This study investigates the potential of Hibiscus rosasinensis stems, a widely cultivated and rapidly growing ornamental plant generating abundant lignocellulosic biomass often discarded as urban and agricultural waste, as a novel non-wood raw material for producing dissolving-grade pulp tailored for regenerated cellulose polymer applications. The bast fibres, rich in cellulose, provide a fast-growing and cost-effective alternative feedstock to conventional wood. Dissolving-grade pulp was obtained via the pre-hydrolysis kraft (PHK) process, combining water-based pre-hydrolysis for hemicellulose removal, kraft cooking for lignin elimination, and subsequent bleaching. The resulting pulp exhibited excellent quality, with α-cellulose 95.2%, hemicellulose 4.8%, residual lignin <0.1%, and intrinsic viscosity of 458 mL g−1. This high-purity pulp was successfully converted into viscose dope through conventional xanthation and regenerated into continuous cellulose polymer fibres via wet spinning. The fibres demonstrated tensile strength, elongation, dyeability, and smooth morphology, confirmed by SEM, comparable to commercial wood-derived viscose rayon, underscoring their suitability for textile applications. By valorising Hibiscus stem waste into functional polymeric fibres, this work establishes a sustainable pathway to reduce dependence on wood resources, mitigate deforestation pressures, and advance circular bioeconomy principles, while harnessing tropical biomass for greener textile industries.

In the modern apparel industry, there is a growing demand for sustainable and high-performance fabrics that combine aesthetic appeal with comfort and durability. Fibre blending has emerged as an effective strategy to enhance textile properties and develop versatile materials suitable for contemporary fashion applications. The present research aimed to develop and evaluate knitted garments from oak tasar/viscose (50:50) blends for sustainable western apparel, focusing on aesthetic appeal, mechanical performance, comfort, and color fastness. Consumer preferences, gathered from interviews with male and female college students from the university, favored column silhouettes, V-necklines, full-length dresses, notched collars, bell-bottom trousers, bust-length coats, and synthetic dyes. Twenty-five designs were shortlisted to five by a 10-expert panel, prototyped on a 34-inch dress form, and rated highly (4.6/5) for appearance by 45 respondents. The optimized blend exhibited superior mechanical properties, including bursting strength (~4.9 kg/cm²), drape coefficient (~35%), and abrasion resistance (&gt;1500 cycles). Comfort metrics showed air permeability (~185 cm³/cm²/s), thermal insulation (~15), and stretch recovery (~29%), while color fastness (AATCC standards) showed excellent wash, light, and rubbing ratings for synthetics, compare to naturals. These results confirm the blend's performance and market viability, with future applications in scalable production of eco-friendly activewear, professional attire, and adaptive clothing lines leveraging its durability and comfort.

This study presents the first cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of T-shirt production using viscose and Lyocell fibers, benchmarked against cotton and polyester under consistent system boundaries. The analysis covers spinning, knitting, wet processing, garment assembly, and regionalized energy supply. Results show that cotton T-shirts exhibit the lowest global warming potential (14.1 kg CO2eq/kg) but the highest water demand (2.9 m3/kg) in China. Polyester garments, although less water-intensive, contribute significantly to plastic accumulation (1.0 kg/kg shirt) compared to cellulose-based fibers (0.1 kg/kg shirt). Within man-made cellulose fibers, Lyocell generally outperforms viscose in toxicity-related categories—reducing freshwater ecotoxicity by 35% and human non-carcinogenic toxicity by 62%—thanks to its closed-loop solvent recovery. However, Lyocell also shows the highest carbon footprint (21.6 kg CO2eq/kg) unless produced in regions with cleaner energy mixes. Regional sensitivity analysis indicates that shifting production from China to Brazil could reduce global warming impacts by up to 38%. Overall, these results highlight the trade-offs across fiber types and demonstrate the importance of both material choice and production geography in driving sustainability within textile supply chains.

