Incorporating sustainability in textile effluent treatment facilities

Sustainable development encompasses environmental, social and
economic considerations. As such the stakeholders include industry, government, individuals and communities. When designing or operating an industrial plant, it is Insufficient to consider only the economic viability of the facility. This paper examines the background to current sustainability awareness and presents a case study that incorporates sustainability principles in the design of an efluent treatment plant for a textile plant. The likely design of the treatment system (electro flotation followed by filtration) will do more than just meet regulatory requirements, it will maximise possible reuse of water and so minimise environmental impact of the facility.

Technical efficiency in Australian textile and clothing firms: evidence from the business longitudinal survey

This paper estimates technical efficiency of Australian textile and clothing firms based on the data obtained from the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Using a Cobb Douglas stochastic production frontier the paper examines firm level technical efficiency in the time varying inefficiency effect model with technical inefficiency effects assumed as an independently distributed truncated normal variable. Estimates of the production frontier revealed significant but small elasticities of labour and capital for textile and clothing firms, respectively, and a negative (but insignificant) Hicks neutral technical change for both. Estimated coefficients of the explanatory variables for inefficiency effects indicated that technical efficiency varied significantly according to firms’ age, size, capital intensity, proportion of non-production to total workers and type of legal status. Predicted firm specific efficiency varied from 16 per cent to 95 per cent and mean efficiency ranged between 30 to 70 per cent. In view of these results policies have been suggested to improve technical efficiency of the firms as well as productivity growth of the sub sectors.

Sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms

This paper estimates the sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms based on the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) from 1995 to 1998. Productivity growth estimates have been obtained for each sub-category of textile and clothing firms. Sources of growth in multifactor productivity (MFP) are examined with growth in technical efficiency and scale effects based on estimates of stochastic frontier production functions. Separate estimates of output growth have been compared with the productivity growth estimates for each of the product categories. MFP improved in all clothing firms and declined in textile firms over 1997–1998 by four-digit level of Australia New Zealand Standard Industrial classification Scheme (ANZSIC). MFP declined in most major categories of both textile and clothing firms in 1995–1997. Changes in technical efficiency mostly dominated scale effects in the overall direction of MFPG in both textile and clothing firms. The findings of the study provide evidence for policies for improving the firms' operative performance in the ongoing liberalised regime.

Use of plastic and textile media in polishing primary treated effluent

The majority of on-site sewage management systems in Australia fail to perform to expectations. About 60% to 80% of on-site systems reportedly fail to produce acceptable effluent quality, and there is an increaed concern about the risks associated with public health and environmental pollution. In Victoria, a large proportion of septic tank installations have been reported to discharge highly polluted waste to drains and streams. Users, often considered by regulators as operators, have to bear the costs of upgrade/replacement of their old systems to meet stringent water quality guidelines. Some of the common problems include clogging of the disposal fields due to solids and organic overloading and surfacing of highly polluted effluent. Large land application area is subsequently required for irrigating the effluent and/or installation of upgraded disposal fields.
This paper investigates the effectiveness of various types of textile and plastic media, in polishing primary tank effluent, downstream from a typical two-compartment septic tank system. Results to date show that high biochemical oxygen demand removal rates are achieved from the textile and plastic media (up to 86% and 83% respectively). At these removal levels, the performance of a combined conventional septic tank system and plastic/textile filters is comparable to that of an advanced aerated wastewater treatment system. This approach, subject to further investigation, could provide a less costly upgrade.

Sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms

This paper estimates the sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms based on the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) from 1995 to 1998. Productivity growth estimates have been obtained for each sub-category of textile and clothing firms. Sources of growth in multifactor productivity (MFP) are examined with growth in technical efficiency and scale effects based on estimates of stochastic frontier production functions. Separate estimates of output growth have been compared with the productivity growth estimates for each of the product categories. MFP improved in all clothing firms and declined in textile firms over 1997–1998 by four-digit level of Australia New Zealand Standard Industrial classification Scheme (ANZSIC). MFP declined in most major categories of both textile and clothing firms in 1995–1997. Changes in technical efficiency mostly dominated scale effects in the overall direction of MFPG in both textile and clothing firms. The findings of the study provide evidence for policies for improving the firms' operative performance in the ongoing liberalised regime.

Novel nanocomposite fibres for technical textile applications : synthesis and characterisation of poly(m-xylene adipamide) montmorillonite nanocomposites

Technical textiles, based on advanced polymeric materials, are an important segment of the synthetic textile market. This area has seen considerable growth in recent times, now accounting for almost 25% of all manufactured synthetic fibres, and has driven the recent development of a range of specialist high performance polymer fibres that are stronger, lighter or have improved heat and fire resistance. However, the increasing size of the market has highlighted the need for materials that have improved performance whilst maintaining low manufacturing costs. These factors have resulted in a change in how new specialty fibres are developed and the emphasis in this field is now on the upgrading or improving of the properties of commodity (conventional) fibres by modifying their properties to suit specific applications.

This paper will describe our work on preparing novel polymer nanocomposite fibres by the addition of clay nanoparticles during melt extrusion. The effect of the nanoparticles on the processing of the fibres and the result on the physical morphology and mechanical properties will be described.

Studies on the photochemical stability of organo phosphorus insecticides for textile mothproofing

The light stability of 0,0-diethyl-0-(4-ethylthiophenyl)phosphorothioate, a parent structure of a new class of fibre-reactive organophosphorus insectproofing agents for use on wool textiles was extensively examined. The rate of degradation of 0,0-diethyl-0-(4-ethylthiophenyl)phosphoro-thioate in polar and non-polar solution and on wool upon irradiation by simulated sunlight was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography.. The major photodegradation products in each case were correlated with the HPLC retention times of synthetically prepared compounds. The main product formed was the sulphoxide, 0,0-diethyl-O-(4-ethylsulphinylphenyl)phosphorothioate, whose insecticidal activity against the major textile pests was shown to be similar to that of the parent compound. In polar solution a polar product which could not be identified was formed. Both 4-ethylsulphinylphenol and 4-ethyIsulphony1-phenol were found on wool but not in solution. The effect of various ultraviolet stabilizers on the rate of photodegradation of 0,0-diethyl-0-(4-ethylthiophenyl)phosphorothioate was also examined. Ultraviolet absorbers of the 2-hydroxybenzophenone and 2-hydroxybenzotriazole classes conferred the best protection in each case. However, on wool typical wool dyes applied at conventional levels were also effective.

Novel nanocomposite fibres for technical textile applications

Technical textiles, based on advanced polymeric materials, are an important segment of the synthetic textile market. This area has seen considerable growth in recent times, now accounting for almost 25% of all manufactured synthetic fibres, and has driven the recent development of a range of specialist high performance polymer fibres that are stronger, lighter or have improved heat and fire resistance. However, the increasing size of the market has highlighted the need for materials that have improved performance whilst maintaining low manufacturing costs. These factors have resulted in a change in how new specialty fibres are developed and the emphasis in this field is now on the upgrading or improving of the properties of commodity (conventional) fibres by modifying their properties to suit specific applications.

This paper will describe our work on preparing novel polymer nanocomposite fibres by the addition of clay nanoparticles during melt extrusion. The effect of the nanoparticles on the processing of the fibres and the result on the physical morphology and mechanical properties will be described.