology of regenerating fibers – that will process the recycled PET bottle flakes into staple fiber (a kind of textile raw materials). And finally it can produce various raw materials of textile garments by the staple fiber. The process of PET bottle flakes recycling mainly takes five steps: sorting, separation, cleaning, crushing and using. This paper analyzes the domestic and foreign PET processing of technology on regenerating staple fiber. And it puts forward a complete set of modification technology program for regenerating staple fiber by PET on the basic of theory.

The prevalence of two ‘commonly’ encountered synthetic target fibres within a large urban environment

A target fibre study was carried out to assess the random prevalence of two ostensibly commonly encountered synthetic fibre types; black acrylic and blue polyester. The study was performed in an environment which maximised the number of random contacts between textile garments in the population and specific surfaces, namely; seating relating to buses, public houses and cinemas found within a large urban conurbation.Surface debris tapings were collected from samples of bus seats (30), pub seats (54) and cinema seats (53). Using low power stereomicroscopy, a total of 114 and 68 fibres, superficially similar to the respective black acrylic and blue polyester target fibres, were recovered from these tapings. The full range of comparative microscopical and instrumental analysis used in operational forensic laboratories was performed on the recovered fibres.No matches were found with either of the target fibres.These findings are in accordance with similar studies which show that the probability of an ‘adventitious’ match with a particular fibre type/colour combination is extremely low. In addition, the findings demonstrate that the current techniques and instrumentation employed by operational forensic laboratories are fit for purpose.Importantly, the findings demonstrate that databases and surveys (e.g. fibre population studies) which do not consider the analytical/comparison processes, must not be used in isolation when evaluating fibre evidence at source level.

Management of Innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises in India: A Barrier Approach

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) form an integral part of Indian economy. In India, small and medium enterprises contribute about 45 percent of the gross turnover in the manufacturing sector and 40 percent of total exports. They are source of employment to large number of people and contribute significantly to growth and GDP of an economy. Small and medium enterprises in India are adopting innovative practices and technologies to sustain competitive environment. There are many small and medium enterprises in India that are innovating and using knowledge as a source of success. But these small-scale enterprises however lose out to the big enterprises in terms of financial sustainability, range of products, marketing clout, brand and bargaining power. These barriers often act as road block for success of small and medium enterprises in India. But, it is observed that there are number of small and medium enterprises that find ways in overcoming these barriers and become innovative in the process. The present study focuses on identifying barriers that affect innovative behavior of small and medium enterprises in India. To be more specific, following research issues have been examined: understand the different barriers faced by small and medium enterprises in their innovative behavior and how small and medium enterprises overcome them? The study is an attempt to seek answer to these questions. Extensive literature review includes the concept of innovation, innovation process and barriers faced by SMEs. Different government, private associations are approached for data collection. The study is conducted on four sectors: Automotive Component, Textile (Garment manufacturing), Pharmaceutical and Information Technology. The result shows that most of the enterprises face barriers in innovating such as shortage of technical know-how, shortage of skilled manpower and high cost of innovation.

Determinants of Innovation: A Study of SMEs in India

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in Indian economy. In India, small and medium enterprises contribute about 45 percent of the gross turnover in the manufacturing sector and 40 percent of total exports. These enterprises provide employment to large number of people and contribute significantly to growth and GDP of an economy. In the world economy, knowledge as a determinant of competitive advantage is gradually replacing traditional factors of production like labor and capital. In order to survive and compete in the globalized market, small and medium enterprises need to use knowledge to innovate. But these small-scale enterprises however lose out to the big enterprises in terms of financial sustainability, range of products, marketing clout, brand and bargaining power. At the same time, it is observed that there are number of small and medium enterprises which are growing and becoming competitive. The present study focuses on identifying determinants of innovation in case of small and medium enterprises in India. To be more specific, following research issues have been examined: How are SMEs in India innovating? What are the factors that determine innovative behavior of small and medium enterprises? The study is an attempt to seek answer to these questions. Extensive literature review includes the concept of innovation, innovation process, management of innovation. Different government, private associations are approached for data collection. The study is conducted on four sectors: Automotive Component, Textile (Garment manufacturing), Pharmaceutical and Information Technology. The result shows that most of the enterprises are involved in process innovation owing to the cost factor and short life of innovation. The enterprises are involved in the improvements depending on the nature of sector, product, cost and demand of that product in the market.

