Effect of surface modification of polyester fabric on microfiber shedding from household laundry

Purpose Synthetic textile materials are noted as one of the major contributors to microfiber pollution through laundry. Though many research works evaluated microfiber pollution, the solutions provided to control microfiber shedding are meager. The existing products collect or filter the microfiber from laundry effluent and restrict the direct leaching. However, no methods were proposed to effectively reduce the shedding from the textile itself. Design/methodology/approach This research is aimed to analyze the influence of surface modification of polyester knitted textiles by sodium hydroxide, on microfiber shedding. Response surface methodology was adapted to optimize different treatment parameters (alkali concentration, treatment time and temperature). Findings The results show that the sodium hydroxide concentration and treatment time had a negative correlation with microfiber shedding reduction. Whereas, treatment temperature had a positive correlation with microfiber shedding reduction. The statistical analysis revealed that 0.4 M concentration, 90°C temperature and 24 min of treatment time was the best process condition for minimum microfiber release. The same was confirmed with a practical experiment and a significant reduction of 80.63% in microfiber shedding after alkali treatment was found. Originality/value Alkali treatment of different knitted polyester fabrics with various knit structures and mass per square meter showed a significant reduction in microfiber shedding. The repeated laundry performed for 20 washes with surface-modified samples showed a significant reduction in microfiber release at every wash cycle and ensured the longevity of the effect.