Studies on the ingestion and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) by river fish in various regions worldwide are crucial for a deeper understanding of MP cycles and for assessing food safety. This paper presents data on the quantitative assessment of MP and viscose fiber (0.15-5mm) ingestion by several fish species inhabiting the rivers of the Syr Darya basin in the Republic of Uzbekistan and an ecological risk assessment based on the polymer hazard index (PHI). The average MP concentration in fish gastrointestinal (GI) tracts (n = 61) attained 2.61 ± 4.38 items/ind, or 11.5 ± 43.8μg/ind. The MP concentration normalized to total body weight was 86.3 ± 130 items, or 241 ± 636μg/kg. Particles were predominantly fibers. Microplastic ingestion by fish from the Kara Darya and Chirchiq rivers did not differ significantly. No differences were observed between species, and between fish of different sexes and juveniles. Furthermore, no correlation was found between MP ingestion by fish and their trophic level. However, a significant (p < 0.05) correlation was revealed between the MP concentration in GI tracts and linear-weight parameters of fish. MP polymers predominant in fish from the Syr Darya basin included mainly PE, PET, PP, and polyethersulfon (PES) plastics. In addition to PES, "minor" polymers, such as PAN, PUR, and PVC, contributed to the ecological risk associated with polymer toxicity. The ecological risk for MPs extracted from the collected fish specimens was assessed based on the PHI and categorized as moderate (hazard category III). The study provides the first experimental evidence of MP ingestion by freshwater fish in the rivers of the Syr Darya basin. The data obtained can be used for the quantitative assessment of global plastic pollution and its threat to environmental components, including living systems, as well as for the ecological risk assessment.

High-performance intelligent thermoregulating viscose fibers enabled by polyurethane phase change materials

Wool is the oldest and a traditional fiber type used for carpet manufacturing. Although wool fiber has high quality performances as resilience, it cannot be used widely in machine-made carpet industry because of its high price. In this study, tuft carpet samples were woven by blending wool, polyamide and viscose fibers in order to benefit from the superior properties of wool and provide a price advantage. In this context, thickness loss, resilience and abrasion performances of tuft carpet samples were investigated. Compression-recovery, dynamic loading, brief moderate static loading, prolonged heavy static loading and abrasion resistance tests were carried out to carpet samples. According to the test results, the best resilience and abrasion performances were determined with 60/40% wool-polyamide 6.6 blended carpet sample. However, worse resilience and abrasion performances were stated with 80/20% wool-viscose blended carpet sample.

This study investigates the structural and functional enhancement of regenerated cellulose fibers, Viscose and Tencel, through the incorporation of zinc oxide (ZnO) particles at concentrations of 0.5–1.5%. Chemical, physical, and antibacterial activity was evaluated for treated fabrics. Attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) confirmed Zn–O bonding and interactions with cellulose hydroxyl groups, while scanning electron microscope (SEM)-EDX revealed nanoparticle deposition and agglomeration on fiber surfaces, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated the presence of crystalline wurtzite ZnO with increased overall crystallinity, particularly in Tencel. Functionally, ZnO improved wettability and reduced air permeability, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity and controlled porosity. UV protection was significantly increased, with Viscose at 1.5% ZnO achieving the highest UPF (125.0), while Tencel showed moderate improvement. Thermal conductivity was markedly enhanced in Tencel (1.4 W/m·K at 1.5% ZnO), suggesting better integration of ZnO within its structure. Mechanical testing revealed improved compression linearity at moderate ZnO loading and higher compression resilience for Tencel, while Viscose demonstrated superior antibacterial performance, reaching 99.0% resistance against Staphylococcus aureus and 98.2% against Escherichia coli. For durability studies, Viscose initially showed higher UPF (112.6) than Tencel (60.8) across ZnO concentrations, but both dropped similarly after washing. While ZnO leaching exceeded 95% in both fabrics, antimicrobial efficacy remained above 99% across all concentrations. Higher ZnO content (1.5%) in Viscose led to reduced resilience post-wash, whereas Tencel remained stable regardless of concentration. These findings highlight that ZnO incorporation tailors fiber properties for specific applications: Viscose with 1.5% ZnO is best suited for UV-protective and antimicrobial textiles, whereas Tencel with 1.5% ZnO is optimal for thermally functional and mechanically durable fabrics. The results underscore the potential of ZnO-enhanced regenerated cellulose fibers in protective clothing, sportswear, and medical textiles.