Distinguishing Sectoral Innovation Behaviour: A Study of SMEs in India

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are regarded as the main source of entrepreneurship and innovation. These enterprises provide employment to large number of people and contribute significantly to growth and GDP of an economy. In the world economy, knowledge as a determinant of competitive advantage is gradually replacing traditional factors of production like labor and capital. In order to survive and compete in the globalized market, small and medium enterprises need to use knowledge to innovate. In India, small and medium enterprises contribute about 45 percent of the gross turnover in the manufacturing sector and 40 percent of total exports. These small-scale enterprises however lose out to the big enterprises in terms of financial sustainability, range of products, marketing clout, brand and bargaining power. At the same time, it is observed that there are number of small and medium enterprises which are growing and becoming competitive in different sectors. The present study focuses on distinguishing sectoral innovation behavior of small and medium enterprises in India. To be more specific, following issues are examined: How are SMEs in India in selected sectors differ in adopting innovative practices? How they manage their innovation behavior? Extensive literature review includes the concept of innovation, innovation process, management of innovation and overview of innovation in selected sectors. Different government, private associations are approached for data collection. The study is conducted on four sectors: Automotive Component, Textile (Garment manufacturing), Pharmaceutical and Information Technology. The result shows that the enterprises in selected sectors are involved in the improvements depending on the nature of sector, product, cost and demand of that product in the market.

Characterisation of thermal diffusivity and tensile properties of ultrasonically washed woven fabrics

Laundering of textile garments is taken for granted worldwide, employing conventional washing machines to provide the physical effort exerted to remove dirt and debris from garments. In this study, the conventional washing technique and the advanced ultrasonic washing technique were analysed and compared by using several different types of fabrics. The thermal diffusivity, tensile strength and the breaking extension properties of the fabrics were tested and analysed to determine the laundering effects on the selected fabric properties. Both the conventional and the ultrasonic washed fabrics under dry and wet state were directly analysed and compared. It was observed that, the dry state of the fabrics reflected superior thermal diffusivity values in comparison to the wet state of the fabrics. The tensile strength and breaking extension of the washed fabrics were strongly affected by both washing processes. There is a significant decrease in their strength and breaking extension properties when the fabrics were washed.

What Next after Rana Plaza: Progress in the Garment Industry?

REPORT ❐ TO FOLLOW thus uniting trade unions representing workers in all of the global manufacturing industries. Staff and affiliates of the ITGLWF were concerned that the priority needs of workers in ‘our’ industry might be lost in the process of merger into IndustriALL. However the ground-breaking achievements reacting to Rana Plaza and other vital work including achieving significant minimum wage gains in Cambodia has dispelled any doubts about the prominence of the garment and textile sector inside IndustriALL. The creation of IndustriALL enabled the weight and resources of the larger organisation to work on these campaigns and achieve historic progress. The Accord is doing impressive remediation across the industry in Bangladesh. They have identified thousands of fire and safety risks and closed down dangerous factories. Another Rana Plaza could have already happened without this work. Following the Rana Plaza collapse IndustriALL worked tirelessly to bring the brands and suppliers to the bargaining table with national and international trade unions and NGOs. Worker representatives led by IndustriALL and UNI Global Union together with their Bangladeshi affiliates succeeded in negotiating a strong agreement in the form of the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Until Rana Plaza only two brands had been prepared to sign; PVH, the owner of Calvin Klein and Tchibo a German retailer. The Accord has now been signed by 180 international brands and numerous local trade unions. The ILO acts as the independent chair of the Accord. The Accord is legally binding, a feature which is in contrast with the plethora of voluntary corporate codes of conduct and multi-stakeholder standards. Under the terms of the Accord signatory brands are each obliged to contribute up to US$500,000 per year towards costs of implementing the terms of Accord. Crucially the Accord includes a central role for trade unions in the provision of safety training as well as in the governance of the programme including membership of factory safety committees. The Accord is managing a huge programme of independent and credible inspection together with effective and timely remediation. Key issues for the future ■ Bangladeshi employers and Government have hitherto conspired to deny workers their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. It remains a huge challenge for trade unions to take advantage of the space offered by the Accord to build effective factory level trade unions in every one of the 4,000 factories producing garments for export. What Next after Rana Plaza: Progress in the Garment Industry? IndustriALL affiliates have organised nearly 40,000 workers, but this is barely one percent of the total workforce: organising remains a top priority INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 24 Volume 21 Issue 4 2014 STEVE GRINTER was Education Secretary with the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) from 1994 to 2012. He is now retired F our million largely female Bangladeshi garment workers risk their lives every day in the production of cheap garments for European and US markets. The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Savar, Dhaka in April 2013 was exceptional only in the fact that there were 1,200 fatalities. The Spectrum Factory also in Savar collapsed in similar circumstances in April 2005 killing 62 workers and seriously injuring 70 more. Workers in the 4000 plus garment export factories are not only at risk from their factories collapsing but also from fire. Hundreds of factories are located in shared-use premises with enterprises such as shops and restaurants. This compounds hazards of fire and limits the chance of escape. The Garib fire in 2010 killed 21 workers ; it was the second fire at the factory within 6 months. Employers have become skilled at presenting to buyers and social auditors a false impression of ‘compliance’ with buyers’ (often pathetically weak) corporate codes of social responsibility. In particular wages and timekeeping records are routinely works of fiction for presentation to auditors. The grim reality for workers is a different story comprising excessive working hours including forced overtime, unachievable production targets, brutal repression and above all denial of all trade union rights. Even today wages remain pitifully low; currently the minimum wage in the readymade garment industry is 5300 Taka or euro 54 per...

