Taylor Kanipe, an industrious PhD student at North Carolina State University, is pioneering advancements in sustainable textile technology. Alongside her lab supervisor, Richard Venditti, Kanipe aims to transform the treatment of cotton fabrics by developing an eco-friendly alternative to conventional fabric finishes that incorporate harmful agents like formaldehyde and PFAS.
The team is utilizing epoxidised cottonseed oil (ECSO) as a natural remedy. ECSO efficiently adheres to itself and creates a hydrophobic polymer that not only repels water but also boosts wrinkle resistance through molecular connections within the cotton fibers.
In laboratory evaluations designed to assess the water repellence of this groundbreaking treatment, fabric treated with ECSO demonstrated a contact angle of 125°, representing a notable improvement over untreated fabric, which absorbed water completely.
Kanipe and her team are advancing the application technique, progressing towards a water-based emulsion that may negate the necessity for solvents such as hexanes, yielding a more sustainable application approach.
Her research, backed by Cotton Incorporated, seeks to scale up this technology for real-world, large-scale implementation, concentrating not only on ecological advantages but also on economic practicality. Future investigations will examine additional performance indicators such as tear strength and fabric longevity, marking significant progress in textile sustainability.