Cellulose dissolution solvents have been developed for the fabrication of regenerated cellulose (RC) films, which are known for their high optical transparency, excellent barrier properties, and biodegradability. In this study, three types of aqueous dissolution systems, including glycol ether/sodium hydroxide (NaOH), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/NaOH, and urea/NaOH aqueous systems, were investigated to compare their effects on lignocellulosic microfine (LCMF) solutions and the resulting regenerated cellulose films. The dissolution yields of LCMFs in these solvents ranged from 77.0% to 85.0%. The incorporation of glycol-based co-solvents in NaOH significantly influenced the transparency (over 70% of transparency) of the regenerated LCMF films. The use of a high molecular weight of co-solvent (PEG) especially resulted in enhanced stability of the LCMF solutions, as evidenced by higher inherent viscosities and the minimal viscosity change over 30 days compared to glycol ether/NaOH and urea/NaOH systems. Furthermore, the films regenerated from the PEG/NaOH solvent showed the lowest shrinkage (19.4%) and the highest mechanical strength (47.8 MPa), followed by the glycol ether/NaOH and urea/NaOH systems. These results confirm that the type of co-solvent in cellulose dissolution systems influences the composition, coagulation behavior, and drying characteristics of regenerated LCMF films, affecting their mechanical performance. This study provides insights into the effective utilization of lignocellulosic materials for the efficient fabrication of regenerated cellulose.

The rising demand for wireless electronics and sustainable energy solutions drives the search for alternatives to conventional batteries. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer a promising route by converting mechanical energy into electricity via frictional events between two different material surfaces. Here, a simple and scalable surface modification method using conventional laser printing was applied to investigate the effect on triboelectric performance of cellulose-based materials against polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Regenerated cellulose (RC) and cellulose acetate (CA) films were print patterned with black toner in a conventional laser printer at different surface coverages from 0% to 100%. The measured power output for RC films against PTFE showed minimal response from the patterning over the whole range and could be considered as constant with an average of 52 ± 2 W m-2. On the other hand, the CA sample films showed a significant and gradual increase in power output from 45 to 65 W m-2 as the toner print coverage increased from 0% to 100%. These results demonstrate that synergistic interactions between the printed toner and the substrate can strongly influence TENG performance and are highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of the underlying material. In CA, toner-substrate intermixing enabled by laser printing temperatures exceeding the glass transition temperature provides a proof-of-concept for enhancing triboelectric performance through controlled surface-bulk interactions.

ABSTRACT To enhance cotton/viscose fiber recognition accuracy, we propose a data classification-based digital analysis method. A set of image preprocessing algorithm procedures has been developed to perform grayscale, denoising, and binarization on the image. In addition, the fiber cross-sectional image is marked, and the outer contour image of the fiber cross-section is obtained by using the edge detection algorithm, and finally the feature parameters are extracted. By training and analyzing the extracted fiber cross-section characteristic parameters, three recognition algorithms including K-nearest neighbor, backpropagation neural network, and random forest–decision tree are used to identify the fiber category. The experimental results show that the recognition rate of the random forest–decision tree algorithm is the highest, and the recognition accuracy is up to 97.5 %.

During use, the surface of textile fabrics is prone to wear, which can cause changes such as pilling. Pilling (entanglement of fibers) is primarily assessed using the standard visual method EN ISO 12945-4:2020, but it can also be quantitatively measured by instrumental methods with image analysis software. Due to non-uniform digital imaging conditions, such as variations in magnification and analyzed surface area, the assessed area is often inconsistent. As a result, the total percentage of the fabric specimen surface area covered with pills is often omitted. To ensure uniform digital imaging, an innovative apparatus was designed and constructed in this research and applied to woven fabrics made from 100% cotton, wool, viscose, polyamide 6.6, polyester, and acrylic fiber. Pilling in the fabric specimens was induced by rubbing with the Martindale pilling tester (EN ISO 12945-2:2020) using two different abradant materials, through predefined pilling rubs ranging from 125 to 30,000. Pilling assessment was conducted using both the visual method and the improved instrumental method, following established grading classes based on the total percentage of the fabric specimen surface area covered with pills. The research results highlight the importance of uniform digital imaging and digital grading, as these demonstrate the high comparability of pilling grades assigned by the standard visual method while providing better distinction between consecutive grades.

Bamboo-culm-inspired graded axial channel cellulose cryogels for acoustic absorption and acoustoelectric conversion.

Adsorption properties of natural and synthetic fiber microplastics for organic dyes: Effects of aging and environmental factors.

