The Textile Industry

and Climate Change mitigation

The textile industry requires various productive processes. This is due to the
wide variety of raw materials and treatment options available, which lead to
a great variety of end products.

The industry has high energy requirements throughout all stages of the
production process. The treatments vary. Some, such as melt spinning,
require refrigeration; and others, such as dyeing, desizing and scouring need
heat. Thus, energy consumption plays a central role in many key stages of
the process.

The textile business is involved with climate change by virtue of its

considerable energy consumption. To meet its energy demand, the sector
resorts to two distinct types of energy sources: indirect emission sources
(electricity) and direct emission sources (natural gas, cogeneration and
diesel fuel).

Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy consumption

can be achieved by various means, the main ones being: energy efficiency,
the rational use of energy consumption, and cogeneration.
This brochure proposes possible mitigation measures for the various
productive processes of the textile industry.
 Emissions reduction strategies
• Improve energy efficiency to reduce emissions.
--Oriented towards both direct and indirect emissions
--Special attention to the processes with the greatest energy consumption,
such as heat generation, as they have a greater impact on climate change

Emissions mitigation alternatives in the textile industry

Preparation of the Fibre Pretreatment DyEing
-- Measures: -- Measures: -- Measures:
∙∙ Fat recovery systems by means of decantation ∙∙ Application of the oxidative method for ∙∙ Continuous dyeing of the polyester with vat
or hot water centrifuge equipment eliminating sizing agents colouring in a single step
∙∙ Energy consumption minimisation systems , by means ∙∙ Enzymatic scouring by substituting chemical ∙∙ Post-treatment to the polyester dye by means
of sealing degreasing agents with enzymes of a reducing agent to avoid baths after the
winches or vats and optimisation of mechanical ∙∙ Recovery of sizing agents by ultrafiltration dyeing bath.
water extraction. ∙∙ Use of the Flash Steam and Pad Batch systems ∙∙ Econtrol alternative process to traditional
-- Advantages: to perform desizing, scouring and bleaching in continuous and semi-continuous dyeing of
∙∙ Reuse of wool fat as a by-product a single step. cellulose fabrics
∙∙ Reduction in the level of dirt and facilitation of the -- Advantages: ∙∙ Use of liposomes as auxiliary agents in
subsequent rinsing tasks. ∙∙ The oxidative method allows for efficient and wool dyeing
∙∙ Water and energy savings uniform degradation of the desizing agents ∙∙ Post-treatment with enzymes in the dye to
∙∙ The enzymes selectively attack the impurities achieve more efficient extraction of the
Fabric Production that need to be removed, they reduce the colouring agents.
-- Measures: working temperature, processing time, loss in ∙∙ Optimisation of the equipment in the dyeing
∙∙ Substitution of traditional lubricants in the the weight of fabric and consumption of the baths by sealing covers and doors
manufacturing of knitted fabric with self-emulsifying subsequent load. ∙∙ Optimisation of winch dyeing
oils ∙∙ The amount of energy consumed by the ∙∙ Optimisation of jet dyeing by means of
∙∙ Substitution of adhesives with polyacrylates ultrafiltration phase is less than that required Soft-flow systems.
in the sizing process prior to the manufacture of for the production of new desizing agents. ∙∙ Use of the Jet-Overflow system
woven fabric The Flash Steam and Pad Batch systems allow -- Advantages:
-- Advantages: for the simultaneous performance of distinct ∙∙ Dye bath at low temperatures
∙∙ Elimination of oils and adhesives with water productive processes. ∙∙ Greater diffusion of the colouring agent
at low temperatures and without auxiliary agents ∙∙ In general, energy consumption and economic ∙∙ Reduction of temperature and steam losses
∙∙ Use of smaller amounts of glue to obtain the same costs are reduced. ∙∙ Usage of lower bath ratios
effectiveness ∙∙ Reduction in processing time
∙∙ Reduction of the washing temperature with lower ∙∙ Reduction in energy consumption
energy consumption
∙∙ Subsequent bleaching and scour ing in a single step
∙∙ Reduced water and energy consumption Finishes and finishing agents Washing
Printing -- Measures: -- Measures:
∙∙ Minimisation of energy consumption in the stenter ∙∙ Water and energy savings in the
-- Measures: by mechanical extraction of the water, air-water continuous washing and rinsing by means of
∙∙ Printing with pigments heat exchanger and thermal insulation. automatic stop valves, counter-current flow and
-- Advantages: -- Advantages: heat recovery systems.
∙∙ Reduction of the process to 2 phases without ∙∙ Energy savings of up to 70% -- Advantages:
additional consumption ∙∙ 20% reduction in heat losses ∙∙ Improve the process efficiency and energy savings
 Case study:
El-Nasr (Egipt)
(Source: MedClean -27)

El-Nasr is one of the biggest public sector textiles factories in Egypt. Its main activities
are as spinning, weaving and wet processing. With this production, volume their main
environmental problem was the large amount of energy involved in all the processes.
To try to resolve this situation, and in the context of a SEAM project, an environmental audit
was carried out, the results of which identified problems related to poor energy management.

General measures to reduce emissions

-- Improve insulation of the steam and hot water network.
-- Install counter-current flow washes and rinses to improve efficiency.
-- Install automatic shut-off valves in the laundering chains in order to control
and optimize water flow.
-- Thermal energy recovery and reuse of wash water from the rubbing of spinning
and dyeing liquids.
-- Optimization of chemical use through the substitution of some new products such
as enzymes, new sizing agents, new lubricants, dyes, reagents, and so on.

results
All measures put in place proved to be easy to install and represented low or no
cost to the company. A satisfactory energy conservation and fuel savings of 5%
was attained. This contributed to the report, in a short period of time, to the return of
the cost of the improvements and significant benefits for the company.

Investment cost and amortization

Regional Activity Center for Cleaner Production (CP/RAC) - Dr. Roux, 80 - 08017 Barcelona (Spain) Tel. +34 93 553 87 90 - Fax. +34 93 553 87 95
www.cprac.org