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

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.

Beneficiaries from the research will be:
1. Textile designers and makers working within small businesses
2. Textile/fashion manufacturers and retailers
3. Textile machinery manufacturers
4. Enzyme industry
5. Local galleries/International trade fairs
6. Academics in the disciplines of textile design, laser technology and biochemistry
7. Fashion and textile consumers/general public

The research will provide a comprehensive study of the use of laser and enzyme technologies for textile surface patterning. The results will be presented in such a way that textile designers, retailers and manufacturers will be able to review and replicate the design effects achieved enabling them to broaden their design capabilities in an environmentally sensitive manner. This will contribute to enhancing the creative output of the UK and enable small creative businesses as well as larger retailers (and manufacturers) to remain competitive within stricter legislation pertaining to sustainability issues. The laser and enzyme technologies to be used are now commercially available. Lasers are now accessible to small businesses as well as to the larger manufacturer and enzymes are commercially available and inexpensive meaning that the techniques developed could be easily transferred to creative textile businesses. The highly customised approach will provide a means for design innovation enabling UK designers and makers to remain competitive within the high-end design market. The results will also be relevant to larger manufacturing and retailing businesses enabling design innovation alongside contributing to developing environmental strategies, thus increasing their competitiveness within the global market. The work will also be beneficial to UK textile machinery manufacturing as it will expand the applications and potential markets for laser machinery. Expanding enzyme applications will provide new market opportunities for the enzyme industry which is mainly Europe based. The design work produced will be exhibited in local and, if appropriate, national design based galleries. The project will provide an opportunity for galleries to diversify their exhibiting programme and to connect with local design businesses as well as engaging with the wider public in sustainability issues relating to textiles and fashion. These benefits would start to emerge as the research results are published and communicated through the technology and knowledge transfer strategy outlined. We aim to begin this process during the research project as and when appropriate as well as at the end of the work. The research will provide the integrated knowledge of laser and enzyme technologies in design. This will contribute to curriculum development in sustainable design, more specifically in the application of laser technology and enzyme processes

How will this benefit be ensured?
Practical workshops alongside publications will ensure that research results are communicated effectively to textile designers and makers within the UK. Benefits to the retail and manufacturing sectors will be ensured through the project partnerships with Speedo, Camira and Teresa Green Design. Ongoing collaboration will provide further opportunities for exploitation of the results. Public engagement will be achieved through publication and exhibition. Through the approach taken, the research students working on the project will become fully trained in laser and enzyme textile processing techniques for design. They will be able to apply their technical and design knowledge gained, alongside an in depth understanding of sustainability issues relating to textiles, within future employment. The skills gained will be specifically relevant to the creative sector but also to the retail and manufacturing sectors. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships will be explored on completion of the project.