ABSTRACT The utilization of hemicellulose in fiber production offers a sustainable route for textiles by transforming an otherwise wasted component of wood biomass into value‐added material. The high hemicellulose content in these fibers poses challenges for alkaline wet processing, particularly during dyeing with reactive dyes. This study provides a systematic evaluation of how different alkaline conditions influence both the structural stability and dyeability of hemicellulose‐rich (HR‐Cell) fibers, addressing a knowledge gap in the processing of next‐generation biobased cellulosic fibers. We investigate the dyeability and structural stability of HR‐Cell fibers under sodium hydroxide (NaOH, 5–10 g/L) and sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 , 5–20 g/L) treatments. Comprehensive characterization of HR‐Cell fibers, including carbohydrate analysis, molar mass distribution, intrinsic viscosity, degree of polymerization, and crystallinity, showed that NaOH at 10 g/L led to hemicellulose degradation and cellulose depolymerization, whereas Na 2 CO 3 preserved hemicellulose even at elevated concentrations. Dyeing experiments using C.I. Reactive Red 141 and C.I. Reactive Yellow 6 revealed that HR‐Cell fibers consistently exhibited higher dye exhaustion, fixation, and color strength compared to cotton, viscose, and Lyocell fibers. The most favorable dyeing results were achieved with 15 g/L Na 2 CO 3 , which offered optimal conditions for activating fiber hydroxy groups, minimizing dye hydrolysis, and preserving hemicellulose in the fibers. Colorfastness tests confirmed very good to excellent resistance to washing, rubbing, and light across all samples and conditions.

Background/Objectives: Advancing information on the key physicochemical properties of biologically active substances enables the development of formulations with reduced dosing, lower toxicity, and minimal adverse effects. This work addresses the knowledge gap concerning the pharmacologically relevant properties of harmaline (HML), with a focus on thermodynamic and kinetic aspects. New data were obtained on the compound’s solubility and distribution coefficients across a wide temperature range. Specifically, solubility was measured in aqueous buffers (pH 2.0 and 7.4), 1-octanol (OctOH), n-hexane (Hex), and isopropyl myristate (IPM), while distribution coefficients were determined in OctOH/pH 7.4, Hex/pH 7.4, and IPM/pH 7.4 systems. Methods: Three membranes—regenerated cellulose (RC), PermeaPad (PP) and polydimethylsiloxane-polycarbonate (PDS)—were used as barriers in permeability studies using a Franz diffusion cell. Results: At 310.15 K, the molar solubility of HML in the solvents decreased in the following order: OctOH > pH 2.0 > pH 7.4 > IPM > Hex. The distribution coefficient of HML showed a strong dependence on the nature of the organic phase, correlating with its solubility in the respective solvents. The OctOH/pH 7.4 distribution coefficient ranged from 0.973 at 293.15 K to 1.345 at 313.15 K, falling within the optimal range for potential drug bioavailability. The transfer of HML into OctOH (from either pH 7.4 or hexane) is thermodynamically spontaneous, whereas its transfer into Hex is unfavorable. Conclusions: Based on its permeability across the PP barrier, HML was classified as highly permeable. The distribution and permeation profiles of HML showed similar trends over 5 h in both the OctOH/pH 7.4–PP and IPM/pH 7.4–PDS systems. These systems were therefore proposed as suitable models for studying HML transport in vitro.

Room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) fibers derived from natural sources exhibit great potential, but their large-scale preparation remains challenging. This work overcomes this major bottleneck by demonstrating the first successful large-scale manufacturing of bio-based, room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) fibers. By integrating lignin, an abundant biopolymer, directly into a commercial viscose fiber production line, we have developed a cost-effective process to produce high-performance phosphorescent viscose (PV) fibers at an industrial scale. The process employed key industrial parameters, including a coagulation bath temperature of 49°C, and a lignin incorporation rate of 1% (w/w) relative to cellulose, with continuous filament collection. These monolithic fibers exhibit a robust and long-lived green afterglow (lifetime of 217.5ms) and exceptional mechanical strength (629.2MPa), properties imparted by the unique Cellulose II matrix formed during the industrial co-regeneration process. Moreover, the wavelength of PV-fiber is tunable, ranging from 500 to 520nm, by changing the excitation wavelength and using an energy transfer strategy. To prove their immediate viability, the PV-fibers are seamlessly processed into yarns and textiles using standard machinery, creating advanced multi-level anti-counterfeiting embroidery and luminescent surgical sutures. This breakthrough provides a direct and tangible pathway from renewable biomass to the mass production of advanced luminescent fabrics, paving the way for their integration into consumer and biomedical products.