Leverage Decisions: A Case of Textile &amp; Readymade Garments Industry of the Indian Corporate Sector

This empirical paper attempts to study the leverage decisions of Textile & readymade garments industry of the Indian corporate sector. The study is limited to top 19 firms from Textile & readymade garments out of top 500 manufacturing firms selected on the basis of the turnover for the year 2004-2005 which covers the time span of eleven years commencing from 1995-96 to 2005-06. The study reveals that around half of the companies (47.29 percent) in this industry are in 0-100 percent capital structure range which means that these companies are using lesser amount of debt capital as compared to their own capital in their capital structure which is below the well-established standard range of 2:1 during the study period. It is found that one-third companies (33.50 percent) in this industry are in 100-200 percent capital structure range which means that these companies are using more amount of debt in their capital structure than their own capital but less than the well-established standard range of 200 percent (2:1) during the study period. Number of companies in this range is considerably more. It has been observed that around one-fifth companies (19.21 percent) in this industry are lying in more than 200 percent capital structure ranges during the study period. Such companies are using debt beyond the well-established standard range of 200 percent (2:1) during the study period. Number of companies in this range is considerably more. It is also observed that 5.42 percent companies in this industry are in 190 to 210 percent (1.90:1 to 2.10:1) capital structure ranges which are nearing to the well-established standard range of 200 percent (2:1) during the period under study. Thus, the study reveals that in this industry, around half of the companies are following low degree leverage, one-third of the companies are following moderate degree leverage and rest of the companies are following high degree leverage in their capital structure during the study period. Overall, Textile & readymade garments industry is following moderate approach of leverage in their capital structure during the study period.

Technical aspects of dissolvable protective clothing

Programmatic operations at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) involve working with various amounts of plutonium and other highly toxic, alpha-emitting materials. The spread of radiological contamination on surfaces, airborne contamination, and excursions of contaminants into the operator's breathing zone are controlled through the Radiological Protection Program. A key element of this program is the proper selection of protective clothing. Re-useable, launderable protective clothing has been the standard for several decades. Over the years, radioactive waste disposal costs have increased and disposal options have become more limited. This has prompted the development of single-use, dissolvable protective clothing. As a replacement for launderable woven textile garments, single-use, dissolvable protective clothing garment is under evaluation. We examined re-useable, launderable and single-use, dissolvable protective clothing and compared their effectiveness. Issues including heat stress, “wet” contamination-type work, and barrier to particulate contamination are addressed. Replacing launderable protective clothing with single-use, dissolvable fabrics offer nuclear facilities the opportunity for improved performance, by reducing radiological and heat stress risks. Pilot studies of this type support the LANL's Radiation Protection Program, contribute to the LANL Continuous Improvement Program, and advance LANL scientific and technological excellence by increasing its operational safety.