The appropriate selection of the type, composition and finish of textile materials under specific conditions of temperature and humidity influences the possibility of their microbial colonization. The aim of the study is to test the survivability of microorganisms on textile materials in different microclimate conditions. To test the survivability of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces albus), virus (bacteriophage PhiX174), and fungi (Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus versicolor, and Penicillium melinii), five man-made (viscose) and synthetic (polyester, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile, polyamide) fabrics made of homogeneous fibres (100% the same fibres), as well as five fabrics made of mixed fibres (i.e. polyester with addition of viscose, carbon, aramid, and anti-static fibres) kept in low (60%) humidity and at room (~24 °C) and elevated (~40 °C) temperature of the air were used. The study showed different microbial survivability patterns. In the case of bacteria and bacteriophage, fibre admixtures added to synthetic materials usually reduced their survivability. In the case of fungi, synthetic, mainly polyester, as well as doped polyacrylonitrile and polyamide materials, supported the survivability of their conidia. Under specific microclimatic conditions, the textile material can be selected in a way that limits the survivability of harmful microorganisms, which may be deposited on it. And vice versa, by changing the microclimatic conditions when wearing clothes made of a specific fabric, one can ensure that the presence of microorganisms will be eliminated or at least their survivability will be significantly reduced.

One of the biggest issues of high-performance concrete is its behavior during fire. Because of the much lower amount of pores in high-performance concrete, extremely high water vapor pressure is created. This leads to explosive spalling of the concrete. One way to prevent this effect is by adding fibers to the concrete mixture. In this article, the impact of commonly used polypropylene fibers is compared to that of flax fibers and viscose fibers. Subsequently, mechanical compressive and flexural strength were tested on those samples that remained intact after the fire experiment. Their mechanical properties were compared with the reference samples without exposure to fire at the same age.

Abstract Tampons are widely used hygiene products, yet there remains a lack of engineering-focused research on their design and functionality. A critical factor in tampon performance is the pore structure of the material, which directly influences liquid absorption. While micro-computed tomography has provided valuable insights into overall pore volume, it falls short in accurately characterizing individual pore sizes. In this study, we employ the sub-network of an over-segmented watershed (SNOW) algorithm alongside PoreSpy to obtain a detailed pore size distribution within tampon proxy materials. Our findings reveal that tampon proxies made of trilobal cellulose viscose fibres exhibit significantly larger pores, with a 26-32% higher pore equivalent diameter (PED), than their round-fibre counterparts, despite comparable porosity, highlighting the influence of fibre geometry on expansion and liquid uptake. Although trilobal CV tampon proxies exhibit a 41% greater expanded volume and 18.7% higher absorbency compared to round fibres, their porosity increases only moderately, underscoring the need to investigate pore structure beyond bulk metrics. Kolmogorov–Smirnov distance analyses confirm that inter-fibre differences in pore structure exceed intra-sample variations, underlining the dominant role of fibre type on absorbency. While gradients along the tampon proxy length influence local pore formation, trilobal fibre tampon proxies consistently form larger pores, enhancing their liquid absorption properties. Additionally, we observe a systematic increase in pore size from top to bottom, likely influenced by one-sided liquid application and compression effects during production. These results offer a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing pore formation in tampon networks and provide a basis for future simulations of liquid imbibition, ultimately contributing to optimized tampon designs

The need to use naturally abundant, renewable, and sustainableprecursors, such as lignin and cellulose, to produce technical textilefibers for a range of applications is rapidly growing. Being ableto spin fibers directly from the biomass feedstock, without separationand purification, could significantly reduce processing costs, energyconsumption, and pollution, and also retain carbon for subsequentuse in carbon fiber production and other applications. Going beyondthe approach of either spinning pure lignin, cellulose, or combinationsof the two, continuous regenerated spun fibers have been successfullyproduced from dissolved and unbleached miscanthus grass pulp. Therheological and microscopic properties of the spinning dope were fullycharacterized as well as the structure and mechanical properties ofthe spun lignocellulose pulp (LCP) fibers. The highly viscous spinningdope had a zero-shear viscosity in the range 26–256 kPa·s,which resulted in spun fibers with a rough surface texture, with someundissolved lignocellulose components in the dope. The LCP fiber’sorientation was determined using X-ray diffraction, displaying low-to mid-range values of <sin2 θ> (0.2–0.5),which was expected at the low draw ratios used to ensure fiber consistency.Despite this, the filaments were found to have strengths in the rangeof 114–173 MPa, similar to wool or wet viscose rayon, and moduliof 9–12 GPa comparable to lower-range lyocell fibers. Interestingly,the micrometer-scale undissolved lignocellulose components did notinhibit the spinning process, allowing the production of what resemblescontinuous natural fibers. This approach shows promise for generatingsustainable continuous spun fibers, without excessive pretreatmentof the precursor, for technical textiles from lignocellulose pulps.